大象传媒

The staff at Dymchurch Library were very surprised when a fiction book entitled Spanish Heels by David Whitelaw was returned by post - 62 years late! The guilty borrower signed himself Slow Reader. He had been a soldier stationed in Dymchurch in 1941.

The book was initially returned to Dymchurch Parish Council. A local newspaper reporter, Bridget Fowkes, tracked down the slow reader to Burton On Trent (having assured him that there was no threat of a record fine!) His name is George Illsley and his letter to the library is transcribed for the site with his daughter's permission.

Spanish Heels was presented to the staff at Dymchurch Library by George's daughter, Sue Fielder and Councillor Tom Gibbs, during a People's War Reminiscence session held at Dymchurch Library on 21 July 2003.

Memory Lane 12 May 2003

Dear Dymchurch,

I am 89 years of age, I am partially sighted and I'm in my second childhood so I hope you will be able to decipher my shaky scrawl.

In 1941 I was a private soldier with the 6th Battalion, The Lincolnshire Regiment, which was stationed along the Kent coast. My company settled in Dymchurch and during our stay there I borrowed books from your library, but when we moved on I failed to return the enclosed book and I have not had the pleasure of visiting Dymchurch again.

We used your dinky railway and our company HQ was at Melbourne House. We spent the Christmas of 1941 in Dymchurch and I seem to remember three pubs: the Ship Inn, the City of London and the Rising Sun. I was billeted in a house named Merrineet and there was a house named Bondi in the same street [Mitcham Road].

There was a real threat of invasion at that time but Dymchurch residents were safe because two of us with unloaded rifles patrolled the sea wall using the Deck Caf茅 as our guard room.

I live in South Derbyshire but will not give my name in case there is a heavy fine.

Yours historically
Slow Reader

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