Abbotsford House of the house. It had electricity installed only in 1962. Dame Jean was at one time a lady-in-waiting to Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester, patron of the Dandie Dinmont Club, a breed of dog named after one of Sir Walter Scott's characters; and a horse trainer, one of whose horses, Sir Wattie, ridden by Ian Stark, won two silver medals at the 1988 Summer Olympics. In 2005, Scottish Borders Council was considering an application by a property developer to build a housing estate on the opposite bank of the River Tweed from Abbotsford, to which Historic Scotland and the National
On the Banks of the River of Heaven as a "breezy collection" providing "provocative reflections on human nature," related "in a lyrical style that is sympathetic without being sentimental, straddling the boundary between the realistic and the romantic." The title story, described as "a delightful folktale meditation on the mysteries of love and friendship," is singled out for particular comment, as are "The Finer Points of Destruction" and "The Twa Corbies, Revisited." Reviewer Don D'Ammassa calls the author "one of the few who consistently writes excellent fantasy at shorter length rather than ponderous novels," with "a light touch that makes his prose sparkle." That said, he feels this