< The Bronze Age

TOPIC 1 Sept-Dec 1979

FAIRBURN The place where I wrote all this rubbish

GEOGRAPHY 1 Sept 1979 - Feb 1981

The Story of Nelson

Part One

TERM 2 The birth of the 1980s - Blake’s 7, Blondie and battles in space

Tuesday January 22nd, 1980

For once, I know what book this is copied from. A brief internet search confirms it’s The Story of Nelson - a Ladybird ‘Adventure from History’ book by L. Du Garde Peach (which must, surely, be an anagram of the author’s real name - Paul Chadredge? Grace Phadlude? Dr. Claude H. Page? Suggestions welcome). And this time I was lucky enough to hold onto the book for several months, which means the next few pages are pretty much all Nelson. First impression: this is a story about posh free men being celebrated when their so-called achievements were built on the back of oppression, slavery and state-sanctioned murder. It’s not usually possible to be entirely sure whose side the author is on in these books, especially when both sides of the story are told, but when the book’s all about him and the opening sentence hails him as “the greatest fighting sailor England has ever known,” it’s a safe bet they’re on Nelson’s. Not that I’m here to dispute that. I know piss all about him, despite having copied out all this lovely text. I’m not in a massive hurry to learn any more. But I have nothing against the guy. I’m just reacting to what’s written here. And what I see here is a story of a boy who managed to leapfrog his way to command by virtue of having a well-connected uncle, and when he became that officer, what he actually commanded was not a ‘ship’ or a ‘fleet’ but a sizeable number of ill- treated, malnourished slaves who were expected to die by falling from great heights whenever he needed ferrying about. I know, I know - if he hadn’t existed, we’d all be speaking French, yeah yeah yeah whatever. Doesn’t change the basic facts. So many of these stories about English ‘heroes’ are about people in dominant positions ordering about people in subservient postions so their own lives can be better at everyone else’s expense. And we Norman invaders kind of speak French anyway.* I suppose the text is trying to get me to put myself in Nelson’s shoes here - how small and lonely he must have felt! With only his powerful, well-connected uncle to shield him from the press gang. And who knows? Maybe after a few more pages I’ll feel better about the kid, as he grows into the master strategist everybody says he is and flowers into England’s “greatest fighting sailor”. For now though I’m going to stay wary and hidden behind my translucent class barrier, expecting his minions to press gang me into fatal servitude at any minute. *As a blonde lad from Yorkshire, I believe I’m likely to have more Scandinavian and Germanic ancestry than French, but I can’t speak for you.

Great Space Battles Three mighty empires take their first steps into outer space

Ward’s 7 John Ward and his band of rebels fight the evil Federation

Nelson: 2 >

Happy Easter! A home made Easter card I made for my Mum and Dad