Clarissa Dickson Wright (1947–2014)

Spilling the Beans by Clarissa Dickson Wright, one of the Two Fat Ladies from the British cooking show, is written in the time-honoured tradition of the overblown celebrity autobiography. Outspoken, opinionated, exaggerated, name-dropping, gossipy, and highly entertaining. I don't agree with some of her opinions, some of her anecdotes and "facts" are questionable, but she is definitely an interesting person, who has led a life very far removed from my own experience. Much of the book deals show more with serious issues of abuse and addiction, but I never felt that I had to put it down because it got too depressing. The behind the scenes look at the production of the "Two Fat Ladies" show is fascinating, as is the glimpse at a privileged lifestyle that was not all that it seemed. It is not great literature, but it is everything one looks for in a celebrity memoir. show less

When I think of my sister the image is always of her on a Sunday after church. I would pass a few words with the Gaffer, hand out a few alms. She would stride back across the estate in her wellies, bellowing “String ‘em up, Bertie!” Not a glimmer of irony. Completely bonkers and hugely entertaining. Dickson Wright reminds me of my sister. This is a big book and a big subject, both overshadowed by a personality so massive it has developed its own evert horizon. She claims in chapter one show more that homelessness in Britain today is caused by the Reformation. And she’s only getting started. She may not be entirely trustworthy, but she does get the chronology right with the older things happening first and more recent things happening later. She opens her history in the 1150s. A very sensible choice if you ask me as the history of English food prior to this can be demonstrated in the following graph:

1065 – beer and red meat
1067 – beer and frumenty

One thing she she really does know about is food. She knows a lot and knows how to write about it in a consistently interesting way. Particularly useful is her personal experience. When she discusses the eating of badger, or seal, or udder, she can tell you what they taste like. show less

Someone whose inner child needs a large hug. Her father was an abusive doctor who drank himself into a regular stupor and took his issues out on her and her mother. She was a bit of a whoops baby, born later than her siblings. Her mother was an Australian heiress. She went to boarding school and later became a lawyer (and claims that she was the youngest to be called to the bar but others have said that the maths doesn't add up). Her mother died when she was relatively young and her show more inheritance was tied up in legal issues. And then she drank her way through her fortune until she found a path to recovery with the help of AA and a residential clinic (or two).
She's the quintessential British (though she lived in Scotland for many years, and died there) jolly hockeysticks type of woman that live on the edges of the upper class and are of a type. She was a dedicated hunter, courser and meat-eater and has little time for vegetarianism (and claimed to have reformed a few in her time) she also comes across as someone who believes in "pulling yourself together" and "getting on with things" and also sounds like she has left a few messes in her wake. While she spills a lot of beans and at the same time doesn't name everyone she encounters or has encounters with.
While a bit bloodthirsty I found it fascinating and at times hilarious. show less

This is overflowing with all sorts of unusual and interesting information. Clarissa Dickson Wright is surprisingly more knowledgable than I gave her credit for and she absolutely loves to ‘pootle’ about the countryside. Isn’t that a great word! This reads like something from Bill Bryson or Joanna Lumley and it reminded me of watching Penelope Keith talk about her Hidden Villages. Clarissa took me on a long, leisurely drive through the countryside, ending in her favourite county of show more Yorkshire. She showed me much along the way and made me laugh many times. I discovered she has strong views and opinions on a couple of contentious subjects but I for one won’t hold that against her. She’s written a great book, I loved it and hope you will too! show less