Derek Tangye
Encyclopedia
Derek Tangye was a well-known author who lived in Cornwall
for nearly fifty years. He wrote 19 books which became known as 'The Minack Chronicles'--they were about his simple life on a clifftop daffodil farm called Dorminack, affectionately referred to as Minack, at St Buryan
in the far west of Cornwall with his wife Jeannie. The couple had given up sophisticated metropolitan lives, he as a newspaper columnist (during the war years he had worked for MI5
) and she as a hotel PR executive, to live in isolation in a simple cottage surrounded by their beloved animals, which featured in nearly all his works. His brother Nigel Tangye
was also an author. They were grandsons of the engineer Richard Tangye
. The first of The Minack Chronicles was 'A Gull on the Roof' published in 1961. Great Minack Stories (1990) is "An omnibus edition of Way to Minack, "A Cornish Summer and Cottage on a Cliff which gives an account of the author's time with MI5 and his family's subsequent relocation to a deserted cottage close to the cliffs of Mount's Bay in Cornwall".
, James Mason, Charlie Chaplin
and Gertrude Lawrence
as well as politicians and eminent world leaders during her time at the Savoy
group of hotels. Many of these remained friends with Derek and Jeannie when they moved to Cornwall for example the politician George Brown
. Books (as Jean Nicol): Meet me at the Savoy
, 1952; Hotel Regina, 1967; Home is the Hotel, 1976; Bertioni's Hotel, 1983. She also illustrated her husband's books with sketches and line drawings. Jeannie also painted in oils and her paintings and drawings. Following Derek's death these have since been sold at auction and are now in private collections around the world.
Jeannie, after whom one of his books was named, died in 1986 and Derek lived on in the cottage for another ten years, dying at the age of 84. He was in the process of writing Shadows just before his death. The thriller writer John le Carré
, who lives a mile away along the cliffpath, gave the eulogy at his funeral.
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
for nearly fifty years. He wrote 19 books which became known as 'The Minack Chronicles'--they were about his simple life on a clifftop daffodil farm called Dorminack, affectionately referred to as Minack, at St Buryan
St Buryan
St Buryan is a civil parish and village in Cornwall, United Kingdom.The village of St Buryan is situated approximately five miles west of Penzance along the B3283 towards Land's End...
in the far west of Cornwall with his wife Jeannie. The couple had given up sophisticated metropolitan lives, he as a newspaper columnist (during the war years he had worked for MI5
MI5
The Security Service, commonly known as MI5 , is the United Kingdom's internal counter-intelligence and security agency and is part of its core intelligence machinery alongside the Secret Intelligence Service focused on foreign threats, Government Communications Headquarters and the Defence...
) and she as a hotel PR executive, to live in isolation in a simple cottage surrounded by their beloved animals, which featured in nearly all his works. His brother Nigel Tangye
Nigel Tangye
-Family:He was the brother of Derek Tangye, and grandson of Richard Tangye. He was married to the actress Ann Todd.-Career:Born in Kensington, Nigel Tangye started his career in the Royal Navy, spending three years in the Mediterranean having graduated at the Royal Naval College in Dartmouth. He...
was also an author. They were grandsons of the engineer Richard Tangye
Richard Tangye
Sir Richard Trevithick Tangye was a British manufacturer of engines and other heavy equipment.-Biography:...
. The first of The Minack Chronicles was 'A Gull on the Roof' published in 1961. Great Minack Stories (1990) is "An omnibus edition of Way to Minack, "A Cornish Summer and Cottage on a Cliff which gives an account of the author's time with MI5 and his family's subsequent relocation to a deserted cottage close to the cliffs of Mount's Bay in Cornwall".
Jean Tangye
Jean Everald Nicol (Jeannie) also wrote four books whilst at Minack: one was factual and the remaining three were fictional accounts but all based on her career in the Savoy Hotel in which she worked before marrying Derek. Jeannie met many famous actors and actresses, including Danny KayeDanny Kaye
Danny Kaye was a celebrated American actor, singer, dancer, and comedian...
, James Mason, Charlie Chaplin
Charlie Chaplin
Sir Charles Spencer "Charlie" Chaplin, KBE was an English comic actor, film director and composer best known for his work during the silent film era. He became the most famous film star in the world before the end of World War I...
and Gertrude Lawrence
Gertrude Lawrence
Gertrude Lawrence was an English actress, singer and musical comedy performer known for her stage appearances in the West End theatre district of London and on Broadway.-Early life:...
as well as politicians and eminent world leaders during her time at the Savoy
Savoy Hotel
The Savoy Hotel is a hotel located on the Strand, in the City of Westminster in central London. Built by impresario Richard D'Oyly Carte with profits from his Gilbert and Sullivan operas, the hotel opened on 6 August 1889. It was the first in the Savoy group of hotels and restaurants owned by...
group of hotels. Many of these remained friends with Derek and Jeannie when they moved to Cornwall for example the politician George Brown
George Brown, Baron George-Brown
George Alfred Brown, Baron George-Brown, PC was a British Labour politician, who served as the Deputy Leader of the Labour Party from 1960 to 1970, and served in a number of positions in the Cabinet, most notably as Foreign Secretary, in the Labour Government of the 1960s...
