Early last year I came upon the dregs of the library of a very wealth Swiss family. The dispersal of the expensive chattels of the estate, including the better books, was undertaken by one of those auction houses that specialises in the disposal of rich history. But the dregs of the books, as well as other very minor bits ended up in the stock of one of the sellers I frequent at the open air book markets in Geneva. A few of the items, though valueless, had the emblem of the house upon them, which is why I could tell what they were.

Rich or not, this was a family which had loved reading over hundreds of years and here were items from the 1920s to 1970s or thereabouts, reflecting their interest in English literature for young and old. Some of it I bought out of sheer curiosity, authors like Barbara Pym I'd never read, but perhaps I should. William I bought because I adored these books as a kid and haven't read them since the 1960s.

They had aged well then - this early one was first published in 1924 - and fifty years later again they are still standing up as fresh, fun and elegantly written. Apparently an attempt is being made to rehabilitate Crompton as a writer for adults. I must dip into that: if they are anything like as good as her books for children, they'll be a pleasure to snort over, taking care not to spill one's cup of tea while doing that.

Most of the stories are strong - I see one or two complaints on GR that they are repetitive from book to book, but children want that. If they are going to reread the same book over and over, why not stories that are the same but different?

I particularly love the one where a big company opens a sweet shop in the village, undercutting Mr Moss with whom they have always shopped. Come Saturday they take their money to the new shop, get served by a girl who doesn't care and thinks having to sell to them in h'penny lots is ridiculous. As they walk along chomping on their lollies, they pass Mr Moss's shop. He is very sad, quite unlike his usual jolly self. He can't put his prices any lower, but, just like Amazon, the new shop has the financial power to sacrifice short term profits for the long term gains of putting Mr Moss out of business with the cooperation of the locals. He stresses to the boys that they are doing the right thing, of course they have to go to the cheaper shop, but vague ideas appear in the minds of the boys.

William and his gang start realising that it isn't necessarily good to buy cheapest. They want Mr Moss to be happy. They talk about how when they buy from Mr Moss he cares, he is always interested in what they buy. He welcomes their purchasing a h'penny worth at a time. They are sure, now that they think about it, that his sweets taste better too. But what to do? Start a campaign to make people buy from Mr Moss, but how can they, they have no weight, why would anybody notice?

Ah, but William, as usual has a plan. And as usual, no matter how many plans go awry, his followers fall into the next without a moment's hesitation. The Duke is going to be in town to open a Sale of Work. When he appears on stage to do that, unbeknownst to him, he has a big sign on his back advertising Mr Moss's shop. As he wanders around the Sale, the locals summon the Vicar to tell the Duke what's on his back, a large crowd following him around due to the unlikely sight. Just as the Vicar explains and takes the sign off to show the Duke, William and his cohorts appear, each wearing placards with creative spelling announcing the various benefits of Mr Moss's sweets.

The Duke can recognise a ringleader when he sees one. He asks for William to be brought to him. William in his tripping over his tongue enthusiastic way explains about Mr Moss and the Amazon-like attempt to close him down and how much they want to help and that nobody would notice them unless, he thought, they could put their sign on an important person who would be decent enough to care.

Well, the Duke's been to more Sales of Work than he cares to think about and this is the first bright moment he's had for many an appearance. He tells William and the others that they must discuss this further over ices. The eager captive audience of lads listens to his tales of adventure like big game hunting and together they discuss Red Indians and pirates. Then the Duke, with boys in hand, goes to visit Mr Moss. He buys a pound of sweets for each boy and he makes a standing order for himself of cokernuts. Instantly Mr Moss is known as supplier of cokernuts to Royalty. The Amazon shop closes down, Mr Moss is reinstated as the place to go to.

And of William?

Rest here: https://alittleteaalittlechat.wordpress.com/2017/06/26/william-the-fourth-by-ric... ( )

Early last year I came upon the dregs of the library of a very wealth Swiss family. The dispersal of the expensive chattels of the estate, including the better books, was undertaken by one of those auction houses that specialises in the disposal of rich history. But the dregs of the books, as well as other very minor bits ended up in the stock of one of the sellers I frequent at the open air book markets in Geneva. A few of the items, though valueless, had the emblem of the house upon them, which is why I could tell what they were.

Rich or not, this was a family which had loved reading over hundreds of years and here were items from the 1920s to 1970s or thereabouts, reflecting their interest in English literature for young and old. Some of it I bought out of sheer curiosity, authors like Barbara Pym I'd never read, but perhaps I should. William I bought because I adored these books as a kid and haven't read them since the 1960s.

They had aged well then - this early one was first published in 1924 - and fifty years later again they are still standing up as fresh, fun and elegantly written. Apparently an attempt is being made to rehabilitate Crompton as a writer for adults. I must dip into that: if they are anything like as good as her books for children, they'll be a pleasure to snort over, taking care not to spill one's cup of tea while doing that.

