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Record Number: 31678

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Reading Experience:

Evidence:

'Meeting held at Hilliers, Northcourt Avenue. 26. ii. 40Meeting held at Hilliers, Northcourt Avenue. 26. ii. 40. Rosamund Walis in the Chair
1. Minutes of last read + approved
2. Minute 7 of 19th Dec. � relating to the accounts � was continued
[...]
5. The subject of letters was introduced by Roger Moore, and led to a desultory but amusing discussion ranging from the Pastons to modern family letters and scurrilous blackmailing letters.
[...]
7. Margaret Dilkes read from Lord Chesterfield�s letters to his son.
8. Ethel Stevens read letters which she had cut out of the papers from time to time, notably one from a child of thirteen to John Ruskin.
9. H. R. Smith read some four or five short letters from E. V. Lucas, �The Second Post.�
10. Mary Pollard read Pliny�s account of the Eruption of Vesuvius.
11. Roger Moore read some of Keats�s letters which were much enjoyed, and a Keats evening was suggested for some future meeting.
[signed as a true record:] S A Reynolds
18/3/40'

Century:

1900-1945

Date:

26 Feb 1940

Country:

England

Time

evening

Place:

city: Reading
county: Berkshire
specific address: Hilliers, Northcourt Avenue

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:

Ethel C. Stevens

Age:

Adult (18-100+)

Gender:

Female

Date of Birth:

n/a

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

Members of the XII Book Club

Additional Comments:

n/a

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Text Being Read:

Author:

[a child of thirteen]

Title:

[a letter to John Ruskin]

Genre:

Letters

Form of Text:

Print: Newspaper

Publication Details

n/a

Provenance

owned

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Source Information:

Record ID:

31678

Source:

Manuscript

Author:

Margaret Dilks

Title:

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

Location:

private collection

Call No:

n/a

Page/Folio:

59�60

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:

Margaret Dilks, XII Book Club Minute Book, Vol. 4 (1938-1943), private collection, 59�60, http://www.open.ac.uk/Arts/reading/UK/record_details.php?id=31678, accessed: 04 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).