Homely Nobility

New Zealand Listener, Volume 4, Issue 87, 21 February 1941, Page 5

Homely Nobility

T was at Ancoats, the poor quarter of Manchester that the central figure of "Fame is the Spur," by Howard Spring, spent his childhood over 60 years ago, in a small house, in a mean street, and spurred on by fame we find him an old man in his seventies in a beautiful home in London-Viscount Shawcross of Handworth.’ We still like him, having travelled with him through nearly 700 closely printed pages, though on the way we've often

doubted him. To begin with, we see him a little child in arms. His mother has no marriage certificate, but she and the child are sheltered by a working man, a Wesleyan local preacher and his sister. The history of the Labour Party in England goes side by side with this story till the election of 1931, when Hamer Shawcross was the right-hand man of Ramsav

MacDonald, and party to all he did on that occasion. We will close with a little incident of: the Coronation of George VI. The old man in his ermine; under his coat sandwiches put up by his housekeeper; then the pouring rain. He is in bed enjoying the fire. His son, who has been travelling, is announced, and comes in on the heels of the butler. "My dear boy," said Hamer. "You're looking fine, father." "I’m as good as most at 73I think I'll get up." "No, no, father. Pendelton’s

been telling me what a barbarous day you've had I've: just been looking at your velvet and. ermine drying by the kitchen fire. The Coronet is on the hob." He laughed, and Hamer was glad; there was no malice in the laughter. This book is long, but you will learn much from it as I have done. The history of the last 70 years is told, as it is best told, in the story of human lives-(Book review by Miss G. M. Glanville, 3Y A, December 3).