Most of the stories are strong - I see one or two complaints on GR that they are repetitive from book to book, but children want that. If they are going to reread the same book over and over, why not stories that are the same but different?

I particularly love the one where a big company opens a sweet shop in the village, undercutting Mr Moss with whom they have always shopped. Come Saturday they take their money to the new shop, get served by a girl who doesn't care and thinks having to sell to them in h'penny lots is ridiculous. As they walk along chomping on their lollies, they pass Mr Moss's shop. He is very sad, quite unlike his usual jolly self. He can't put his prices any lower, but, just like Amazon, the new shop has the financial power to sacrifice short term profits for the long term gains of putting Mr Moss out of business with the cooperation of the locals. He stresses to the boys that they are doing the right thing, of course they have to go to the cheaper shop, but vague ideas appear in the minds of the boys.

William and his gang start realising that it isn't necessarily good to buy cheapest. They want Mr Moss to be happy. They talk about how when they buy from Mr Moss he cares, he is always interested in what they buy. He welcomes their purchasing a h'penny worth at a time. They are sure, now that they think about it, that his sweets taste better too. But what to do? Start a campaign to make people buy from Mr Moss, but how can they, they have no weight, why would anybody notice?

Ah, but William, as usual has a plan. And as usual, no matter how many plans go awry, his followers fall into the next without a moment's hesitation. The Duke is going to be in town to open a Sale of Work. When he appears on stage to do that, unbeknownst to him, he has a big sign on his back advertising Mr Moss's shop. As he wanders around the Sale, the locals summon the Vicar to tell the Duke what's on his back, a large crowd following him around due to the unlikely sight. Just as the Vicar explains and takes the sign off to show the Duke, William and his cohorts appear, each wearing placards with creative spelling announcing the various benefits of Mr Moss's sweets.

The Duke can recognise a ringleader when he sees one. He asks for William to be brought to him. William in his tripping over his tongue enthusiastic way explains about Mr Moss and the Amazon-like attempt to close him down and how much they want to help and that nobody would notice them unless, he thought, they could put their sign on an important person who would be decent enough to care.

Well, the Duke's been to more Sales of Work than he cares to think about and this is the first bright moment he's had for many an appearance. He tells William and the others that they must discuss this further over ices. The eager captive audience of lads listens to his tales of adventure like big game hunting and together they discuss Red Indians and pirates. Then the Duke, with boys in hand, goes to visit Mr Moss. He buys a pound of sweets for each boy and he makes a standing order for himself of cokernuts. Instantly Mr Moss is known as supplier of cokernuts to Royalty. The Amazon shop closes down, Mr Moss is reinstated as the place to go to.

And of William?

Rest here: https://alittleteaalittlechat.wordpress.com/2017/06/26/william-the-fourth-by-ric... ( )

Breathtakingly funny when read as a very young boy & when I dip into its pages from time to time over 6 decades Crompton's deadpan delivery and (un)subtle wit, still cause bellyaching laughter at the scenes! ( )

William brightened. Then his eyes roved round the room to a photograph on a bureau by the window.
“Who’s he?” he said.
Miss Tabitha flushed again.
'He was once going to marry me,' she said. 'And he went away and he never came back.'
'Speck he met someone he liked better an' married her,' suggested William cheerfully
'I expect he did,' said Miss Tabitha.
He surveyed her critically.
'Perhaps he didn't like your hair not being curly' he proceeded. 'Some don't. My brother Robert he says if a girl's hair doesn't curl she oughter curl it. P'raps you didn’t curl it.”
“No, I didn’t.”

The book starts strongly with "The Weak Spot", in which Robert and his friends start a Bolshevik Society, only to think better of it when William and his friends decide to take their fair share of their older brothers' belongings.

As usual William gets into trouble wherever he goes, but he does have a good heart, and other high points are the Outlaws and Joan helping to save the local sweet shop (and making friends with a Duke) in "William Advertises", and William seeing off Ethel's unwanted suitor in "William Makes a Night of It". My least favourite of the stories by a long way was "William and the Black Cat".

Mrs Brown found her voice. “Do you mean—“ she gasped feebly, “do you mean that it was William all the time?”
Mr Brown rose wearily.
“Of course,” he said. “Isn't everything always William all the time?” ( )

I read the William books as a child, and despite being an obnoxiously well behaved child, I still wanted to think of myself as an "Outlaw".

I would recommend them to anyone of such an age. I think they are genuinely improving. Certainly my memory of William, as of the Swallows and Amazons, provides a well buried counter to my natural inclination towards the effete.

William also provides a good lesson in free will, independent spirit and free thought. Which cannot hurt. (Unless you wanted to make an extreme reading of the William stories as a prop to the capitalist establishment...)