Polly Bagnall

Rollicking account of fundraising by a band of eccentric do-gooders, in the early years of the National Trust. A well told tale from another, simpler era.

Anonymous do-gooders raise funds to preserve neglected properties and landscapes. A clique of well-bred, spirited women is behind the stunts (masked invaders delivering the readies to a National Trust meeting in an ornamental pineapple) and the mischief (ritual hauntings and chants at their meetings at Shalford Mill in Surrey). The authors manage to piece together the stories of each of the 'Gang', women of energy and creativity, with details large and small.