Intrusions of Real Life


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Posted by Peter Ceresole on August 07, 2003 at 15:46:34 from 80.177.22.49 user PeterC.

AR's children's stories are, as we've been saying, non political and fairly timeless, but some have quite a lot of Real Life in them. I've just been re-reading WDMTGTS and their time in harbour on Goblin and Jim Brading's excursion in 'Lost! Two days and a boat' has a rather more 'grown up' description of 1930s Britain than the other books. Similarly the delightful description of Flushing. It's a good demonstration of AR's clear, spare style and a fascinating glimpse of how good he would have been at writing adult novels. A straightforward account with no overlay of imaginative children's play. There's also a passing reference that's absolutely specific to a time just before the second world war. In "Happier Voyage" as they return "The tall wireless masts at Bawdsey were showing, and a chimney behind Harwich, and then the cliff just north of Felixstowe".

Those tall wireless masts were at the Telecommunications Research Establishment at Bawdsey Manor, and were probably the first Chain Home radar aerials. When the book was published in 1937, they were absolutely Top Secret.

I think that's the only time the shadow of the coming war intrudes. In the same way, I can't think of a single reference in any of the books to the Depression.

I'm not saying there ought to be any; these are children's books likely to be read in relatively prosperous homes. But has anybody detected one?


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