I thought, as a child, and think now that my father was as good a clergyman as he could have been, both then and now. I only worked with the latest illustrator, Clive Spong, who retained the original style. There were several illustrators throughout the course of the series. I retained the characters, but obviously wrote in my own style, also adding characters of my own. I wrote 16 in the Railway Series, and 20 or so others. That’s my proudest achievement.įather wrote 26 in the Railway Series, and three or four other books. I was glad when the opportunity came to continue the Railway Series, and the chance to talk to children about Thomas wherever my wife and I have been privileged to visit. My favourite lines are the Welsh narrow-gauge railways, and my favourite engines are those of the Midland Railway. Writing was something I had wanted to do from the age of 15 or 16. My own books have been for adults on railway history, as well as for children. It wasn’t my own life that inspired me to write. It inspired an interest which had continued. Railways were an interest generated by his father, who, born in 1854, had grown up with them. We had no model railway then, and do not have one now. It was made out of pieces of wood which father had lying around. The model engine was of no particular type. The series all began with a little toy engine, built from bits and pieces, which my father gave to me as a Christmas present in 1942. And there will be a special edition of the first Thomas the Tank Engine book. There has been a party in London, a film première of a Thomas film for children, and a new Thomas theme park, Thomasland, opened in Edaville, near Boston, in Massachusetts, a fortnight ago. This is the 70th anniversary of the first book in the Thomas the Tank Engine Railway Series begun by my father, Wilbert - the Revd W.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |