Marie Corelli's Mild Eccentricities

Prior to the first world war, Marie Corelli loved boating on the River Avon close to her home in Stratford-upon-Avon. She owned an Italian gondola bought following the conclusion of the Italian Exhibition at Earl's Court in London in 1904. She took trips on the river with her lifelong companion Bertha Vyver, and with visiting friends.

Bertha was a keen photographer who took both the images shown below:

Marie Corelli and Bertha were often seen enjoying a ride through the streets of Stratford-upon-Avon in their carriage led by two Shetland ponies.