Description
Object description
British schoolchild in London and evacuee in Preston, Hitchin and Worthing, GB, 1939-1945; post-war civilian teacher and author of children's books including 'Little Soldier'.
Content description
REEL 1: Background in London, GB, 1935-1939: family; childhood in Woolwich. Aspect of period in London, 1939-1945: reaction to sound of first air raid siren; father's service with Auxiliary Fire Service; attitude to danger; food rationing; blackout precautions; effects of war on daily life; education; story of 'cog in the wheel' badge; collecting waste paper for war effort; memory of yellow pencils; attitude to waste; academic ability and career ambitions.
REEL 2 Continues: reason for becoming a teacher; childhood games and activities; interest in drama; parents' attitude to evacuation; problem of disrupted education; various memories of evacuation in Preston, Worthing and Hitchin; attitude to living in London; story of leather flying helmet and nickname 'the Jap'; story of mustard tin; attitude of schools to evacuees; memories of VE Day celebrations in London, 8/May/1945; father's post-war employment.
REEL 3 Continues: story of school friend Donald Lush killed by V2 rocket, 1944; attitude to Germans; memories of US servicemen in Preston and Russians in Worthing. Post-war life and employment in GB: rationing; opinion of public transport; Co-Op tokens; recreational activities including attendance at Charlton Athletic football matches and cinema; further education in Rochester. Aspects of period of National Service with RAF in GB: interviewed to be officer; basic training; posted as clerk/typist to Hereford; posted to Movements Unit in Plaistow and Tilbury, London; issued with sleeping out pass; returned to live at home; living expenses paid by RAF; duties in orderly room.
REEL 4 Continues: basic training; weapons training; drill; gas training; inoculations. Further aspects of life and employment in GB: teacher training on junior drama course at Trent Park College; opinion of principal; syllabus; opinion of training; attitude to discipline in schools; began teaching career in London, 1957; summary of teaching career and posts; interest in teaching immigrant children; story of resignation from teaching post; comparison of varying types of parental discipline; story of being assaulted by parent; attitude to corporal punishment; use of television programmes for sex education.
REEL 5 Continues: attitude to importance of drama in curriculum; role of head teachers; opinion of National Curriculum; reason for beginning career as writer while teaching in Gravesend; choice of subjects; first publication of stories; opinion of children's author Roy Brown; period of teaching at multi-racial school in Newham, east London; background to writing first novel, 'The Trouble with Donovan Croft', 1974; literary awards; publication of further novels while working as teacher; problem of not being able to photocopy material; reason for writing book 'Little Soldier'(1999); summary of plot.
REEL 6 Continues: description of research methods for 'Little Soldier' in GB and Uganda; importance of accuracy of locations in novels; process of writing; question of not knowing ending of story; proof reading; attitude to dictation; question of authenticity; attitude to use of strong language and blasphemies; multi-themed style of writing; opinion of own work; question of editorial control; reaction to success of 'Little Soldier'; use of own family in books; comments on novel 'Johnnie's Blitz.'