Dear Reader #198

Dear Reader,

I’m outlining a novel set in 1918 and the Hero was proving elusive. So, I asked my youngest son, who has a deep knowledge of WW1, how could a soldier leave the war, alive, before its conclusion? There are several answers, of course, but he said “desertion” and the Hero, and the conclusion of the book, came to life. The working title is The Ninety-Three (the initial idea arrived when I thought, what if you turn everything about The Thirty-Nine Steps around?)

In terms of production, Clara Bow’s thirty-seventh movie was Wings, September 7, 1926 – April 7, 1927. General release, January 5, 1929. Clara played Mary Preston.

Wings was a homage to First World War fighter pilots. As Clara rightly observed, it was a buddy movie and she was only added to the cast because she was red hot at the box office. Clara’s appearance guaranteed that the movie would be a success. Furthermore, the quality of the film, and the amazing stunt flying, ensured that Wings won the first ever Academy Award for Best Picture.

Born Mary Ann Howe on 2 September 1879, but known in the family as Auntie Ann, my great grandaunt lost a leg as a child. Apparently, she fell out of a tree. Family legend states that the surgeon removed her leg, which presumably had become infected, on the kitchen table. This legend stems from Auntie Ann’s sister, Edith who, being present, is obviously a good source.

Auntie Ann kept house for her brother, Evan, a limestone quarryman. She had a penchant for snuff and used to take a pinch whenever she visited Edith. She lived in Lilac Cottage, pictured, a building that did not have indoor running water. She would gather her water from a pump in the garden.

A dressmaker, and due to the family allotment largely self-sufficient, Auntie Ann made her own lemonade. One day, her still exploded, showering her kitchen with lemonade. She had a number of idiosyncrasies including a refusal to handle copper coins. Consequently, she insisted on paying tradesmen in ten shilling or pound notes. Maybe she told them to keep the change?

With her crutch under her arm, Auntie Ann remained mobile well into her eighties. She died on 3 April 1966 aged eighty-six with her sister Edith and brother Evan at her side.

***

A wedding in London, 20 February 1927. My 2 x great grandmother Jane Dent is seated on the left and her husband, my 2 x great grandfather William Stokes, is seated on the right. The bride is their daughter Louisa Elizabeth Stokes. William was a master carpenter while Jane was a teenager in Whitechapel during the terror of Jack the Ripper.

Colourised, hence the flashes on the bottom.

The Mastodon 1970s Mega Movie Poll Round One Continued

Apocalypse Now 67% v 33% Silent Running

The Last Picture Show 73% v 27% A Woman Under the Influence

Chinatown 73% v 27% Carrie

American Graffiti 52% v 48% Being There

Nashville 32% v 68% The Long Goodbye

The Deer Hunter 55% v 45% Midnight Express

The Conversation 79% v 21% Night Moves

Social media https://toot.wales/@HannahHowe

As ever, thank you for your interest and support.

Hannah xxx

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