Timmy Mallett comes to Gladstone's Library on Saturday 26th February 2022 to talk about his autobiography, Utterly Brilliant - My Life's Journey. This is not his first visit, nor is he the first in his family to forge a connection with the Library. Here, the artist and author reflects on his deep links with the institution, and on the long journey that brought him back.
“I always like coming to Gladstone’s Library,” says Timmy Mallett. A man of many words and endless energy, Timmy might not initially seem a natural fit with the silent study spaces and stillness of the library, but in fact he is a long-time patron of the institution, with a profound connection to the place.
Timmy has had a busy life. In addition to his days as a TV presenter in the 80s and 90s, he is an established fine artist with an extensive portfolio of finely observed landscapes and scenes (pictured above).
Some of these are drawn from a series of images he produced during his recent epic 3,000-mile cycling adventure across Europe on the 1,000 year old pilgrimage route – the Camino de Santigo - to Spain.
He’s written about this extraordinary journey in Utterly Brilliant – My Life’s Journey – the bestselling travelogue and memoir. What, after an extensive exploration of the continent, brings him back to a library in Flintshire?
He says, “I have family connections with Gladstone’s library. My dad trained to be a clergyman at Gladstone’s in the 1960s. We know quite a lot about that time as he wrote letters to Mum every day, and they form a little personal diary of the adventures he had around North Wales.
“The letters open up quite a big window into his family, his life at the library, who he studied with and the nature of Gladstone’s at the time.
“I think of him here, in a little room which, back then, would have looked a little like a monk’s cell. That’s all changed now, of course, as everything has been modernised, but there’s a Michael Mallett room named after him.
“To be pretty much where my Dad lived for two years as a student is something special. I have been coming here for 20 years. During lockdown, I did miss the opportunity to be involved with the place.”
Timmy is preparing to give a talk at the library based on his book and the artwork he produced in challenging circumstances along his cycling journey. He travelled solo, contending with the immense distances, and sometimes heavy traffic and treacherous weather, including the ‘Beast From the East’.
The journey itself also took on an unexpected poignancy: Timmy had long planned the trip, but shortly before he left, his much-loved brother Martin died.
Timmy says, “Martin had Down’s syndrome, and because of the developmental issues that caused, he had a very particular way of living his life in the now. “His attitude inspired me to plan the trip, which then became about him almost by accident. I marked my journey with Martin Mallett name tags – there’s a map in the book with the GPS location of each one. His name tags reminded me of the threads of family, of what we meant to each other.”
Even without Martin’s loss, the bike trek was supposed to be a symbol of seizing the moment – as Martin did every day – both for Timmy and the fans who followed his progress along the pilgrim path. It is this which is the ultimate subject of his talk and the art he produced along the way.
“It’s never the destination,” he says. “It’s always the journey.” And Timmy’s journey will now bring him back to Gladstone’s Library. As a history and art enthusiast, he introduced his family to the Library and the Hawarden area, which he remembers in great detail.
“Is the Fox and Grapes pub still open?” he asks and seems relieved to hear it is. He discusses the bloody history of the Hawarden Old Castle, which played a key role in the Welsh struggle for independence in the 1200s, and he recalls the colour of the gates leading toward the castle (he remembers when they were red).
He says, “There are lots of different reasons to come to Gladstone’s Library. I like the way it stirs ideas and because you get to meet some fascinating people. Everybody who ends up here has a different idea of what the place is meant to be.
“I like the way it’s been constantly changing over its lifetime. We tend to think it’s always been there and it’s always the same. The building itself is a joy and a gem. We brought our young son Billy when he was eight years old. A person opposite us turned to him and said: ‘I’m doing England and Florence from 1840 to 1852. What are you doing?’ “And Billy answered: ‘My Grandad came here to practice being a vicar!’”
Timmy and his family have also acted as custodians of the library during its winter shutdown, keeping an eye on the Grade I listed Victorian Gothic building while the guests and staff were away. He describes this, wryly, as “spending Christmas at Hogwarts – luckily without Voldemort!”
Things may change over time, but the threads of family remain strong, and Gladstone’s Library is woven into the memories of Timmy and his family. Join Timmy Mallett at Gladstone's Library on Saturday 26th February at 2pm. Online tickets are still available. Click here to order.