Tag: England

Confessions of a Hedgehog Collector

~ dispatchesfromtheformernewworld ~ 2 Comments
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My garden hedgehog

My obsession with hedgehogs began with the gypsies. Every summer when I was a child the gypsies, in their colorfully painted caravans, made camp in a nearby field. We would creep through the trees to spy on them playing explorers encountering an exotic tribe, to use the imperial language that still lingered on in Britain long after the Empire’s sun had set. Until the coming of the gypsies my Belgian mother was all the “diversity” we had in our east of London Cockney neighborhood. The gypsies brought with them Continue reading “Confessions of a Hedgehog Collector” →

On My Bookshelf – Biggles Flies to Work

~ dispatchesfromtheformernewworld ~ 1 Comment
Biggles
My copy
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First edition

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I found this Biggles book in a London bookshop on one of my visits home. I was surprised to see that Biggles was still popular enough to justify reprints. Perched in the cockpit of his Spitfire in goggles and helmet, silk aviator’s scarf flying, Biggles was the epitome of a thoroughly British war hero. This collection of stories about his post-war exploits with the Air Police was first published in 1963. As you can see from the images above, the early editions had far more appealing covers.

Pilot James Bigglesworth was the creation of Continue reading “On My Bookshelf – Biggles Flies to Work” →

On My Bookshelf – The Wayfarer’s Book

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wayfarer's-book2

My father must have bought this little book at a used bookstore because, although it lists no copyright date, it was probably published in the early 1900’s. It goes back to a time when there were no hikers or even walkers, but ramblers and wayfarers. The author belonged to a Rambling Club and wrote this guide to the sights of the English countryside for city and town dwellers who ventured into Continue reading “On My Bookshelf – The Wayfarer’s Book” →