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the experience of reading in Britain, from 1450 to 1945...

Reading Experience Database UK Historical image of readers
 
 
 
 

Record Number: 31873


Reading Experience:

Evidence:

'Meeting held at Lambia, 33 Conisboro Avenue 19.5.39
R. H. Robson in the chair.
[...]
1. The minutes of last [two meetings] read & approved.
2. R. H. Robson gave an introductory sketch of Hilaire Belloc & his work.
Belloc was educated at the Oratory School — at that time in Birmingham, & became later an M.P. with a Liberal but independent outlook. He made himself a champion of Roman Catholicism, wrote on such varied subjects a military tactics, yachting, religion, & politics, topography, history especially the French Revolution, as well as producing novels and poetry.
R. H. Robson read, as specimens of his work, his opinion of St. Just, and his account of the Battle of Hastings.
Other readings were given by later contributors.

3. C. E. Stanfield read from “First and Last Things” giving us the man who deplored the spread of education; and also extracts about rivers, mountains and Algiers.

[...]

5. V. W. Alexander read from “Hills and the Sea” the description of the Valley of the R. Rother, showing Belloc’s love of Sussex.

6. Muriel Stevens gave us some selections from his sonnets & other verse.

7. Celia Burrow then read the vivid account of Dronet’s ride which resulted in the arrest of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette at Varennes.

[...]

9. H. R. Smith, reading from “The Historic Thames” told us of the once important Osney Abbey & of Reading Abbey as it used to be.
10. Finally R. D. L. Moore read from “The Crisis of our Civilization”, showing Belloc’s ideas & those of some other historians as to what History could or could not teach.
[...]

[signed]A.B. Dilks
24. 11. 39'

Century:

1900-1945

Date:

24 Nov 1939

Country:

England

Time

evening

Place:

city: Reading
county: Berkshire
specific address: 39, Eastern Avenue

Type of Experience
(Reader):
 

silent aloud unknown
solitary in company unknown
single serial unknown

Type of Experience
(Listener):
 

solitary in company unknown
single serial unknown


Reader / Listener / Reading Group:

Reader:

Victor Alexander

Age:

Adult (18-100+)

Gender:

Male

Date of Birth:

1887

Socio-Economic Group:

Professional / academic / merchant / farmer

Occupation:

n/a

Religion:

Quaker or associated with the Friends

Country of Origin:

n/a

Country of Experience:

England

Listeners present if any:
e.g family, servants, friends

n/a


Additional Comments:

n/a



Text Being Read:

Author:

Victor Alexander

Title:

Minutes of the meeting of the XII Book Club, 19 May 1939

Genre:

Minutes

Form of Text:

Manuscript: Notebook

Publication Details

n/a

Provenance

reading group


Source Information:

Record ID:

31873

Source:

Manuscript

Author:

Victor Alexander

Title:

XII Book Club Minute Book, Vol. 4 (1938-1943)

Location:

private collection

Call No:

n/a

Page/Folio:

45–8

Additional Information:

Victor Alexander’s authorship is inferred from the fact that he was secretary to the XII Book Club at this time, and from the handwriting.

Citation:

Victor Alexander, XII Book Club Minute Book, Vol. 4 (1938-1943), private collection, 45–8, http://www.open.ac.uk/Arts/reading/UK/record_details.php?id=31873, accessed: 29 March 2024


Additional Comments:

This is the reading, possibly brief and cursory, implied by the Chair's act of signing these minutes. It probably followed immediately after listening to the public reading of the minutes by the Secretary.
Material by kind permission of the XII Book Club. For further information and permission to quote this source, contact the Reading Experience Database (http://www.open.ac.uk/Arts/reading/contacts.php).

   
   
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