Just William Books by Richmal Crompton

[Eddie Muir]

I thought Just William fans would like to know that Just William: Series 2 (DVD -2 discs), from 1977-78, is now available. I've just received an email from Play.com telling me that they have posted my copy. It is due for release on 19th October, but it must have been issued a few days early.

[Lucky Star]

I'll have to put that on eon my Christmas list Eddie as I cant afford DVDs at the moment. But its great to see it available. Hope you enjoy your copy.

[Anita Bensoussane]

I too will have to buy both series at a later date, but it's nice to know that they're available. I have just ordered Danny, Champion of the World on DVD though, after you and others recommended it in another thread, Eddie.

Anita

[Tony Summerfield]

I've just ordered Danny too, I hope they have more than one copy! At £3.99 its a good price. I have also ordered the new William one - I bought the first one some weeks ago, but I suspect that the price may not drop heavily on these. You can save quite a bit by buying the four DVD set which has both series in one box.

[Anita Bensoussane]

I had a lucky find in a charity shop this morning - a new-looking (although it was published in 1995) Macmillan paperback edition of William at War. It's a collection of William's wartime adventures, with the Thomas Henry illustrations and a foreword by Richmal C. Ashbee. I also got Labyrinth by Kate Mosse (a novel set in Carcassonne, France) and a DVD of The Kite Runner - all three items for under £2.00!

Anita

[Eddie Muir]

I had a lucky find in a charity shop this morning - a new-looking (although it was published in 1995) Macmillan paperback edition of William at War. It's a collection of William's wartime adventures, with the Thomas Henry illustrations and a foreword by Richmal C. Ashbee.

That was a lucky find, Anita. In addition to William at War, Macmillan also published the following collections, complete with Thomas Henry's illustrations: Just William at Christmas (1995), Just William on Holiday (1996), Just William at School (1997), Just William - and Other Animals (1998) and Just William and the Girls (2000). Oddly enough, it is only Wiiliam at War that omits the word Just from its title.

[Anita Bensoussane]

That's interesting, Eddie. Just William - and Other Animals is an ingenious title!

Anita

[Eddie Muir]

Just William - and Other Animals is an ingenious title!

It is an ingenious title, Anita. Needless to say all the stories in the book are about animals and William's experiences with them.

You might be interested in the following piece of trivia. Both Thomas Henry (Fisher) (1879-1962) and D.H. Lawrence (1885-1930) were born in Victoria Street in Eastwood, Nottinghamshire. In fact, Lawrence's birthplace is directly opposite that of Thomas Henry. However, there is no evidence to suggest they ever knew each other!

[Moonraker]

You might be interested in the following piece of trivia. Both Thomas Henry (Fisher) (1879-1962) and D.H. Lawrence (1885-1930) were born in Victoria Street in Eastwood, Nottinghamshire. In fact, Lawrence's birthplace is directly opposite that of Thomas Henry. However, there is no evidence to suggest they ever knew each other!

But is there any evidence to show that they didn't?

[Anita Bensoussane]

I hadn't heard that before, but I believe Lawrence's mother kept somewhat aloof from the neighbours in the early years of her marriage and that the Lawrence family moved out of Victoria Street when the children were older.

Anita

[Eddie Muir]

You might be interested in the following piece of trivia. Both Thomas Henry (Fisher) (1879-1962) and D.H. Lawrence (1885-1930) were born in Victoria Street in Eastwood, Nottinghamshire. In fact, Lawrence's birthplace is directly opposite that of Thomas Henry. However, there is no evidence to suggest they ever knew each other!

But is there any evidence to show that they didn't?

There isn't any evidence that I know of, Nigel, which means they may well have known each other.

I hadn't heard that before, but I believe Lawrence's mother kept somewhat aloof from the neighbours in the early years of her marriage and that the Lawrence family moved out of Victoria Street when the children were older.

Anita

You're right, Anita. Lawrence's mother did keep aloof from the neighbours in the early years of her marriage and the family moved from 8a Victoria Street to the Breach House, 28 Garden Road in 1887. This was a larger house situated at the bottom of a hill on the north side of Eastwood, where the family stayed until 1891. Here eight blocks of tenements in two rows of four had been built for mining families. For an additional sixpence (6d/2.5p) a week on rent, the Lawrences occupied an end house with an extra strip of garden at the side. This appealed to Mrs Lawrence's sense of superiority. In 1887 she was the mother of five children and the wife of a miner, with whom she felt she had little in common. Their marriage was marked by constant rowing. Immediately opposite the house stood an ash tree which reminded Lawrence of his parents' discord, for he had often been awakened by the howling of the wind in the tree and heard their wrangling when his father came home worse for drink. An account of the marital problems is graphically detailed in the opening chapters of Lawrence's autobiographical novel, Sons and Lovers. The Breach House is let out to the general public for holidays or for writers seeking literary inspiration, and Chick and I have stayed there with our daughter and son on two occasions: in 1984 and 2003.

