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duffellbag
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Hello!

Post by duffellbag »

Hello fellow Weatleyites!
Its been a long journey rediscovering Wheatley. I started reading Wheatley on the recommendations of a friend 30 years ago in my early 20s. Wheatley was recommended, as at the time because my friend had noted my interest in history and the romances of Alexandre Dumas. I rapidly devoured about half of the Sallust, Richleau and Brook titles along wiith a few others; Old Rowley and Red Eagle anyone?
This was not the fist time I had noticed Wheatley however, as a child and teenager I had struggled with reading, but visits to my local library left me intrigued as to the content of the Wheatley novels, this was due to a large stock at the library of his titles with those wonderful Lymington covers, with a mixture of WW11, historical and occult images. However in those early days Wheatley was " a bridge too far"
In my late 20s I entered University as a "mature student" studying literature; Dennis of course was not one of the authors I was likely to study. Over time he got forgotten by me along with other interests as work and family took over.
Skip to the present. A couple of moths ago for some reason Wheatley crossed my mind and I decided I would revisit Sallust's wartime adventures. Id never got around to "They Used Dark Forces". I ordered a first edition, when it arrived the wonderful cover brought back memories of that library and my reading from all those years ago. I devoured it in a week and followed it up with a few others, Black August, THe Golden Spaniard and a re-reading of The Prisioner in the Mask. Im currenty half way through.
In between these I surfed the net and discovered this wonderful site! What so good about Wheatley to me me? Great narrative, a sense of honour and duty, wonderful escapisim and his curious mix of sex and romance. His sometimes terrible dialogue only reinforces to me wonderful sense of nostalgia and escapism to a world that never quite existed but we would all like to be a part of.

Hers a glass to you Dennis- Cheers!!
Charles
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Post by Charles »

Dear Duffellbag,

A very warm welcome to the community !

Your post brings back fond memories of my own first encounter with DW - seeing the wonderful covers of the yellow backed Arrow paperbacks in my case, piled high on a table in the local W H Smith - I think DW must have been about a third of their entire stock in those days !

I completely agree with everything you say, of course, and I'm delighted you've just re-read one of my favourite books - The Golden Spaniard.

Again a warm welcome to the site, and I wish you many happy posts
Charles
Steve Whatley
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Post by Steve Whatley »

May I echo Charles's welcome to you, Duffellbag.

I first became interested in DW at my local secondhand bookshop, which had an impressive stock of various editions. I can also recall seeing large stocks of the softback Heron edition in a branch of Woolworth - how times have changed!

I don't know which part of the UK you are in, but perhaps you are a potential new face for the third DW Convention next month?

It's always great to meet fellow fans...[font=Courier New] [/font]
duffellbag
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Joined: Fri 16 Jul, 2010 17:59:00
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Post by duffellbag »

Hello Again,
Thank you for the warm welcome Charles and Seve. I hail from just outside of Birmingham here in the UK. Cant seem to find the details regarding the DW conternce for this year. Its certainly something I might be interested in if not this year, then next.
Im certainly getting through the Wheatleys. Enjoyed the Golden Spainiard and consider it one of his best. I think he gave a fairly even handed account of the war and as usual DW makes sure you know more about a subject (in this case the Spanish Civil war) after you have finish one of his novels than before!! I lliked the final resolutuion of what happened to the gold and wonderful little touches such as Rex reading a Peter Cheney novel, recovering from his ordeals and Wheatley writes with such enthusiasm which has urged me on to trying one of his novels.

I recently finished Contraband which I found a slicker affair than Black August but not as powerful but does introduce the wonderful Sabine, although her character seems different from the one portayed in the war novels. I was reminded by the current vogue for survival novels and movies by Black August and in the modern world Im sure he could have spun this idea out into a string of novels about the alternative Gregory combating anarcism in strife torn Britain!!

Currently reading Such Power is Dangerous with the first apperance of Lord Fortescue...

Bye for now
Charles
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Post by Charles »

Dear Duffellbag,

The Convention (our third) is going to be held at the Edgewarebury Hotel in Elstree, North London on 30th October. The hotel was chosen (a) because it's very nice, and (b) because its frontage was used as the front of Cardinals Folly in Hammer's 1960s film of 'The Devil Rides Out'.
'
Prices - it aims to more-or-less cover costs but it's non profit making - are :

Double Room Lunch and Dinner 30th October + b'fast £170
Single Room ditto £145
Day only (lunch, dinner, Convention) £75
Overnight stay on the 29th £85 extra


and you can see Steve Patton's (quite excellent) reviews of the previous Conventions towards the top of the Contents Page of the main website.

So far we've had just over a dozen people on each occasion - coming from as far afield as Sweden and Scotland.

If it's not too short notice and you'd like to come I can have a word with the hotel - I'd be hopeful they'd be able to fit you in, and I can assure you a very warm welcome.

If you can't make it though, it's something to bear in mind for next year.


Have fun reading 'Such Power is Dangerous'. I'll tell you what DW thought of it another time ...

Best wishes to all as always !
Charles
duffellbag
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Post by duffellbag »

Hi Charles

Tricky to make convention this year due to other commitments on that weekend, but please keep me in mind for next year, as i dont often get to visit the smoke

regards Duffellbag
Charles
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Post by Charles »

Will do !

All best !
Charles
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