Conversation and Catering: Bernard Shaw and the Winstens—a Symbiotic Relationship at Ayot St Lawrence and Beyond

abstract:Clare and Stephen Winsten, artist and writer, were the neighbors of Bernard Shaw during his last decade. They have received cursory, if not denigratory, treatment from Shaw's biographers for their perceived role in his last years. This article seeks to rescue their reputations and show how their company, after the death of Charlotte Shaw, filled a role in Shaw's life. By recounting the couple's earlier lives, it makes clear how much they had in common with Shaw and why he found them satisfying conversationalists. Shaw's interactions with the Winsten family revived his interest in art patronage and in Pygmalion-style experiments in the development and education of their children. The text identifies the artworks and books, which were created by the couple as a result of their relationship with Shaw, with the aim of rescuing them from later Shavian intellectual snobbery. It was a mutually beneficial friendship.