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Record Number: 29465

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Reading Experience:

Evidence:

'Meeting held at Oakdene Jan 23rd 1931
S A Reynolds in the chair
1. Minutes of last approved
[...]
6 After supper Bernard Shaw�s �You never Can tell� was read in parts with the exception of one short Act for which there was no time[.] Characters as follows
Fergus Crampton����G H Burrow
Bohun K.C.����S. A. Reynolds
Finch McComus����H. R. Smith
William the Waiter ����R. H. Robson
Valentine����W. Fraser Mitchell
Philip Clandon����Miss[?] Mary Reynolds
Parlour Maid����Miss Margot Reynolds
Mrs Clandon����Miss Janet Rawlings
Dolly Clandon����Miss D. Brain
Gloria Clandon����Mrs R. H. Robson
Considering that owing to illness many of the parts were taken at the shortest notice the reading was very well done'

Century:

1900-1945

Date:

23 Jan 1931

Country:

England

Time

evening

Place:

city: Reading
county: Berkshire
specific address: Oakdene

Type of Experience
(Reader):
 

silent aloud unknown
solitary in company unknown
single serial unknown

Type of Experience
(Listener):
 

solitary reactive unknown
single serial unknown

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Reader / Listener / Reading Group:

Reader:

Fraser Mitchell

Age:

Adult (18-100+)

Gender:

Male

Date of Birth:

n/a

Socio-Economic Group:

Unknown/NA

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

members of XII Book Club

Additional Comments:

n/a

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Text Being Read:

Author:

Bernard Shaw

Title:

You Never Can Tell

Genre:

Drama

Form of Text:

Print: Book

Publication Details

n/a

Provenance

unknown

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Source Information:

Record ID:

29465

Source:

Manuscript

Author:

Howard Smith

Title:

XII Book Club Minute Book, Vol. 2 (1915-31)

Location:

private collection

Call No:

n/a

Page/Folio:

215

Additional Information:

Howard Smith was secretary to the XII Book Club 1923-1931. It is inferred from this, that he was the author of this set of minutes.

Citation:

Howard Smith, XII Book Club Minute Book, Vol. 2 (1915-31), private collection, 215, http://www.open.ac.uk/Arts/reading/UK/record_details.php?id=29465, accessed: 06 February 2026

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Additional Comments:

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).