The First Wodehouse Pilgrimage

At the 1987 convention in San Francisco, it was suggested that the 1989 binge could take place in Dulwich, England, and planners swung into gear. Eventually, it was agreed there would still be a U.S. convention, but the plans for England proceeded. In addition to a week of activities in Dulwich and London, Norman Murphy volunteered to lead a tour of Wodehouse’s England. For two dozen Plummies from the U.S., England, and the Netherlands, the fun began on Monday, July 24, 1989, and continued through the week, with talks, tours, and the inevitable browsing and sluicing. At the end of the week, the pilgrims boarded a bus and headed to Shropshire, Worcestershire, and other points in Wodehouse’s England. They were followed by a film crew from the BBC, and clips of the memorable tour appeared in a BBC documentary on Wodehouse. For all on the tour, it was the start of international friendships that would last a lifetime. See the report in Plum Lines, August 1989, page 5 and Summer 2009, page 15.