"A Child of Yesterday"

duport · 08-01-2010, 15:29

This is an unashamed plug for a book of short stories by my late father, Les Duxbury.

He was born in Accrington in 1921 and attended Accrington Grammar School, and Accrington School of Arts and Crafts. In 1941 he enrolled at the Royal College of Art, which had been evacuated because of the war to Ambleside in the Lake District. He was called up in December 1941, but he was invalided out in 1943, and returned to Ambleside. In 1945 the RCA returned to London, and he obtained his Diploma in July 1946.

In addition to being an accomplished artist,he was also a prolific writer of short stories, which were largely based on his childhood experiences of Accrington. Some were published, and others were broadcast by BBC radio, a number read by himself.
A selection of these stories has been put together in the book "A Child of Yesterday and other stories" (ISBN 0-9548643-0-1), from the typescripts and manuscripts left after Leslie died. They have been selected either because of personal and local interestor because they are the most entertaining. The last six are from a series of playlets featuring Mr. and Mrs. Ellis, in which he attempted to capture the characteristics of the Accrington accent. Several of these were read on the radio by Violet Carson.

If you would like a copy of this book, price £9 + p & p, contact me.

katex · 08-01-2010, 17:45

Sounds good .. wasn't he also a script writer for Coronation Street for a while duport ?

Margaret Pilkington · 08-01-2010, 17:54

If I remember rightly he also wrote the scripts for a BBC series about student nurses......think it was called Angels......I was a student nurse at the time and he came to Blackburn Royal to interview me. He was a lovely man.

cashman · 08-01-2010, 18:31

Quote:

Originally Posted by Margaret Pilkington

If I remember rightly he also wrote the scripts for a BBC series about student nurses......think it was called Angels......I was a student nurse at the time and he came to Blackburn Royal to interview me. He was a lovely man.

Hell Margaret ya got a good memory.

duport · 08-01-2010, 19:47

Quote:

Originally Posted by katex

Sounds good .. wasn't he also a script writer for Coronation Street for a while duport ?

No, that was the wrong Leslie Duxbury! A pretender from Clayton.

Margaret Pilkington · 08-01-2010, 20:16

Quote:

Originally Posted by cashman

Hell Margaret ya got a good memory.

Cashy, the problem is that I tend to remember the things that no longer matter.

katex · 08-01-2010, 21:30

Quote:

Originally Posted by duport

No, that was the wrong Leslie Duxbury! A pretender from Clayton.

Oh, I see ... thought he lived in Gt. Harwood though. Nevertheless, like the sound of your father's writings (probably could do a Violet Carson with them myself ... tee hee). P.M. Sent.

cashman · 08-01-2010, 21:54

Quote:

Originally Posted by Margaret Pilkington

Cashy, the problem is that I tend to remember the things that no longer matter.

We are alike.

duport · 09-01-2010, 11:03

Let me tell "A TALE OF TWO LESLIES":

In the 1950s, Dad was submitting short stories to BBC radio, and was fortunate to have several accepted for broadcast. He read some of these himself, but others were read by Violet Carson.
When Coronation Street was being set up, Violet Carson suggested Dad as a scriptwriter. Although the BBC knew how to contact Dad, he was an unknown to ITV, and so they did not have his address. When they searched for it, they came up with the “other” Leslie Duxbury, and so it was he, rather than Dad, who got the job.

That cloud had a silver lining for Clayton Leslie. (He was born in Clayton. Where he lived later I don't know.)

garinda · 19-01-2010, 00:58

A few of Leslie Duxbury's paintings.

MODERN BRITISH ART - Leslie Duxbury Gallery

katex · 19-01-2010, 12:23

Received his book last Friday .. thank you Duport.

The book is illustrated by black and white (charcoal ?) sketches from Leslie Duxbury himself and have a style of their own, as per the pictures Garinda has put up. Very talented man.

As for the reading ... definitely very enjoyable.

Seems to be a mixture of fact and fiction ... not always truistic to Accrington (streets, etc), but don't think it is meant to be.

A childhood view of all the wonderful characters in the 1920/30's with wonderful desciptions of their appearance. Would put a little up for you but not sure of the copyright, etc.

Well worth anyone from Lancashire having this on their book shelf.

duport · 25-01-2010, 12:20

Thanks for showing those paintings, garinda.
There are more examples of his work in the Haworth Art Gallery. Not just paintings but etchings and drawings, too.

duport · 25-01-2010, 12:25

Katex, I'm glad you liked the book.

Copyright conditions will allow you to quote a sentence here and there. So if you would like to put up a few descriptions, you are very welcome (especially if it helps sell a few more copies ...!)