In 1952, at the time of writing Pennies from Heaven and Earth, we find Denis working up in the City as a solicitor, having to try to make ends meet. It was while on the train back to East Horsley that he got into conversation with Michael Buckland.
Michael was an unhappy soul, lacking in confidence and persuaded by his forceful father into an office job totally unsuited to his nature. He was somewhat dyslexic which at that time was unheard of and suffering from an education in the war, which could be said to have been at best sparse and old fashioned.
I would love to have been a “fly on the wall” during this chance meeting. Imagine them sitting in the carriage. Denis rather over wrought and wishing to be back in his idyll, while a grumpy disillusioned Michael sat idly looking out on post war ravaged England. Whatever the conversation, the outcome was that Denis invited Michael to work in the garden at Greendene. This was much against his father’s will, who felt that Michael should have “a proper job”.
So, Michael started in the garden, after David Martineau, Denis’s previous helper,left in that year.
Unfortunately, very soon after he was called up to go into National Service, for which again he was an unlikely candidate. He told me he got by partly because he didn’t smoke, by selling his fags to the others and therefore keeping in their good books. He learned to drive and enjoyed the relative freedom of driving rather than routine marches and other soldierly duties. Like Denis, he got invalided out of service, this was due to contracting glandular fever which lasted some time and kept him away from Greendene. Eventually however, he got back to the garden that was now much in need of his strength and zeal, to help support Denis who was really not cut out for hard labour in the field.
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