The Honesty Box by Lucy Brazier: Marmalade and marrows saved my marriage
By JANE SHILLING
Published: | Updated:
Two decades ago, Lucy Brazier’s life seemed a brilliant success. She was living in London, working as a theatrical agent, going to glamorous parties and jetting off on work trips to LA. Admittedly, her love life was ‘an uncinematic version of Bridget Jones’. But then Steve came along and there was a magnetic attraction of opposites.
Honesty Box's like Lucy's have appeared up and down the country
She was an organised people-pleaser and he was spiky, anarchic and brutally honest.
When their first child, Rafferty, was born it made sense for Lucy to carry on working, while Steve became a stay-at-home dad. But mothering highly-strung actors turned out to be no substitute for her own child, and Lucy began to dream of a move to the countryside.
With perfect timing, an opportunity to work with the chef Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall came up – and after an awkward interview on a fishing boat, during which Hugh used Lucy’s cashmere scarf as a towel, she got the job and they decamped to Dorset.
Seventeen years on, Lucy had a new project. January found her planning an honesty box. These are roadside stalls where passers-by can buy homegrown produce. For Lucy, the box represented something much more than selling surplus veg. ‘They are powerful symbols of a generous, hopeful humanity and could be a way of making the smallest difference... I know my honesty box won’t save the world, but it may just save my sanity and possibly my marriage.’
The Honesty Box is available now from the Mail Bookshop
The differences in character that had brought Lucy and Steve together had driven a rift between them. Endless attempts to manage his mental health, including therapy and giving up alcohol, made no difference. Steve was frustrated and Lucy was juggling household responsibilities while dealing with Steve’s unfinished projects.
As they reached the point of separating, a gleam of clarity appeared: Steve was diagnosed with ADHD and autism. For Lucy, having all the facts was a relief.
As early winter turns to spring, Lucy’s honesty box flourishes, crammed with marmalade and garden produce. But Steve’s problems are still affecting the whole family, and some terrible family holidays don’t help.
As January and National Divorce Day come round again, she takes stock: ‘This isn’t a fairy tale, but it is a happy ending of sorts… Steve and I are still together, and who knows what will happen next.’
Rueful and joyful, Lucy Brazier’s beautifully written memoir navigates middle age, marmalade and giant marrows with humour, kindness and honesty.
Daily Mail