. Books (as Jean Nicol): Meet me at the Savoy
Savoy Hotel
The Savoy Hotel is a hotel located on the Strand, in the City of Westminster in central London. Built by impresario Richard D'Oyly Carte with profits from his Gilbert and Sullivan operas, the hotel opened on 6 August 1889. It was the first in the Savoy group of hotels and restaurants owned by...
, 1952; Hotel Regina, 1967; Home is the Hotel, 1976; Bertioni's Hotel, 1983. She also illustrated her husband's books with sketches and line drawings. Jeannie also painted in oils and her paintings and drawings. Following Derek's death these have since been sold at auction and are now in private collections around the world.
Family life and old age
Derek was not originally fond of cats and was introduced to Monty, a ginger tom kitten, when he was given to Jeannie at the Savoy. He told their housekeeper it should live in the kitchen. That didn't last for long as Monty eventually ended up sleeping on their bed. Monty (named after General Montgomery) moved with Derek and Jeannie to Minack where he leapt across the small stream that crosses the path to the cottage. Derek dedicated one of his books (A Cat in the Window) to Monty. Later he wrote a book entitled Monty's Leap.Jeannie, after whom one of his books was named, died in 1986 and Derek lived on in the cottage for another ten years, dying at the age of 84. He was in the process of writing Shadows just before his death. The thriller writer John le Carré
John le Carré
David John Moore Cornwell , who writes under the name John le Carré, is an author of espionage novels. During the 1950s and the 1960s, Cornwell worked for MI5 and MI6, and began writing novels under the pseudonym "John le Carré"...
, who lives a mile away along the cliffpath, gave the eulogy at his funeral.
Modest and hospitable
Derek was reluctant to describe himself as a writer, but his simple literary style had tremendous appeal for a wide range of people who yearned to escape urban and suburban drudgery. His books described the couple's happy and largely carefree life nurturing and selling daffodils in a way that made strap-hanging commuters salivate. The donkeys and cats on their tiny farm all became "characters" in his books, and pilgrims arrived at their door from around the world, all eager to share—if only for a few hours - their rustic dream. Invariably, Derek and Jeannie would uncork a bottle of wine and entertain visitors in their small, glazed cottage porch, where he was happy to regale them with tales of life at Minack. Derek was always keen to receive visitors when there was some problem to be resolved and they had a particular skill that would prove useful in dealing with it!Published books
Omnibus volumes and anthologies are not included- 1941: Time Was Mine. London: Hutchinson
- 1942: Went the Day Well; edited by Derek Tangye with contributions from many writers. London: Harrap
- --do.--(Reissued in 1995 by Michael Joseph, with subtitle: "tributes to men and women who died for freedom when Britain stood alone in the first two years of the Second World War".)
- 1944: One King: a survey of the dominions and colonies of the British empire. London: Harrap
- 1961: A Gull on the Roof. London: Michael Joseph
- 1962: A Cat in the Window. London: Michael Joseph (American ed. has title: Monty: biography of a marmalade cat.)
- 1963: A Drake at the Door. London: Michael Joseph
- 1965: A Donkey in the Meadow. London: Michael Joseph
- 1966: Lama. London: Michael Joseph
- 1968: The Way to Minack. London: Michael Joseph ISBN 0-7221-8366-6
- 1970: A Cornish Summer London: Michael Joseph ISBN 0-7181-0041-7
- 1972: Cottage on a Cliff. London: Michael Joseph
- 1974: A Cat Affair London: Michael Joseph ISBN 0-7181-1287-3
- 1976: Sun on the Lintel. London: Michael Joseph
- 1978: The Winding Lane. London: Michael Joseph ISBN 0-7221-8392-5
- 1980: When the Winds Blow. London: Michael Joseph
- 1982: The Ambrose Rock. London: Michael Joseph
- 1984: A Quiet Year. London: Michael Joseph
- 1986: The Cherry Tree: the new Minack chronicle; an autobiography London: Michael Joseph
- 1988: Jeannie: a love story. London: Michael Joseph
- 1990: The Evening Gull. London: Michael Joseph
- 1993: Monty's Leap. London: Michael Joseph
- 1996: The Confusion Room. London: Michael Joseph