Adventures Of Harry Rose

Chris Alexander

Description

Set at the beginning of the second year of the First World War the book tells the story of a working family and how war touched everyone in so many ways. Left to run the family narrow boat when his father goes to war and his mother is injured in a bombing raid on London, Harry and his dog Milly set off from London to Birmingham delivering coal to local people who live close to the canal. The story is one of friendship, understanding and kindness towards all they meet and of hope for mankind even in the middle of war.

Informations

• Publié par: 2QT Limited (Publishing
• Date de parution: 30 janvier 2015
• Nombre de lectures: 2
• EAN13: 9781910077573
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 2 Mo

Extrait

2QT Limited (Publishing)


The Adventures of Harry Rose
Chris Alexander
Illustrated by Juliet Whitworth



First Edition published 2015 2QT Limited (Publishing) Settle, North Yorkshire BD24 9RH www.2qt.co.uk
Copyright © 2015 Chris Alexander
The right of Chris Alexander to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988
All rights reserved. This book is sold subject to the condition that no part of this book is to be reproduced, in any shape or form. Or by way of trade, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, be lent, re-sold, hired out or otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition, including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser, without prior permission of the copyright holder.
Illustrations and Cover Juliet Whitworth Typesetting by Dale Rennard
This book is available as a paperback ISBN 978-1-910077-36-8





Dedication
To my five wonderful grandchildren Lilly, Harry, Finley, Poppy and Zach who bring so much joy to those they meet.



Acknowledgements
Lady Ann Pilling whose advice and support was so encouraging.
Lizzie Smith and my daughter-in-law, Helen whose enthusiasm was infectious. My wife Wendy for all the hours of typing and re types.
Les and Bruce Wickens for their professional and balanced input and all the staff at 2QT for their help, especially Karen Holmes for her magic in turning pigs ears into silk purses.
Special thanks to Joy Smartt for all her support and encouragement.
But the biggest acknowledgement must go to Juliet Whitworth, who has brought my story alive.






Contents
The Adventures of Harry Rose
Dedication
Acknowledgements
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
About the Author
About the Illustrator
Coming Soon








Authors Notes:
For the purpose of story telling the canal is described as the Grand Union although in 1915 it was several privately owned sections each charging for its use. It was at the end of the 1920’s early 1930’s it became known as the Grand Union canal.
In 1915 £1 = 20 shillings, 1 shilling = 12 penny’s, 1 penny = 2 half penny’s or 4 farthings. One guinea was £1 and 1 shilling and was made of solid gold.
The Germans had warned the American public not to travel on the RMS Lusitania, as it was likely to be attacked for carrying weapons to England, many crew had left the ship in New York and there were plenty of jobs available if you were happy to except the risks involved.
A Zeppelin was a rigid airship developed in the late 1890’s. The Germans killed over 500 people in bombing raids on England during the war.









Chapter 1
London at War
The Narrowboat - Lady Rose
It was September 1915 and the Lady Rose lay at her mooring at the side of Bloomfield Road within the City of Westminster.
The narrowboat, Lady Rose , was built in 1872 from the finest Nottinghamshire oak timber. She was seventy feet long, with small round brass windows, and was painted like an old gypsy caravan, with




beautiful patterns of flowers in bold reds, blues, greens and yellows. It was warm and cosy inside the boat, with an old stove burning in a corner, two comfortable benches and a small table.
Unlike other boats, she had a large cabin area and could sleep four people in comfort. There were more than forty-five feet of black canvas sheeting covering the boat’s holds, which over the years had carried many different cargoes up and down the Union Canal between London and Birmingham.
Mrs Vera Rose made her way towards the little bunk at the rear of the boat and stood over her sleeping son, Harry, who was curled up beside his dog, Milly. Mrs Rose was a tall, strong-looking woman, kind and generous with a friendly smile. Everyone on the canal knew and loved her. Today she looked anxious and worried. ‘Harry, Harry you need to wake up, right now!’
Harry struggled to open his eyes. ‘What is it, Ma? What’s the problem?’
‘Your father is missing in France.’
‘How do you know Ma? Who told you?’ asked



