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T h e O l d S t a t i o n e r - N o 8 0 So, in early 2002, Ian was looking through the pulpers bin of the charity shop in question, and came across an old, dirty, battered copy of a book called A Gent From Bear Creek, by some chap named Robert E. Howard. Ian has long been a collector of P.G. Wodehouse, so he was quite familiar with Herbert Jenkins as a publisher. But the name Robert E. Howard didn't ring any bells, and standing there in the shop he guessed that "Howard" might actually have been a pen name used by famous western writer Louis Lamour. So, thinking the book might be worth something on that basis, he paid a few rands for it and attracted more eccentric stares from the old ladies by leaving a R20 tip in their collection jar. Consider the Providence involved here: that particular book - only the seventh known copy to exist - had been a mere two hours away from being sent off to the pulpers to be destroyed! Coming home and doing some research, Ian found the website for the Robert E. Howard United Press Association, and realized that Howard was a real person. He emailed the REHUPA webmaster (who happens to be me - Leo Grin), telling me about the fmd and asking for more information. I quickly sent him to his collection of Firsts Magazine (a magazine dedicated to collecting rare books) and told him to dig out the issue published two years ago featuring Robert E. Howard. It was then that the true nature of his find sunk in. Ian had no idea how popular an author Howard was, how many fans he had, or how rare and expensive a book he had actually found. As he later said with a chuckle: "My knowledge of sci-fi and westerns leaves a lot to be desired. Somewhere I'd remembered the name but in the wrong context. When I re-read the 'Firsts' article, I did have the grace to blush!" After thinking his options over, Ian decided that - rare as the book was - it wasn't the kind of thing he needed for his own collection. So he decided to sell it. He told me, however, that he found E-Bay auctions and the like too impersonal, so he would be much happier seeing it auctioned off in a venue where real Howard fans would have a chance at owning it, or at least seeing one up close for perhaps the only time in their lives. Ian asked if I would perhaps like to auction the book off for him in the states, but after thinking it over I had a better idea. I told Ian the story of Project Pride and the Howard Museum, and how the people of Cross Plains had worked so hard to preserve Howard's memory. I also told him of the annual Howard Days Festival, and how hundreds of Howard fans came to Cross Plains each year to remember Howard. I suggested that if he truly wanted the book to be accessible to fans, he might consider selling it to me for a fair but discounted price, with the stipulation that I then donate the book the Robert E. Howard Museum here in Cross Plains. The decision was not a light one for Ian. After all, if he chose to sell the book on E-Bay he was guaranteed to make many thousands of dollars from the sale. But he was touched by what he had heard about the efforts of Project Pride and Cross Plains, and so finally he agreed to sell it to me for the relatively cheap price of $3700. In doing this for the people of Cross Plains, I estimate that lan sacrificed several thousand dollars which he would have received if the book had been auctioned publicly. And so here we are - and here "it" is. The book was officially donated to Project Pride and the Robert E. Howard Museum during the 2002 Howard Days festivities. Now Cross Plains finally has that most precious of all Howard collectibles, the ultra-rare Herbert Jenkins first edition of A Gent From Bear Creek. Rather than being locked up in a library's holdings or disappearing into some rich fellow's collection never to be seen again, this book can now be seen by Howard fans whenever they visit the Howard Museum in Cross Plains. Thanks to a kind and generous man in South Africa, a major piece of Howard history has finally come home. The book hunter by Dick Phillips Gordon SA Book Connection, 13 Polela Road, Hillcrest KZN 3610 ian@sabookconnection.co.za I hope this may be of interest to you. I've just published my first book 'The Book Hunter' under the nom-de-plume Dick Phillips. It's a biblio-mystery. I should add that 'the hero' is a Gooner supporting bookdealer or just maybe, a bookdealer loving Gooners. Feedback for the 'Book Hunter' I prefer to call this 'feedback' rather than a review as a true review should be objective and this feedback is subjective. Firstly, I want to say that I really enjoyed the Book Hunter and really hope that you complete your editing for publication so that I can add it to my collection. The use of the first person for all the main characters is an unusual approach but one that works really well as the reader feels empathy for each character – including the murderer (to a point). I like to identify with the main character in each book I read. It doesn't matter whether the character is male or female; I 'become' that character. The book was a nice mixture of personal journeys, the discovery of the value of books and the gradual building of knowledge about the books, for both the characters and the reader. There is a lot of really useful information about first editions and book collecting and it is given in a way that doesn't destroy the flow of the story. Much as I enjoy John Dunning's books there were a couple of occasions where the technical information interrupted the flow of the story and I actually skipped a page to get back to the plot (vowing to get back to the useful information at a later stage). Your first edition information seemed to be more closely woven into the story and I didn't skip a single line! I liked the 'journey' from London to South Africa and the descriptions of the two countries and the differences between the two, including the pros and cons of living in two very different environments. I could relate to that. The whole book was really gripping and 'unputdownable' and this was particularly 32
