Some insight on Charlie’s early writing

In a recent email from David he dropped in these comments

I know the current releases are short and scrappy in the main, but that is because Charlie was just getting into his stride as a teenager. It is almost behind us now …

Charlie’s output for his first year of keeping a journal was a total of 34 pages. 1923 a total of 93 pages 1924 a total of 167 pages including his first efforts at sketching. 1925 comes to 260 pages!

Lots of material and none of those years contain articles scheduled for Books.

Our dedicated band of followers may only be small but I hope that this whets your appetite and keeps you looking forward to what is to come in the future.

Staying with Parents on Holiday

There is a constant thread running through Charlie’s annual holidays, year after year, connected as ever with his shortage of finances and parental subsidies if you go to the same Bed and Breakfast at the same time as Dad and Mum.  As the years roll by you will see how often Charlie pitches up at his parents holiday address.

Not helped by the weather, which was atrocious, he does seem to meet chums from Bolton so the social side must have been conducted indoors without cycles.

Lorry assisted run to Bradford

Hanging from the sides or rear of lorries was quite the thing in those days, even in my day [!].  I well remember doing what Charlie used to do, very naughty, but very young mannish.  Goods vehicles were very underpowered compared with now, and they did use to struggle going uphill.

But analysing the terrain this day, severe Pennine hills, I suppose they could be forgiven, and they were in unknown territory.  Carlines he mentions, are better known now as tramlines.