A Coronation and a Question

What Did It Mean? by Angela Thirkell published 1954 This one was suggested when we were looking at books with question-marks in the title last year. When I found out it was a later book in Angela Thirkell’s oeuvre, dealing largely with preparations for celebrating the coronation of QEII in 1953, and that Lydia Merton – a great favourite Thirkell character – featured, I was keen to read it. First of all the title: It’s a bit ragged, but I think the point is that someone has got hold of an ancient prophecy from a local rural gent, and some of the characters are trying to work out what it all means? Something like that - it’s very like Harry Potter. But it doesn’t impinge much on the plot to be honest. That is, if you can call it a plot. All the local nobs meet up for social events, formal and informal, and discuss the affairs of the neighbourhood. This alternates with meetings of the Coronation committee, planning a day of entertainments after the big event: ie everyone watches the…