Description
This autobiographical novel is a true story of a child’s upbringing by his grandparents in 1920s Isle of Wight.
‘My world was wonderful as I stood in my smallness by the gate, now and again leaning backwards against the wind, using him as a resting place for my back, and talking to him as a living person instead of a sea noise taking away fading summer leaves. I splayed out my hands and felt the freshness glide through my fingers as I watched the leaves soar upwards against a background of white seahorse clouds under a bluey canvas sky.’
Written from a child’s world view, we feel the magical and loving relationship between Peter and his grandfather. From musings on God, the afterlife and the cemetery at Mount Joy, Carisbrooke, to wonderful evocations of Christmas, as well as misadventures with his girlfriend Victoria in the grounds of Fernhill House and at Wootton Creek.
Through Charles Lansley’s meticulous research related to the manuscript written by his late father Peter Lansley, we gain a greater understanding of what family and Wootton village life was like in the 1920s, when the steam train ran supreme, when there was no electricity or telephone, and when it was safe for a five year old to walk into the village alone.
Pon My Puff! also includes black and white photos from the author’s research.
Making Waves
Portsmouth Daily Echo Author Interview – Book about Isle of Wight childhood published after 60 years
Portsmouth News Author Interview – Portsmouth author’s long-lost book
Isle of Wight Observer Article – A Life Growing Up in Wootton
Beacon Magazine (page 24) – Novel Published 50 Years After it Was Written
