PREFACE
The main character in this book is Simon, as a boy; his accounts are in the present tense. The narrator is Simon as an old man, he relates in the past tense. Additional versions from Gerald and Lilly, a sister born when Simon was eight years old are also in the past tense. Few people had cameras, and some of the old photographs were difficult to reproduce, even with the incredible technical devices of today. The writer asks the reader to accept the poor quality, and to illustrations that are not directly relevant to the text; for example, the photo of the brothers in The Herd chapter was taken on a trip to the seaside in earlier times, and is included for its charm.
This book is fictional biography. Living and dead people were used to trigger my imagination, but bear little resemblance to the characters in this book. Some people and incidents are factual, and provided a framework that was manipulated and extended from my imagination in the composition this work.
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In the far off days of the nineteen thirties, English fenland hamlets were isolated from the world beyond the village and local town; the inhabitants struggled for survival in the period between the Depression and the Second World War. Contact with the outside world was by means of accumulator powered radios, newspapers delivered from the village, and a twice-weekly bus service to the nearest town. Our village was a mile down the road; going to the village involved either walking, or cycling, or horse-drawn farm cart, or pony and trap. There was a local bus service that left for town at nine in the morning and returned at six in the evening, two days a week, for those who could afford the few pence fare. Those who hadn’t the fare either cycled or walked the seven miles, braving the strong winds. The roads were long with few bends and the uncut grass verges bowed and rippled, leaning away from the wind, unlike the people who struggled bent-backed and head down into the buffeting. Some children were more attuned to nature and walked backwards bowing away from the wind. Those who were unable to face the fare and the wind stayed in the hamlet, engulfed in the flatness of the earth and the enclosing skies.
The elusive close horizon was defined by the low cottages, farm buildings and trees; out in the fields divided by drainage ditches, only scattered trees and bushes broke the shallow curve between sky and earth. On stormy days the trees and church propped up the heavy cloud-billowed sky. On fine days the blue sky seemed as a flat transparent skin stretched over the flat Fens; on clear bright nights the stars gave depth to the vertical hole of the Universe. The far-off stars and the roads tapering off into the distance were the only indication of anything beyond the hamlet.
Our hamlet was dominated by the Norman church with its square tower supporting five bells, and a Victorian vicarage. There was a pub, aptly named the Five Bells, and a scattering of family farm houses and farm worker’s tied cottages, all separated by beyond shouting range. The population was about the size shown on this photo, taken outside the church in Victorian times. Cars and motorcycles were rare and the sound of an approaching vehicle would send children scurrying to the main road to watch it out of sight down the long straight fenland road.
