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Pip L's avatar

Fascinating…I recall “The Listeners” being one of many set poems copied out to improve handwriting in the olden days, and also assumed this poet was from an earlier era. I only rearranged his timeline when I inherited the whole set of Will’s cigarette cards your image of him is part of 😊

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Mike O’Brien's avatar

Thanks Pip. Its good to know that I am not the only one who imagined him as being from an earlier age.

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Pip L's avatar

Yep…I read tales of Robin Hood at a similar age, and the name would’ve fitted in there quite neatly.

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Mike O’Brien's avatar

Yes! I had a copy of that. I refused to read the last chapter - "The Death of Robin Hood" My fear of the morbid eventually turned into fascination.

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Pip L's avatar

In my version ( Robin Hood and his Merry Men…Ward-Locke by E Charles Vivian, and colour plates by Henry G Theaker ) the final chapter is The Last Arrow…very sad…great pictures though.

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David Perlmutter's avatar

He is considered one of the founders of modern British children's literature- the debt Dahl had to him is somewhat obvious.

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Mike O’Brien's avatar

Haha. I suppose it is, but I never knew. I really hadn’t looked into it. I found it interesting that they both wrote disquieting horror/supernatural stuff in addition to or alongside the children’s stuff though.

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Bob Horne's avatar

Thanks again, Mike. Enjoying my Sunday reads.

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