1. Seventy years ago British troops trapped at Dunkirk by the German army were evacuated by a host of "little ships" - fishing boats, yachts, and other small craft. The courage of individual civilians of all ages meant that over 300,000 troops were rescued. This weekend a number of boats are recreating the journey to commemorate the event - you can see them on the BBC website, where there are lots of Dunkirk links.
2. There are many good books of children's historical fiction set during World War II. One of my favourites tells the story of Dunkirk from the perspective of a boy who took part in the evacuation: Dolphin Crossing by Jill Paton Walsh. It looks as though it is currently out of print, but Amazon has plenty of cheap, used copies.
3. I think I'll turn that into an author recommendation ... I like Jill Paton Walsh's books generally. I've read a number of her children's fiction books, and one of her adult books (A Knowledge of Angels). One that made an impact on me was Grace, about the Victorian lighthouse keeper's daughter who became a heroine after rescuing people from a shipwreck, and the impact unsought fame had on her life.
4. Talking of recommendations ... I have read so many rave reviews of Lost, that I'm about to order the first series on DVD from Amazon. I may be several years behind, but I have to know what I've missed! (Lost was only shown on the Sky satellite channel here, which we don't have.)
5. Cherub is still doing lots of drawing, and has suddenly got interested in writing. She spent a long time this week writing a shopping list for her school uniform, one laborious letter at a time. She was being picky about letter size - if they were too big, they had to be rubbed out and done again. Certain letters she has decided are too difficult and have to be written by me.
6. I've fallen into a genealogy black hole. I'm trying to put my family tree onto the Ancestry website, which is clearly going to be a much longer job than I expected, as I keep getting sidetracked by the need to fill in gaps, and the frustrations of not being able to find things I'm sure I either have or had.
7. One of my frustrations is that I cannot find my mother's father or his family on a census. I think I have his correct birth certificate, but the family seems to have disappeared completely. They should be there, and are not! Grrr!!!!
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3 comments:
Your maternal grandfather was found under a cabbage leaf.... hence the lack of ancestors.... :)
Cherub so reminds me of Princess at that age - which may or may not be a good thing.
Thanks for the Dunkirk reminder, I'll look out for things on iPlayer and news sites. We're still just launching into WW1 but.
Thanks for the Jill Paton Walsh author suggestion. I have not heard of her before but we were just studying WWII this spring and it will be a nice addition to our other books!
Ha! That's exactly how I got hooked on Lost. I heard it was good, rented the first season, and that was it, I was reeled in without a fight. Watched the next 4 seasons in quick succession and the last one live.
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