A Retired Rector's Reflections

The final few months of 2025 brough many downs, and a few ups, and so I decided in January to read some books for comfort. Together with this I also decided to nominate for myself an author of the month for the months of 2026.

January’s choice was RICHMAL CROMPTON, the author of the delightful William books.

As a boy I loved the stories of William Brown and the outlaws. Though set in a different place from the edge of Teesdale, where I grew up, the William stories nevertheless painted a picture of a community which resembled in several ways my own small village. People knew one another, difference was accepted, tales of one another told, and in a small band of boys I roamed the local fields and woods and created imaginary worlds, and played imaginative games. We didn’t get into quite the trouble William did, but at times we wished we did. William was a role model.

I was very interested to learn that Richmal Crompton (1890-1969), whom I learned at about the age of 11 was a woman and not, as I’d thought, a man, also wrote novels for adults. So in January I’ve read two William books and two of her adult novels – Steffan Green and Linden Rise. They were little gems. Crompton, daughter of a clergyman, and a spinster, wryly and a little mischieviously observes village life, and uses the stories to question gently the social structures and attitudes of her day (the 1940s and 50s).

In Steffan Green Lettice going through a messy divorce settles in the village and embraces life there. Her presence is a positive catalyst for the change in village life from the attitudes of the 20s and 30s. While in Linden Rise a homely, everyday maid, Tilly, becomes an unexpected hero of the book as she faithfully serves one family for many years. At times she discretely and helpfully disrupts their ways and challenges much of their questionable hedonism.

All the books were ‘easy reads’ and all brought me smiles. In their different ways all the books led me to reflect on how change is brought about and managed through the generations, and the role of everyday people in bringing grassroots change in society.

Thank you Richmal Crompton. I will be looking out for more of your novels … and for William too.