Gallipot Eyes: A Wiltshire Diary

by Elspeth Huxley

Diary of the authors time in Oaksey from April 1974-March 1975.

327 pages, Hardcover

First published December 31, 1976

About the author

Elspeth Joscelin Huxley was an English writer, journalist, broadcaster, magistrate, environmentalist, farmer, and government adviser. She wrote over 40 books, including her best-known lyrical books, The Flame Trees of Thika and The Mottled Lizard, based on her youth in a coffee farm in British Kenya. Her husband, Gervas Huxley, was a grandson of Thomas Henry Huxley and a cousin of Aldous Huxley.

Reviews

[Phil · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another of the ever-popular 'diary of a year in a village' style books, although Huxley's writing is above average and that, combined with the delightful black and white illustrations, gives it more than an average rating.

Huxley mingles comment on daily life in her Wiltshire village with character sketches of the villagers, local myths and legends, snippets of family life and her research on local history. I found the last category probably the least interesting, not because I dislike local history - I don't! - but because the diary entry format was too disjointed to go well with the subject. It's difficult to link the various bits of history up when they keep being interrupted by chat about harvesting marrows or the local WI cake competition. But overall, an enjoyable and easy read.

Recommended for all who like these 'village diary' type books, but especially those who have a connection to Wiltshire. NB: I was puzzled by the title at the start of the book, and I'm still puzzled now. Huxley states that it is taken from a quote by John Aubrey who claimed that all Wiltshire people had 'gallipot eyes', but there is no explanation of what that means. The only definitions I can find for 'gallipot' refer to small jars, usually used by apothecaries. If anyone knows what it means when applied to a person's eyes, please let me know!

[Bodil · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is a well-written book and in many ways interesting. It is written as an extensive diary; Huxley write a lot several days and not at all others. However, as know very little about her, I was a bit confused at times. Some background information would have helped me. She writes a lots about her efforts (and results) of trying to trace the history of local gentry. I am afraid that in the end I found this boring and lost track! Possibly this is more interesting if you know your English history better than I do!