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Princess of Hearts

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22/01/1991

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This Tuesday was Princess Diana's first official visit to the city. Her prime reason for the visit was to attend the World Leprosy Day service at the cathedral. Afterwards, on her way to the Town Hall to see the Eurotunnel Exhibition, she flouted the formality of royalty and indulged in a walk down Bridge Street to chat to the crowds, many of whom had been waiting for three hours or more for her. She lunched at the Haycock at Wansford, where the guests had paid £100 or more each for the privilege, all the money going to help build a leprosy hospital in Thailand. Diana then returned to Peterborough to visit the Sue Ryder Home at Thorpe Hall, where she met Lady Ryder. She then spent some time talking to the staff as well as the people who were involved in getting the building into shape. The princess' day ended with a visit to the King's School as a part of its 450th anniversary commemoration. She made a return visit to the area in May of the same year, when she visited RAF Wittering with Prince Harry. The 7-year old was 'as pleased as punch' to be allowed to sit in the cockpit of a Harrier jump-jet. (Harper-Tee, John, 'The Peterborough Story', Peterborough Evening Telegraph, 1992)

Taken from The Peterborough Book of Days by Brian Jones, The History Press, 2014.

John Charles Hynam , Science Fiction , Venturer Twelve , Dan Morgan , Morecombe & Wise , The Deacon's School , Alwalton

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Birth of John Kippax

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1915

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John Kippax was the pen name of science fiction writer John Charles Hynam, the author of many short stories and the Venturer Twelve series of novels, which tell the story of space going humans threatened by mysterious aliens.  Much of his work was done in collaboration with Dan Morgan.

John Hynam was born on the 10th of June 1915 in Alwalton, Huntingdonshire the son of Percy and Jane Hynam. His first short story was published in the early 1950s whilst working as a master at The Deacon's school. Papers relating to John Hynam’s published works are held in the Peterborough Archives, all of which were completed on a typewriter. As well as his science fiction writing these include many radio and television plays one of which is ‘The Daffodil Man’ which he wrote for Morecambe & Wise.  A story, ‘Ali Barber’s Thieves’ was sold to the Daily Mail to be used in a children’s annual. Many of his short stories were either published in the Daily Mail Children’s Annual or Odham’s Children’s annual. ‘Galleon’s Key’ was his first piece of work to be televised in December 1956. The play originally began as a novel but was adapted into a children’s television play lasting just over thirty minutes.

John was unfortunately killed on 17th of July 1974 when a lorry hit his car in Werrington.

His death left his series of science fiction novels unfinished.

In the postscript to "Where No Stars Guide" (Pan Books, London, 1975), published posthumously, Hynam's literary collaborator Dan Morgan wrote, "John had a larger-than-life physical and psychic presence. Likeable, eccentric, egocentric, kind, brusque, take your pick from the thesaurus to describe him, he was all of these and more. A man of enormous enthusiasms, he died as lived, at full speed".

Links

  • See John Klippax's entry on the Internet Speculative Fiction Database
John Charles Hynam , Science Fiction , Venturer Twelve , Dan Morgan , Morecombe & Wise , The Deacon's School , Alwalton

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