Jennospot 93 "Gang Petition" Review
'Ave
yew ever been ter Lunnon? Oi were there once, an' Oi saw Buckin'am Palace, the
'ouse where the Prime Minister lives, that famous bridge by the Tower o' Lunnon
wot opens ter let ships through, an' I saw the statue o' Emmeline Pankhurst an'
all. That were real special.
Any'ow,
it were a proper adventure, an' Peter St John wrote it all down, as well as ovver
stuff, in a book wot's called "Gang Petition". An then cripes, ain't
it amazin' 'ow sometimes real noice fings come a-flyin' at yew out o' the blue,
so ter speak, 'cos Mr Richard Denning, wot writes books too (http://www.richarddenning.co.uk/)
'as written a real 'appy-makin' review about it fer the Historical Novel Society
(http://historicalnovelsociety.org/reviews/gang-petition/).
Oi've copied it out fer yew below jus' in case yew'd loike ter read wot 'ee
says:
"1941 – Britain is at war with Germany. But
the children in the Lions Avenue Gang are focused on a predicament in their
home town of Widdlington. A local man, known to all as ‘Dummy’, is threatened
with eviction from the allotments which he farms and where he grows vegetables
for all of the townsfolk. The Women’s Land Army has been given the land and it
seems that no one will be able to do anything about it as Dummy has few allies.
This is when the local gang of children step in and take on the vicar, the
parish council and eventually the government. Between go-cart races against
their rival gang, Peter, Jenno and the others must find a way to get a petition
to the King.Gang Petition is the next instalment of a series which describes the goings-on and adventures of a gang of children. The books are based on the childhood memories of the author, who was evacuated to the East Anglian countryside in 1940 after his orphanage was bombed during the Blitz. (Actually the author has a fascinating story of his own to tell! I would like to know more about his jobs in the RAF, European Space Agency and even Australian and European governments.)
The Gangs in this series are not objectionable;
yes, there is fighting between rivals, but these are children’s gangs – full of
fun, camaraderie, and they yearn for adventure. These were the halcyon days
when children went “out to play” after breakfast and did not return until
suppertime. This feels like an authentic reproduction of children’s lives 70
years ago, during the war. The interaction between the children, and also the
relations they have with adults, feels genuine and at the same time quite
funny.This is a pleasant, fun read and should appeal mostly to adults who are nostalgic for their childhood but might also appeal to some children wanting to understand how totally different it was growing up during the war. Leaving the war aside, there is a timeless element in these pages for I also recall playing with a cart and getting up to a certain amount of mischief in a gang, and I was born in the 1960’s much later than this setting.
The author has added his own map as well as illustrations which have an old fashioned hand-drawn feel to them, and they charmingly compliment the book.
Overall the story is well written with good use of slang terms, nick names and local dialects to create the world in which the adventure is set. It is not a demanding read but should be taken as it is – lighthearted and enjoyable.
(Author’s own printed version read - available for sale on Kindle only)"
Thank
yew Mr Denning, an' thank yew the Historical Novel Society. Just fink of it: Oi
reckon as ‘ow Oi've become 'istorical. Cripes, Peter St John'll laugh 'is 'isterical
'ead off… (http://www.peterstjohn.net/)
Oi'm
goin' ter leave yew now, wiv luv from Jenno.
