Newcastle University

What do you think that books meant to you back then?

When I was a child I was a very quiet sort of shy child so I think books were a great help to me they - I could disappear into a story and I really got involved in it, I didn’t take any notice of anything else that was happening once I was reading and I remember going to various relatives’ houses at Christmas time and always taking a book with me so I could sit in the corner and read this book and I was happy doing that and it was sort of I suppose a prop really to help me to - I don’t say that it helped me to overcome being quiet and shy but it made the situation easier to deal with with lots of other people there that I had this book to retreat behind when I felt I needed it.

Yes, a kind of safety.

Yes, that sort of thing.