DW and Constance Spry

[Darren]

I recently acquired a first edition of The Second Seal and written inside is For Mr S Price, Best Wishes, Dennis Wheatley.

I was about to throw the packaging away when I noticed that the sender had written on the back "from Mr J Price" with his address. Out of curiosity I emailed the sender to see if he had any knowledge of Mr S Price and in what circumstances he had met DW.

He answered that his father was the Mr S Price and that he had a number of DW signed books. Sidney Price was the head buyer for Constance Spry and his son thinks that DW was a regular customer of Constance Spry.

I must confess I have never heard of Constance Spry but I asked my Mum who said she was a very famous flower arranger and writer of cookery books.

I have found reference to Constance Spry in a DW book. Towards the end of Chapter 12 (A tangled skein) of the Satanist is the following sentence: "As she was evidently out and might not return till lunch time, he rang up Constance Spry’s, ordered a big bunch of roses to be sent to her by hand, and dictated a card to go with them."

The way DW casually refers to Constance Spry but not her profession confirms how famous she must have been as a florist “brandâ€￾ back in 1960 when the Satanist was published. In which case it's not surprising that DW would have been a customer. I wonder if her services are used in any other DW novels.

Cheers.

[shanedwyer]

Lovely bit of sleuthing there Darren- so many thanks for sharing.

It prompted me to google Constance Spry. It seems that her signature Constance Spry Cookery Book was the ultimate in culinary guides for any self-respecting housewife in the late 50s and early 60s. Consequently, it was a staple of wedding lists of the time too.

And since you mention The Satanist...and I’ve obviously got too much time on my hands...I’ve caught myself wondering if Mary Morden ever cooked poor Teddy any dishes from it, before he ended up in an alley with his throat slit...

Anyway, it’s interesting to note that used paperback copies of (the glowingly-reviewed) cookbook are available from just a penny (plus p&p) on Amazon. Perhaps I’ll splurge and buy La Dwyer a copy for her birthday. Actually, better not. Might end up in an alley myself .