'Our Island Story'

[bill.dargue]

The Baldwin Project - https://www.mainlesson.com/

seeks to make available online a comprehensive collection of resources for parents and teachers of children. The focus, initially, is on literature for children that is in the public domain in the United States. This includes all works first published before 1923. The period from 1880 or so until 1922 offers a wealth of material in all categories, including: Nursery Rhymes, Fables, Folk Tales, Myths, Legends and Hero Stories, Literary Fairy Tales, Bible Stories, Nature Stories, Biography, History, Fiction, Poetry, Storytelling, Games, and Craft Activities.

There are lots of old English history books here - https://www.mainlesson.com/displaybooksbygenre.php.

I still have a well-thumbed 1905 copy of H. E. Marshall's 'Our Island Story' given by my gran to my mum, a copy of which which is available online here - https://www.mainlesson.com/display.php?author=marshall&book=island&story=_contents.

The last edition of this book was published in 1953, but recently a a new edition has been published by the Civitas think-tank and made available free to schools - https://www.civitas.org.uk/islandstory/index.php.

Bill Dargue

The Coming of the Romans

The Warrior Queen - Boadicea

Hengist and Horsa

King Arthur

Alfred the Great

The Battle of Hastings

 

[Aidan]

That’s brought back some memories Bill – My copy of “Our Island Story” was handed down to me in a similar way – full of stirring stories.

Thanks for sharing this wonderful resource. There is an index at https://www.mainlesson.com/displaybooksbygenre.php

I noticed in a quick browse of Ada Skinner’s A Child's Own Book of Verse the following poems describing the disturbing behaviour and puzzling response to the presence of Dustmen – can anyone offer an explanation?

THE DUSTMAN
When the toys are growing weary;
And the twilight gathers in,
When the nursery still re-echoes
With the children's merry din;

Then unseen, unheard, unnoticed,
Comes an old man up the stair,
Lightly to the children passes,
Lays his hand upon their hair.

Softly smiles the good old Dustman,
In their eyes the dust he throws,
Till their little heads are falling
And their eyelids gently close.

Then the Dustman very gently
Takes each little dimpled hand,
Leads them through the sweet green shadows,
Far away to Slumberland.
—FRED E. WEATHERLY.


THE DUSTMAN
"Dustman, dustman!"
Through the deserted square he cries,
And babies put their rosy fists
Into their eyes.

There's nothing out of No-man's-land
So drowsy since the world began,
As, "Dustman, dustman,
Dustman."

He goes his village round at dusk
From door to door, from day to day;
And when the children hear his step
They stop their play.

"Dustman, dustman!"
Far up the street he is descried,
And soberly the twilight games
Are laid aside.

"Dustman, dustman!"
There, Drowsyhead, the old refrain,
"Dustman, dustman!"
It goes again.

"Dustman, dustman!
"Hurry by and let me sleep.
When most I wish for you to come,
You always creep.

"Dustman, dustman!"
And when I want to play some more,
You never then are farther off
Than the next door.

"Dustman, dustman!"
He beckles down the echoing curb,
A step that neither hopes nor hates
Ever disturb.

"Dustman, dustman!"
He never varies from one pace,
And the monotony of time
Is in his face.

And some day, with more potent dust,
Brought from his home beyond the deep,
And gently scattered on our eyes,
We, too, shall sleep,—

Hearing the call we know so well
Fade swiftly out as it began,
"Dustman, dustman,
Dustman!"
—BLISS CARMAN.

 

[Aidan]

Still browsing.... Just had a look at Charlotte Mason's "The Counties of England" of c1880:

V. THE TOY-SHOP OF THE WORLD

THE north of Warwickshire is a manufacturing district; a coal-field extends from near Coventry to Tamworth which employs many people, chiefly at Bedworth. Nuneaton is a busy town among the collieries, where ribbons, silk, tools, and other things are made. The great manufacturing town of Warwickshire, and one of the greatest in England, is Birmingham, situated close to the Staffordshire iron and coal mines. It stands on rather high ground, and is considered a healthy town; it has some wide streets and good buildings, and some famous colleges and schools. But it is not these things that make a holiday in Birmingham a great treat. The owners of many of the factories are good enough to let visitors go over them; and we may there see pens and pins, toys and brooches, turned out of hand in a wonderful way, for, in Birmingham, nearly everything is made by steam-power. It would be hard to name the thing which is not made there. Look round your room, and you will probably see twenty things which have been produced in this busy town: the bolt on the door, the screws which fix it, the gas-fittings, the castors on sofa or chair, the coal-box, perhaps the fender; the tea-tray, tea-pot, tea-spoons, the pen you write with, the inkstand you use; the buttons on coat or dress, the toys and dolls the Httle ones have left about; vases and glasses. Guns, too, are made here, and machines; things of all sizes and for all uses, from a pin to a steam-engine.....

The description of the Black Country in Staffordshire is quite startling....

 

[Thylacine]

Bill, thanks for that fascinating and useful link. I look forward to exploring the site.

Aidan, I think the mythical "Dustman" referred to in those delightful poems is more commonly known as the "Sandman", bringer of good dreams to children.

 

[Aidan]

Thylacine - I think you must be right and I think he must have visited me last night considering the amount in my eyes this morning. I have heard of him before through the wonderful Chordettes https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FcW0FNS1L8g but never Dustman before.

 

[Thylacine]

:222: :thumbsup: Bung bung bung bung! :thumbsup: :222:

 

[Carolynn]

I may be telling you all to suck eggs, but just in case there is someone who hasnt seen this, there is another wonderful site by Bill Dargue and well worth reading. https://www.madeinbirmingham.org/medieval.htm

 

[Aidan]

A new found egg to suck on for me - thanks