Peter Pan born in Clifton


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Who knew ??

http://www.nottinghampost.com/Bygones-Anniversary-J-M-Barrie-s-birth/story-12199927-detail/story.html

J.M. Barrie , the writer and creator of Peter Pan , though of Scottish decent came to work at the Nottingham Guardian in 1893 and lodged at a house on Birkland Ave.

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I vaguely remember reading somewhere that JM Barrie was walking with a friend (might have been someone who is now famous) along Clifton Grove when a ragged assed waif walked past going the other way. When his friend said something like "what's the matter with him?" Barrie is supposed to have said "He's looking for his shadow". This bit may be inaccurate.

The other item I heard was that he got his inspiration for the kids flying out of the bedroom window from looking across the Park Estate from near the Ropewalk.

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Also thought that as he lived near The Arboretum, this became his inspiration for Neverland.

He began a career in journalism with the Journal for two years, 1883 - 1884, a plaque commemorating this was on the old Journal building.

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Yes both stories seem to be true , the first about the waif is detailed in the link in #1 . The Arboretum story here :

http://www.bbc.co.uk/nottingham/content/articles/2008/10/23/arboretum_neverland_feature.shtml

So thats another tourist opportunity lost , how many places would love to have links to such famous (mythical ?) figures that are known throughout the world . Peter Pan and Neverland and Robin Hood and Sherwood Forest .

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And many more. Just down the road from me is an area called fountaindale. It is part of that huge wood the A60 goes through before you come into Mansfield. Part of Fountaindales claim to fame is that is supposed to be the home of Friar Tuck and near where Robin Hood and the Friar had their first encounter. But Fountaindale has something else. Sir Walter Scott once stayed at Fountaindale house and it has been said that Sherwood Forest gave him the inspiration for many of his books, particularly Ivanhoe.

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So thats another fictional character , Ivanhoe , looks like Euro Disney was built in the wrong place ! Maybe not ?

Thanks for that info on Friar Tuck , I am just adding pictures and a little text on a "video" for a song called Friar Tuck's Blues in that jazz piece called The Robin Hood Suite and will use that Fountaindale info . Ta !

For any jazz fans , this is a great autumny tune called The Major Oak written and performed by Nottingham musician Bob Hudson from that same suite that just went up on youtube

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Not just fictional characters. About five miles to the east of Mansfield is the village of Clipstone. You know when you're there because of the derelict (tallest in Britain) headstocks towering above you. But that is New Clipstone, the once mining village. Just a little further along is Old Clipstone now called Kings Clipstone. In a field near the Dog and Duck pub is a crumbling ruin that looks like nothing on earth. In fact this was the so named King John's Palace where the Plantagenet kings held their Parliament when they took a break from hunting deer in the (Royal) Sherwood Forest. The owner of the farm has been trying for years to get funding for making it safe for people to visit and learn more. She is getting there, but all this needs linking in with the Robin Hood story. Although Robin Hood was a legend, the story is based on real hooded robbers who used to steal the Kings deer to feed their families. There is so much there, including a replica of the gatehouse to Worksop Manor which can be accessed along a little dirt road opposite the Dog and Duck Pub.

Then there is Edwinstowe just up the road. What tourist opportunities.

Mind you, I have heard that there are still hooded robbers in Nottingham keeping up with a tradition.

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Thanks BIlbraborn ......you learn something every day !

I knew of The Parliament Oak about 2 miles from this palace ,where King John is supposed to have held impromptu meetings of the local gentry but hadn't heard of his palace previously .

Worth reading this story , where incensed at having his hunting interrupted by news of a Welsh rebellion , King John rode to Nottingham Castle and had 28 young Welsh prisoners hanged from the Castle Walls . This led to a curse being put on the castle , which is another story I had never heard .

http://robin-hood-was-here.blogspot.co.uk/2011/11/curse-of-nottingham-castle.html

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That Parliament oak is in two parts now. The middle bit rotted away. They have only just put a decent visitor board up. Just along the way is another one called The Old Churn Oak. Not a clue why as it is nothing special to look at.

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I loved the video, even if it was a bit over dramatized. Edward 1 spent a lot of time in the area, both at Clipstone and at Nottingham Castle. In fact his wife took ill and was taken to nearby Harby (over the Trent) where she died while Edward was at Clipstone. I have the full story somewhere.

By the way, it wasn't just medieval kings who were rotten to kids. Look how many worked down coal mines and up chimneys more recently.

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did you know that the writer Graham Greene (likewise a journalist) was converted to Roman Catholicism in St Barnabas' Cathedral, Derby Road?

Yes, but he was on record as having thoroughly hated his time in Nottingham. So best to keep quiet about him!

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Ha ha

Re Graham Greene , there is this quote :

"..........but his experiences in the east Midlands as a cub reporter in the 1920s caused him to conclude: "This town makes one want a mental and physical bath every quarter of an hour an educated person in Nottingham is as rare a find as jam in a wartime doughnut."

Edit : actually , using wartime doughnut as a search term this more in depth article turns up and seems he hated his first digs and moved, also a good description of a Nottingham fog !

http://www.davidbelbin.com/2009/10/graham-greene-in-nottingham-and-the-pretender/

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Hello - I've enjoyed this topic immensely as I developed a deep interest in J M Barrie when I worked on a trilogy of plays for the BBC entitled 'The Lost Boys' (way before Kiefer Sutherland requisitioned the name for a horror film) written by Andrew Birkin (brother of Jane, yes of Serge Gainsbourg and Je t'aime infamy) and produced by Louis Marks. Barrie was played by Iam Holm who went on to do LOTR and Mr LL_D was Tim Piggott Smith who became The Chief and Sylvia was played by the fabulous Ann Bell!

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Welcome Rescatorette,

Pleased you enjoyed the topic and by the sound of your experience look forward to your contributions .

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Attn Bilbraborn,

Further to your info about Kings Clipstone , I just noticed that there is a page for the archaeolgy and history of Kings Clipstone on Facebook that should interest you if you belong to that site :

https://www.facebook.com/ArchaeologyHistoryKingsClipstone

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Thanks David. I've got loads of written info but it's all filed somewhere. There are actually websites devoted to all this. I got the stuff about Edwards Queen Eleanor dying at Harby off the internet. It also tells of the Eleanor Crosses. As for facebook? I just don't have enough hours in the day. I thought that when I got into my sixties that I would have more time to spare. How silly.

By the way, the story of Queen Eleanor is at All Saint's Church at Harby (the north Notts one) and there is a mini-statue above the porch.

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