JANUARY 1949 PAPBR No. 33 --·-----···--·--········-·--·········----···· ---·-·· ... ...... - -----··· ············-·········---· -········-··-· ··--·····- ... ·--·--· ....... -- --· --··---·-·· - Vol. 2 eOLLBecroR An Amateur Magazine Featuring Articles of Interest to Collectors of British Boys' Periodicals of the Past O===================-'-===-'� O Gunby Hadath Birth of the Dime Novel Those Stirring Snow,Sweet I Serials : The Greyfriars Gallery: Part 3 ii I o- ---- --- - ------ -------- --------- - - -- o w�i!JWJ!JJWWWWWWJWW��m The S. P. C. WHO'S WHO No. 7: GRANVILLE T. WAINE RA VILLE - I open in He is noted for his kindness in familiar strain for we are loaning bound volumes -a pre­ G firm friends -is a "Lanca­ carious practice, though I hasten shire lad." Wasn't that the title to add, in his own words, "Only of a Nelson Lee Library? He is twice in twenty years have I been tall, lean, and straight in both let down"; for his letters; and senses of the word. I can pay for his contributions to The Srory him no better tribute. His collec­ Paper Collector under the pen­ tion! Mainly Amalgamated Press name "Cymro." papers. His home town is Hol­ He has a very soft spot for lins, Whitefield, near Manches­ Sexton Blake (who has n't?) and ter. Home, Mrs. G. T. W., and I might venture to suggest that young son Darroll, a "collector his favourite paper is The Cham­ one," seldom see "Dad," for his pion -the early issues. And what vocation takes him on many a paper! Favourite characters? travels. It is because of these With the possible exception of trips through the Counties that Sexton Blake, Yvonne Cartier, I have spent many hours with our Panther Grayle, and Strongbow man for he has paid me numer­ of the Circus. ous "calls." Conversation? The Granville has given the writer reader knows the nature of that: much help with various compi­ our Editor, S.P.C., readers, collec­ lations from time to time and is tors, contributors, papers, A. P. a mine of information. He bears (oh, that the latter were more all the "hallmarks" of a real congenial to us!), and "the Man collector-another "jolly good from Baker Street"-for us the fellow." His story paper collect­ only man from Baker Street. ing knowledge is vast, especially Granville Waine has a very on the subject of Nelson Lee large collection of story papers. Library lore. A grand "Norther­ Some of them have been listed ner" - a pointless remark, for in the Colledors' Digest Anni<al. there are few other kinds. A Series of Short Articles About Our Contributors, w Collectors, and Readers • . Compiled by H. R. C. 100 The Story Paper Collector Articles of Interest to Collectors of British Boys' Periodicals of the Past No. 33 JANUARY, 1949 Vol. 2 GUNBY HADATH By LEONARD M. ALLEN HE POPULAR boys' maga­ After this, stories by our au­ zine, The Captain, always thor, both short and serial, T made a feature of Public appeared regularly until the final school stories, but it was only in volume of The Captain in 1924, 1909, midway in the twenty-five in which was one of his best years of publication, that they yarns, "Pulling His Weight," in attained the dominance that en­ six instalments. At the same dured until the final volume. time he contributed to that This was the year when the first favourite contemporary paper, school story by Gunby Hadath Chums, and continued to do so appeared. Entitled "Foozle's Bril­ until a year before it ceased liant Idea," it proved to be the publication in 1940. His stories forerunner of ten short stories appeared in many of the Amal­ concerning the exploits of this gamated Press "Annuals," some very enterprising schoolboy. under his pen-name, John Mow­ Hitherto very few short stories bray. of this kind had appeared in the The secret of Gundy Hadath's magazine and in the half-yearly success was his supreme know­ voting competition for the best ledge of the schoolboy and his story in the preceding volume ways. While all his stories dis­ "Foozle" was awarded twelfth played, in varying degrees, his place, all the other yams selected great sense of humour, he never being adventure stories. Enthu­ allowed it to take control and siasm for the Hadath yarns grew develop his situations into the so rapidly, however, that the next slapstick affairs so favoured in competition saw his fine cricket other boys' papers of the period. story, "Old Crockery," in the Incidents were always quite feas­ first place, with another "Foo­ ible but nevertheless exciting, zle" adventure, "Micklemerry's and his charac'.ters likable and Soap," high on the list. human. Thus he obtained, in 102 TH E STORY PAPER COLLECTOR addition to his large following mcnts it was quite natural for of juvenile readers, many "old Gunby Hadath to enter the scho­ boys" who revelled in his yams. lastic profession and he was No better illustration can be appointed Senior