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Brian Aldiss - Lord Byron’s legacy to Montenegro (62/79)

279 views · Published 10 May 2017 · 2:11 · Indexed 22 October 2026

Channel: Web of Stories - Life Stories of Remarkable People · 2017 · Entertainment

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Writer Brian Aldiss (1925-2017) was best known for his science fiction novels and short stories. 'Non-Stop', his first science fiction novel, was published in 1958. His many award-winning titles include 'Hothouse', 'The Saliva Tree' and 'Helliconia Spring'. [Listener: Christopher Sykes; date recorded: 2014]

TRANSCRIPT: In the harbour of Montenegro [sic], there was a little church. I visited the church and in the church there was something that looked very much like a space helmet which enclosed the head of a saint, well preserved in this glass case. And also there, to one side, there were two valued items. What one was, I've forgotten, what the other one was, I remember. It was a silver spoon, and by the spoon was a card, which said in English, 'Lord Byron used this spoon to stir his coffee with'. Wasn't that lovely? Good old Lord Byron, I say! Worth the loss of a silver spoon.

Anyhow, we then found it actually rather disappointing, because on that coast we were not exactly home, but we were accosted by British people on holiday, or German people, or all kinds… French people, yes, and we didn't like that quite as much. But, we'd served the term and so eventually, we drove out through… through the mountains and through that very gate by which we had entered so long ago.

And Margaret said, 'Oh goodness me, now we can get some nice little cakes to eat'. And so we did in Austria, driving through Austria.

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