tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-500794647428701667.post3992353153527804058..comments2024-03-18T16:41:34.785+00:00Comments on Vapour Trails: Who was Vernon Fork?Séamus Dugganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00574186409184247059noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-500794647428701667.post-17802665407335820492014-02-17T15:00:12.097+00:002014-02-17T15:00:12.097+00:00Hi Andrew,
I only meant that the book belonged to...Hi Andrew,<br /><br />I only meant that the book belonged to the author/historian RK Gilkes - I can't actually remember which book it was in but the collection included a lot of history books from the 1930's onwards. <br />The digitising of the magazine sounds like a really interesting resource as I am sure there are many who went on to greater things who took their first steps in it. <br />Regards,<br />Seamus<br />Séamus Dugganhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00574186409184247059noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-500794647428701667.post-53893804616389253902014-02-17T14:19:30.312+00:002014-02-17T14:19:30.312+00:00Séamus,
It is kind of you to offer to send the pag...Séamus,<br />It is kind of you to offer to send the pages but having checked with my brother & sister we all feel you should keep them; they belong with you and the book. After all, you have published it online and I have printed off a copy to file with our surviving copies of the Oxford Magazine. It will remain a mystery as to how the pages came to be in a book published about 20 years or so after my father typed it! I dont recall the book but it could have been his. <br />The present editor of The Oxford Magazine is hoping to soon embark on making all back copies available online as a research resource as they provide such a rich insight into change, or lack of, at Oxford University over the 20th century in which case all "Vernon Fork's" and R B McCallum's published writings will be available.<br />Regarding Tolkien, they became friends when Tolkien was appointed to a Fellowship at Pembroke College by the University (as opposed to being elected by the Fellows as were most fellows including my father). The other fellows were somewhat resentful of appointed fellows and older than Tolkien so he was naturally drawn to my father who was 6 years younger. (See "JRR Tolkien" by Humphrey Carpenter, (Unwin 1977) p. 125.)<br />Best wishes,<br />Andrew McCallumAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-500794647428701667.post-44251422258090123612014-02-15T23:14:47.531+00:002014-02-15T23:14:47.531+00:00Hi Andrew - thanks for satisfying my curiosity! Es...Hi Andrew - thanks for satisfying my curiosity! Especially nice to have a connection to Tolkien - I note that your father was an infrequent Inkling. <br />The sheets were found in a book which came from the collection of historian RK Gilkes, a fellow Oxonian and published author - http://www.amazon.com/Tudor-Parliament-London-Historical-Studies/dp/0340080728 I bought the books in an auction.<br />I will try to search out the pages and will be more than happy to reunite them with a McCallum, if you so wish.<br />Thank you again,<br /><br />Seamus Duggan Séamus Dugganhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00574186409184247059noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-500794647428701667.post-11478747709461292862014-02-14T12:31:36.524+00:002014-02-14T12:31:36.524+00:00Who was Vernon Fork; your question answered.
Séamu...Who was Vernon Fork; your question answered.<br />Séamus,<br />I recently came across this which is fascinating and can answer your question about Vernon Fork as he was my father.<br />You are correct in surmising that this is a pseudonym. He was R. B. McCallum (1898 - 1973) and was a Fellow and latterly Master of Pembroke College, Oxford (1925 - 1967) where he taught modern history. Throughout his career he was also a regular contributor to and sometime editor of the Oxford Magazine which was (and still is) published weekly in term time for academic staff independently of the University authorities. My father often used to contribute pieces under his pseudonym, usually the more light-hearted items such as satire, sketches, verse etc. Some issues of the magazine in which he wrote have survived in the family including several Vernon Fork pieces but not this. He has a brief entry on wikipedia. His academic research interests lay in 19th & 20th century political history, especially the history of the Liberal Party and also the study of elections for which he coined the word psephology. <br />As the piece you have is typed on sheets of paper it occurs to me that possibly it was not published, hence stuffed into a book. I'd be fascinated to know, if by any chance, you can remember which book you found it in and where you got that book?<br />I hope this information has satisfied your curiosity.<br />Best wishes,<br />Andrew McCallum<br />email: thamesvalley@railfuture.org.ukAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com