Classical mas­ found than his serial for the ter at the Guildford Grammar 1916 Captain,entitled "His High­ School. While thus employed he ness of Highfield," with the developed his talent for lyric lonely yet cheerful youth, H. R. writing and published many Hudson, and his tormentor, songs in conjunction with the Dryden. leading composers of the day, such celebrities as Tosti, Piccoli­ PORTING EVENTS were al­ mini, R. H. Wal thew, Eric Coates, ways prominent and he S Noel Johnson, and Herman Lohr. introduced the most excit­ Among the many famous leading ing cricket and football matches, vocalists who included these technically perfect, for Gunby numbers in their repertoires Hadath was an all-round athlete were Clara Butt, Belle Cole, Ada himself. Captain of his school, Crossley, Ben Davies, Kennerley St. Edmund's, Canterbury, he Rumford, Ivor Foster, and Harry later went up to Cambridge Dearth. where he won College Colours for cricket, Rugby, and Soccer. One of his best-known lyrics This did not interfere with his was the ever-popular "Down scholastic career and he was the Vale." So successful were the awarded his M. A. degree with Gunby Hadath songs that he classical honours. was able to devote the whole of After leaving the University his attention to them, later turn­ he became a member of the ing to authorship, to the ever­ Wanderers Cricket Club and lasting benefit of boys and "old was chosen to play in represent­ boys." Several stories have been ative club matches for the Gen­ translated into other languages, tlemen of Surrey. His career on apart from publication in the the Rugby football field was United States and Canada. Be­ equally distinguished but, unfor­ fore the War he was made a tunately, while a member of the citoyen d'honneur of St. Gervais­ Paignton team, and on the eve lesbains and its Commune, with of his trial for Devon, he was due concurrence by the French knocked out by a bad accident Government. As far as can be which finished his activities in ascertained he is the only English this direction. writer to be awarded this honour. With so many accomplish- Another distinction is his in- GUNBY HADATH 103 clusion in the selec1: group of volume, included in their popu­ authors to have Omnibus vol­ lar Oxford series several full­ umes of their work published. length stories, among which was The Gunby Hadath Omnibus "The Mystery at Riddings," and a was produced by Milford in 1935 number of short stories entitled and included three full length "The Big Five." stories, "The New School at Latterly two stories of school Shropp," "Carey of Cobhouse," life during World War II have and "Brent of Gatehouse." The been published by Faber and blind have not been forgotten, Faber. They are entitled "The and several Slories in Braille Swinger" and "The March of have been produced on both Time." His latest from this firm, sides of the Atlantic. Needless to "Fortune Lane," will shortly be say, with all these distinctions, forthcoming. This is the book Gunby Hadath is a Fellow of the on which is based the film for Royal Society of Arts. youth of the same title. The RACTICALLY all of Gunby Lutterworth Press published in P Hadath's serials and short 1947 "Men of the Maquis," and stories that appeared in The in 1948 "The Fifth Feversharn." Captain were later published in Several out-of-print books are book form, in some cases with being re-published by The Stan­ the titles changed. Thus, "The more Press. Feats of Foozle" became "Ac­ Although the name of Gunby cording to Brown Minor" when Hadath is usually associated with offered by Hodder and Stough­ the school story, this was not ton, and "Conquering Claybury" his sole theme. An excellent his­ was retitled "Schoolboy Grit." torical yarn entitled "The Boar This firm also published a special of Blaye," written around the Gunby Hadath Library which War of the Roses, appeared in included "The Fattest Head in The Captain. His versatility is the Fifth," "The New House further shown with "His Birth­ at Oldborough," "Against the right," a Welsh football story, Clock," "Pulling His Weight," and "Playing the Game," with "Go Bang Garry," and the first Soccer as the theme. He also volume of the Sparrow stories, wrote several full-length charac­ "Sparrow in Search of Expul­ ter-adventure stories, and readily sion," following this with a to mind come "St. Palfrey's sequel, "Sparrow Gets Going." Cross," "The Seventh Swords­ The firm of Humphrey Mil­ man," "The Mystery at Three ford, apart from the Omnibus Chimneys," and "Twenty Good 104 THE STORY PAPER COLLECfOR Ships." All these yarns were sure indication of their popu­ very popular before the War larity, and ofttimes one can see with his public in France, Bel­ an adult male, rather furtively gium, and Scandinavia, and at maybe, taking one down from present have excellent sales in the shelves.