Harry, as he pushed Milly off his bunk in an attempt to get up.
‘The lock-keeper has been holding this telegram for us this past six weeks,’ she said, waving a piece of paper in the air. ‘Your father has been missing since some big battle and I need to find out more about it.’ Mrs Rose wiped away the tears that were running down her cheeks.
Harry hugged his mother tightly. ‘He will be alright, won’t he, Ma?’
She held him close. ‘It could be a mistake, of course. War is a terrible thing and sometimes messages get mixed up.’
Harry pulled away from his mother and quickly started to dress. ‘What are we going to do, Ma?’ he asked as he pulled on his boots.
‘I’m going to go down to the War Office to see if I can find out anything, anything at all,’ she replied.
‘What shall I do? Come with you?’
‘No, Harry. I need you to prepare the boat for the return trip north. Fill the coal box, check the oil and wicks in the lamps and make sure the tarpaulins are tied down well to keep the coal dry.’



‘Anything else?’ asked Harry as he put his jacket on.
‘Check the provisions and make sure the matches are dry. And take Milly for a walk.’ Milly pricked up her ears. ‘Yes, Milly, you understood that!’
Mrs Rose kissed Harry on the cheek, turned and started to make her way to the gangplank. ‘I should be back by dusk. Make sure we are ready to move.’
And with that, she was gone.
***
Harry’s father, Jack, had fitted a new engine just two years earlier, shortly before Duke, the Shire horse, retired after twenty years’ service with the Rose family. Duke had pulled the Lady Rose up and down the Union Canal, as had his father and his grandfather before him, helping to supply coal and bricks.
Sometimes Harry’s father, known on the canals as a Number 1 because he owned his own boat, was asked to pick up special deliveries from the London Docks. In 1900, the year Harry was born, he had delivered a piano to Mentmore House near Cheddington. The house was about two miles from the canal and along



a very difficult path. The owner, Lord Barnstone, was so pleased that the piano arrived safely that he gave Harry’s father an extra gold sovereign for his trouble.
***
Harry patted Milly and tickled her under her chin. He didn’t know what he would do without her; she was the love of his life, a cross between a lurcher and something with plenty of hair! She followed Harry like a shadow and was always keen for a cuddle.
Harry and Milly
They made their way to the galley, where Harry put the kettle on the stove and used a large wooden




spoon to mix a cup of water into the porridge pot. The porridge needed thinning out a little, as it had been bubbling away since very early that morning.
Harry loved his life on the canal. He especially liked working with his parents – they made a great team. Harry had been working since he was seven years old. Now he was fifteen, he found it hard to believe it was that long. He knew every inch of the boat. At five feet seven inches tall, with long curly blond hair, he was often mistaken for his father.
It was nine o’clock before Harry started his chores. He filled the coal box and checked the bearings on the motor, giving them each a touch of oil. It wasn’t the same without Duke pulling the narrowboat, but all things change and although Harry missed the horse he knew it had been right to let him retire.
The boat was carrying nearly forty tons of coal, so there was still enough room for other goods if they were asked to carry them. Harry checked the tarpaulins were all tied down to protect the cargo from rain and thieving hands, although Milly would always smell trouble in the night.



The sun was high in the sky when he stopped for a cup of tea and sat out on the roof of the boat with Milly. Insects darted on top of the canal, enjoying the late summer sunshine. Harry waved as a boy raced past on a bicycle and watched as dust rose from its wheels like smoke from a fire.
As he sat drinking his tea, he noticed old Mr Miller, the mole-catcher, approaching. ‘Hello, young sir,’ called Mr Miller, as he shuffled along with two sticks and a dozen mole traps hanging from around his neck.
‘Mr Miller, how are you keeping?’
‘Well enough, apart from this war. I hear they are shooting German dogs because they reckon they are spies.’
Harry laughed out loud. ‘You’re joking, Mr Miller,’ he said.
‘No, no, it’s true, Harry. I heard it at the Dew Drop Inn only the other night.’



Mr Miller - the Mole Catcher
‘What? And you believed them?’
‘Well, you know what the Germans are like,’ replied Mr Miller.
‘I can’t believe any dog would make a good spy unless it was smelling out sausages!’ said Harry, still with a big grin on his face.
‘I was just telling you what folk told me, Harry. Nothing more and nothing less.’




‘You want to cut down on that beer, Mr Miller,’ Harry laughed.
‘