T h e O l d S t a t i o n e r - N o 8 0 true of the 'murder plot'. It was a believable story about books and the joy of owning something unique and you really made the idea of killing to own a particular book seem almost understandable. I really enjoyed the surprise ending! I did think it ended quite abruptly but maybe the last few pages aren't quite finished? I also like the characters, they were very different and your depiction of each one made them come alive and made each and everyone of them 'likeable' even, as I said above, including the murderer. I would buy 'The Book Hunter' when you get around to publishing it. I will recommend it to others. I really do urge you to complete the work you have to do before publication. You will be doing yourself and the reading public a great disservice by not publishing it. Well that's about it. I'll be more than happy to sign using both real and nom-de-plume names should you require. Thanks and if you buy, enjoy. Best wishes Ian Snelling 1953-1960 SECONDLY from GRAHAM LING'S LETTER PSA AND PROSTATE CANCER I was most interested to read ROGER ENGLEDOW'S 'Peru Postcript' and in some ways we have much in common (apart from being in the same school year). When I worked in the bank I was entitled to a full medical every four years. When I took 'voluntary' early retirement at aged 50 and started a new life as a driving instructor this was not available to me. At 52 my wife and I paid for full medicals but at 56 it was too expensive. However, the following year we went ahead. During this time Kathy started working for a consultant urologist and this is where luck came in. When all the blood tests from the medical came back the PSA was 5.2 (should be less than 4). My GP wasn't worried when I mentioned it to her but she said that as Kathy now worked for a urologist she could perhaps show the result to him. This she did and after putting his finger where fingers are not meant to go, said that he could feel nothing wrong. However, he referred me to a prostate cancer specialist. Initially, he was not worried either but biopsies were taken and whilst three were clear three were 'iffy'. We then went through the whole process again three months later when the PSA had arisen to 8.4 and 2 biopsies showed cancer. Once we had got over the initial shock, unlike Roger, I was really given a free hand as to treatment and at 57 opted for a radical prostatectomy (removal of the prostate). Before the operation I also took the same pills and injections as Roger with the same results. However, after the operation, although there are side effects which I won't go into here, the PSA returned to 0 where it stayed for four years before starting to rise slowly. Unfortunately the cancer had obviously spread just outside the prostate. I then had 35 sessions of radiotherapy where again I was lucky as this had little effect on my overall health. The PSA again returned to 0 where it has stayed for another three or four years before starting to climb slowly. This still continues (presently 16.2) and I have regular MRI and bone scans, but so far so good. It is now over 14 years since my operation and for those of you who see me at our annual reunions I am not doing too badly. During this time for three and a half years I was chairman of PCaSO, a prostate cancer support group in Hampshire and Kathy and I counselled several people who had been diagnosed. It is not the end of the world but I would strongly agree with Roger that regular checks are essential especially if you know that it is in the family. Whilst checks and PSA counts are not infallible they can pick up this horrible disease early so there is time for action. Sincerely Graham Ling 1954-1961 FOOD FOR THOUGHT The Company's decision to put its name into the "Stationers Crown Woods Academy" will automatically involve the OSA in making a decision on whether we want it to affect us, or not. I have put some thoughts together which do not necessarily reflect my political views! I understand that the Company intend to communicate with all OSA members regarding their involvement. Indeed, by the time you read this you will probably have received their circular. I have the benefit of putting these thoughts together before I read what they have to say. We all know that the last member of the OSA is expected to "turn the lights out" in 20xx! Actually, as an active body, the end may be a bit earlier than that. Will what the Company has done this year make any difference? At some time our Committee may put a proposal to an AGM so that those who attend will be able to express their views and vote. Having written that I don't think it is right. It shouldn't be only those able to attend the AGM that should have the right to vote on our future. The Committee should organize a referendum to which those who attend the AGM should consider to be binding, whatever the question is going to be (presumably changes to our constitution). Some OSA members don't like the idea that the OSA will not survive for ever. They like what we have, think that it is a force for goodness and feel that the history behind us will get lost if there is no way of perpetuating the Association. My thoughts are directed more towards how any coming together of ex-pupils of SCWA and SCS might be brought about. To that end, they may be irrelevant (as I don't know where the majority view lies) but I think that they may help OSA members to come to a decision. Most of us, I suspect did not see any particular benefit to joining an "old boys' association" as soon as we left school. When I left though, the structure was somewhat different. By joining either the football club or cricket club one automatically became a member of SOBA. This changed (in the 60s?) when the association became the OSA and the sports clubs became separate entities. Forgive the history but the point is that many of us are members of the OSA because we started with one, or both, of the football and cricket clubs. Our numbers are not declining as might be expected because as we get older more people look back with nostalgia and see the OSA as a worthwhile organisation. So, how do we interest lads and lasses leaving school in South London to become involved with a lot of old men with whom 33
Page 1 and 2: No 80 /February 2015 The Old Statio
Page 3 and 4: T h e O l d S t a t i o n e r - N o
Page 17 and 18: 70th Anniversary of Operation Marke
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Page 35 and 36: WHY WE SPEND NEARLY HALF THE YEAR I
Page 39 and 40: My first excursion to Norway was pr
Page 45 and 46: PETER BULLEN 1927-2014 A Service of

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