As it is such a wet and miserable day, I’ve been sorting through old loose photographs attempting to put them in some order. I came across this pic from the FOKL (Friends of Kennington Library) Fundraising Gala Night –a launch of the first Oxford Castaway book. I was privileged to interview 120 inspirational people from Town Gown and County. Some of them came to Kennington for this launch. The first launch was in the Ashmolean Cast Gallery where the legendary Roger Bannister gave the closing speech.
Two Kennington castaways in the top picture-Air Commodore Bob Martin and Charles Swaisland are no longer with us but Philip Hind , Professor James Leonard and Prof John Dewey still enrich village life. The broadcaster Bill Heine came to many FOKL events but he too is no longer with us.
The artist Weimin He (in the pic) illustrated the cover and has attended and has sketched at many FOKL events ncluding the wonderful Peggy Seeger when she came to another gala night I organised.
Peggy is also an Oxtopian castaway.
Weimin’s calligraphy and Peggy’s!
The series could have gone on forever but Newsquest stop employing freelancers so my twenty years of writing for the Oxford Times ended. While it lasted it the castaway events were warm, fun and friendly like this one in Antiques on High.
If you are interested in the series, documentary film maker Zoe Broughton filmed this illustrated lecture. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6NvrzUnGE50
Here are a couple of collages of some of the other Oxford castaways .
The features were turned into three books filled with fabulous photographs and inspirational life stories.