Roald Dahl

Whether it’s the Fantastic Mr Fox, James and the Giant Peach, or his writing shed in the Buckinghamshire Countryside Roald Dahl has a deep connection with rural themes and taps amongst a number of key things, including the fact that youngsters like to be scared a bit, in many places into the rural consciousness which is embedded in all of us.

There is great cause to celebrate the issuing of stamps this week to pay tribute to his great stories. I wonder how many of you, like me have fond memories of reading these stories at bedtime to your kids. My friend Patrick and I used to reminisce about the evolution of the bedtime story genre as our respective kids grew up, with the choice of stories following them from Enid Blyton as toddlers through to the painful social commentary of modern teenage literature – we both agreed that it was such a shame that following the wonderful world of Roald came the hard faced realism Tracey Beaker – Patrick is still having counselling to help him overcome the shock of the change!