January 2012

Unfortunately, due to bad health , I'm putting this blog on hold.  Hopefully, sometime in the near future, I will return to it with full gusto!

Happy New Year!

Bobbie

Lazy Bones!

Well ... Happy New Year! Better late than never!

So, The last couple of months have proved to be very lazy in regards to Wilfred.  I have waited for photo's and other items to turn up in the post before continuing with this project.  The items have arrived. 

I now posess some very interesting pictures of Wilfred and have contact with family I never knew I had.  It seems that Wilfred was extremely talented.  His puppets (or Gluppets, as he called them) are absolutely fascinating and hilarious! 

I really need to get off my butt & start writing again.  Research! ... Research! ... Research! Here I go again!

Keep watching!

Road Trip!

I think a road trip is in order!

Research, family and a few meetings.  These are the plans for the beginning of 2011. 

I need to take a trip to London to do some research, visit my family and meet some interesting people who would like to help me!  No! Not the men in white jackets!  But some people who know this business inside out.

But, for now, I'm taking a break for a week or so.  It's that time of year again!

I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a wonderful New Year! 

Happy Holidays!

Family

My family are amazing!  Having spoken to my father and uncle on several occassions, it seems they are determined to help me with this project.

The attics have been attacked and we now have quite a few photos of Uncle Wilfred.  It seems we have a few MMA's in the family that we didn't realise we had, along with quite a few other bits and pieces!

The stories are coming thick and fast about him.  It's all so exciting! This book should be, if anything, full of funny and amazing stories!

Be back soon!

So ..... I've been trying to figure where to go with all this information.  It's frustrating because I'm having information overload and can't get the down on paper quick enough. 

In between making notes, I've been tracing the Haughton family tree too.  Very interesting but also very peculiar.  It seems my family at that time were all quite talented.  There was Wilfred the artist/cartoonist and Albert the engineer along with a sister and yet another brother that no one knows about but apparently he was a photographer!  I have so much to check out!  I can't keep up!

Last night I decided to go visit a neighbour.  A very interesting lady called Liz.  She has been a teacher, a journalist and is an author.  She is amazing!  Liz, being the star that she is, sort of put things back into perspective for me.  We talked for about an hour and I came home feeling like I could once again do this book. Thank you Liz!

This morning I decided to have a look online and found that Michael Barrier had given Wilfred and myself a mention on his web page.  I am very grateful to him for listening and deciding to help.

After alot of thinking and slothing it on the sofa I decided to go into town.  On the recommendation of Liz, I visited an antique store.  I found a very interesting man there who is willing to help me find some of Wilfreds work.  I'm looking forward to going back there.

So, in a nutshell, I haven't really gone far with this, but I do seem to have an enormous amount of information that I need to delve through.  The things is that just as I've sorted some, even more arrives!  Crazy!  Hence the information overload!

Well, I suppose it's time to put pen to paper, fingers to keyboard and starting writing!

Be back soon!

It's amazing the things you find out when you're not really trying!!

Well, it's been over a week since I last wrote on here.  In that time I feel like time has stood still.  Nothing happened. 

During last weekend I sent out a few more emails but got nothing back.  On Monday I sent a very nice letter via airmmail to Disney Archives (that one's gonna take ages to get a response!).  Since then I have been stagnant.  I haven't really known what to write about. Very frustrating!

Then, last night I spoke to my Uncle Peter.  He is a man full of amazing stories and information.  The poor man has now had to go into his loft & dig out as much as possible!  I don't think Auntie Molly is too impressed! lol 

Last night he was going through boxes of photo's for me.  He has some memorabilia that he is going to photograph for me such as the infamous 'Bendy Dolls' and some of the Mickey Mouse Annuals.  It'll be interesting to see what he comes up with. The man is a star!!

This morning I have finally had the guts to sit down at the computer and hash the start of my story.  There are lots of blanks but thanks to my family I am now officially started!  But I have come to the conclusion that may be a writing class would definately be of some use!

Mike Barrier

Well, I am amazed!

I emailed Mike Barrier, a writer and historian of animation from the USA, regarding Wilfred.

He emailed me back today. He has known of Great Uncle Wilfred for a number of years but unfortunately did not know much about him.

But .........

He is going to post a query on his website to see if any visitors know more.

I really can't believe my luck on this! Hopefully he will be able to dig up something interesting!

All I have to do now is wait for a response from Disney and the other guys I emailed!!!!

Watch this space!