I hadn't meant to write so much, but I am a great fan of Lawrence's work and have been a member of The D.H. Lawrence Society since 1983! Now Nigel will accuse me of writing an essay!!

[Petermax]

William at War! I loved the William books as a child, and more than anything I enjoyed the stories that took place during World War Two. Just about every aspect of the wartime Britain was covered, from the delights of shrapnel collecting to capturing German spies! Not to mention topics such as blackouts, air raid shelters, rationing, hoarding and civil defence.

Perhaps one of my favourite William stories from this era involves a priceless treasure, a German bomb stick that William somehow obtains in a very dubious manner from his gullible arch enemy, Hubert Lane.

[Anita Bensoussane]

In 1887 she [Mrs. Lawrence] was the mother of five children and the wife of a miner, with whom she felt she had little in common. Their marriage was marked by constant rowing. Immediately opposite the house stood an ash tree which reminded Lawrence of his parents' discord, for he had often been awakened by the howling of the wind in the tree and heard their wrangling when his father came home worse for drink. An account of the marital problems is graphically detailed in the opening chapters of Lawrence's autobiographical novel, Sons and Lovers. The Breach House is let out to the general public for holidays or for writers seeking literary inspiration, and Chick and I have stayed there with our daughter and son on two occasions: in 1984 and 2003.

I hadn't meant to write so much, but I am a great fan of Lawrence's work and have been a member of The D.H. Lawrence Society since 1983!

I'm a D. H. Lawrence enthusiast too, Eddie, though not a member of the Society. I particularly like Sons and Lovers, The Rainbow and Women in Love and yes, I had realised that Sons and Lovers was closely based on Lawrence's own youth. I must have read that book more than a dozen times - it completely absorbs me. At one time I read a couple of biographies of Lawrence and it was fascinating to see photos of his family, friends and acquaintances. I hadn't known that the Breach House was open to the public but I'd love to go to Nottinghamshire and visit places associated with Lawrence and his friends and family.

William at War! I loved the William books as a child, and more than anything I enjoyed the stories that took place during World War Two. Just about every aspect of the wartime Britain was covered, from the delights of shrapnel collecting to capturing German spies! Not to mention topics such as blackouts, air raid shelters, rationing, hoarding and civil defence.

Yes, the fact that it's a collection of World War Two stories makes it particularly appealing and I plan to read it in the near future.

Anita

[Eddie Muir]

I'm a D. H. Lawrence enthusiast too, Eddie, though not a member of the Society. I particularly like Sons and Lovers, The Rainbow and Women in Love and yes, I had realised that Sons and Lovers was closely based on Lawrence's own youth. I must have read that book more than a dozen times - it completely absorbs me. At one time I read a couple of biographies of Lawrence and it was fascinating to see photos of his family, friends and acquaintances. I hadn't known that the Breach House was open to the public but I'd love to go to Nottinghamshire and visit places associated with Lawrence and his friends and family.

Sons and Lovers, The Rainbow and Women in Love are my favourite Lawrence novels too, Anita, and are generally regarded as his best work, as I'm sure you know. Like you I have read Sons and Lovers many times and always find the experience enlightening as well as enjoyable. Lawrence's short stories are also superb and among the best in the English language. I'm sure you would enjoy visiting D.H.Lawrence Country and I feel certain that the area will seem familiar to you having read his novels, particularly from the vivid descriptions in Sons and Lovers and his first novel, The White Peacock. The birthplace at 8a Victoria Street is now a Lawrence Museum and is a great place to start a visit to Eastwood. The D.H. Lawrence Heritage Centre in Mansfield Road is also worth a visit. Cossall Village, the setting for The Rainbow and just a few miles from Eastwood, is another place of great interest.

William at War! I loved the William books as a child, and more than anything I enjoyed the stories that took place during World War Two. Just about every aspect of the wartime Britain was covered, from the delights of shrapnel collecting to capturing German spies! Not to mention topics such as blackouts, air raid shelters, rationing, hoarding and civil defence.

Perhaps one of my favourite William stories from this era involves a priceless treasure, a German bomb stick that William somehow obtains in a very dubious manner from his gullible arch enemy, Hubert Lane.

William at War is a great collection of stories, Petermax. I derive a great deal of pleasure from the Just William stories and I never tire of rereading them or listening to the brilliant readings by Martin Jarvis.

[Moonraker]

Having read Timmylover's comment on William and The Nasties, in the volume, William the Detective, I was prompted to look it up.



WtD certainly has a disturbing cover, but let's put it into context. It was first published in 1935, quite a few years before the Nazis'atrocities were committed. I think that, given the era, it would be quite normal for a group of young boys to 'play' at being Mr Hitler. There was quite a bit of ant-semitism evident at this time, and if there was a sweet-shop owner who was cheating on his customers, these kids would taunt him. Richmal Crompton was reported to have regrets about her story in later years, but given the time, I don't think she committed a cardinal sin. I must point out that I haven't read the book; my view might change if and when I do.