Biking Birder VII
The Laurie Lee Adventure
Back in 1934, a young man named Laurie Lee walked away from his home in the village of Slad, Gloucestershire, UK.
It is always fascinating to ask the many sunshine people met during my travels my four questions but maybe my favourite question is . . .
Maybe the most famous of the ones that do.
Books integral to a childhood of long ago; how many children now have access to such books?
Detailed in the autobiographical book, As I Walked Out One Midsummer Morning, tells the story of a young man, nineteen years old, seeking adventure.
From his home, Laurie walked first Southampton in order to see the sea; something Laurie had never seen.
Disappointed with his first view as the sea at Southampton was muddy, Laurie found that he could make a living by busking with his violin. Therefore he continued along the south of England coast to Bognor Regis, Littlehampton and Worthing before heading north to London.
From London, after a year working as a labourer on building sites, Laurie took a ship to Vigo in Northern Spain and from there walked, eventually to a beach east of Malaga.
My aim is to cycle his route with the occasional detour to visit nature reserves, particularly RSPB and W&WT ones and sites of interest, such as Stonehenge.
Hence Biking Birder VII begins . . .
Click on the above image to go to the Children's Book Project website and see what incredibly vital work they do.
BIKING BIRDER VII & The Children's Book Project
Reason for asking about people's favourite Children's book.
What was your favourite children's book when you were a child?
The question always brings a gasped astonished sigh as the person met is immediately transported back to their childhood. Memories will flood in and a list of popular books will issue forth as they reminisce. Eventually, usually, a choice is made and explained on why that book is the one that is the most memorable.
My own personal favourite book from my own sweet childhood, which only just makes it at the top of a long list of books read as a child, is Elidor by Alan Garner.
I loved The Weirdstone of Brisingamen by the same author; whereas The Moon of Gomrath and The Owl Service left me mostly indifferent.
Elidor though captured me fully.
Exploring any landscape or derelict building always fascinated me when a child, be it a bombed out area in a city centre or a large abandoned house.
Two of the latter come to mind; the first I explored when maybe ten years old. It was atop a hill beside a road into Stourbridge. It stood, a large almost mansion-like house with many empty rooms and high ceilings. In quite good condition, it may be surprising to you that children could explore such things in the mid-Sixties.
The derelict building I really enjoyed was found in an overgrown wood once we had moved as a family to Redditch.
Once again a large abandoned house, it reminds me of the one at the beginning of a favourite Pixar movie, Up. With its south-facing door looking out towards two of my preferred trees to climb. One was a tall but this fir tree which was easy to climb from lateral branch to branch. I used to sit up there unseen by any other kid. The best tree to climb though was a huge Cedar tree. More difficult to get up, I soon learnt the way to reach its canopy and there find large flattened and wide branches. Some previous people to reach the heights had even stretched a sheet of canvas between two branches and nailed it into position. This created a sort of hammock and many was the hour I used to spend suspended many feet above the floor, lying in my comfy bed.
The views in all directions were beautiful. To the south I could make out Oversley Woods near to Alcester in Warwickshire and on a really clear day, see the escarpment of The Cotswolds. To the north I could see Longbridge car factory to the east of The Lickey Hills. Eastwards was Beoley, westwards was the slowly rising slope from Redditch centre towards Headless Cross.
I digress. I usually do.
Elidor transports the children, children who seemed to be of a similar mold to me and my friends; Paula, Dave and Paul, into a different land. Maybe my derelict houses explored as child did the same to me. Each empty room had that potential. Would an old wardrobe take me to Narnia? The high branch on my Cedar tree took me to the sky and clouds. Could I fly?
How many children's books do this; transport one away from unwanted situations to adventures new?
Maybe the most famous of the ones that do.
“It’s an owl,” said Peter. “This is going to be a wonderful place for
birds. I shall go to bed now. I say, let’s go and explore tomorrow. You might
find anything in a place like this. Did you see those mountains as we came
along? And the woods? There might be eagles. There might be stags.
There’ll be hawks.”
“Badgers!” said Lucy.
“Foxes!” said Edmund.
“Rabbits!” said Susan.
I was a lucky child. I had books and had ways of getting more books. I had two wonderful loving parents who gave a shilling a week pocket money and back in the mid-Sixties, this was almost enough to buy say, an Enid Blyton Famous Five book.
Every Friday Dad would bring back comics for me and my siblings; a Beano for me, The Dandy for my brother Paul. Now why can't I recall what my sister, Donna had?
(Just asked Mum. She was given a comic that Mum thought was Playschool. Sis disagrees. Anyway, Dad collected and made them into a leather bound book!)
Mum talks of Wartime books and comics from her childhood; Film Fun and The Wizard being her favourites.
A lucky child, with many books and books that were so much preferable to the evening TV programmes.
Thunderbirds may not be missed but neither too could my reading in bed of Famous Five's adventures, of my many Ladybird books, mainly of nature content.
Books integral to a childhood of long ago; how many children now have access to such books?
How many children have a book next to their bed?
The Children's Book Project helps to ensure that more children will have the opportunity to enjoy the myriad of children's books now available.
How can you help?
Find a place where you can give children's books to The Children's Book Project
Children will receive books!
If you have a Children's Book Project near to you; at the moment they are in London, Birmingham and Nottingham, volunteer and help.
At the moment, during my Biking Birder VII adventure I am fundraising for The Children's Book Project and have a JustGiving page dedicated to my late wife Karen.
When not on a Biking Birder adventure, I collect hundreds of children's books from Toys4Life; more about them later.
These children's books I take to The Children's Book Project.
As well as the thrill of thinking of who will be holding the children's books in the near future, there is the fact that by having these books reused, re-loved, one is saving them from destruction.
One has to reduce, reuse, recycle!
So please, take a look at The Children's Book Project website and see if you could help.
If there isn't one near to you maybe you could contact them and ask what you can do.
Meanwhile, ask your family and friends the question...
What was your favourite children's book when you were a child?
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