Much-loved author Roald Dahl was not a fan of school but a new discovery shows he found a friend during his classroom days in Derbyshire.
A forgotten collection of books, all gifts from pupils at Repton School which Dahl attended, have been uncovered. All were given to Sgt W A Moughton, second School Marshall at Repton in the first half of the 20th century. And each one contains a note of thanks from a multitude of boys grateful for his support.
Dahl was one of many pupils prompted to gift a book and his inscription reads, ‘To Sergeant Moughton, the man who never refuses to help, from Roald Dahl, 31/7/34’. Another note reads, ‘In gratitude for many a good laugh and much good advice’.
Deep respect for Moughton lasted a lifetime, a fact illustrated by a letter found in a book gifted by a man 25 year after leaving Repton. Sent around Moughton’s retirement in 1951, it states, ‘I valued your friendship so much in the old days … you were always one of the people I most wanted to talk to … one of the greatest pleasures will be to see you again’.
Dahl, who is known the world over for his children’s books, attended a handful of different education establishments including Repton School in South Derbyshire. He boarded there from 1930 to 1934. During that time, he and his schoolmates famously blind-tasted new Cadbury’s products, a ‘task’ believed to have inspired Dahl to pen Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
However, his school days, which included time at Llandaff Cathedral School in Wales, where he was born in 1916, and St Peter’s Preparatory School in Weston-Super-Mare, were not remembered fondly. At that time classrooms were ruled with the rod and boys were caned for misdemeanours.
Dahl described his school years as ‘days of horrors’ filled with ‘rules, rules and still more rules that had to be obeyed’. However, it wasn’t all bad as this new discovery shows. He got to know Moughton, a man pupils could turn to – and talk to.
The multitude of gifts and personal messages initially came to the fore many years ago. Our client’s father cleared a flat in Repton when she was a little girl. It belonged to someone called Lena who was an acquaintance of Moughton, and his little library was left with her in the flat – with no next of kin.
The vendor remembers the books always being kept by her father in his office when he was alive. She’s now decided to find a good home for them. There are 65 books in total and every single one is a gift. It’s rather sweet to think pupils were so fond of Moughton they gave him presents. It’s equally heart-warming to know he treasured them all his life.
In some instances, two or three pupils pitched in together to buy him a book and they all signed it. On occasion, Moughton made a note about what a particular pupil had achieved in life, such as ‘became an Ambassador to Greece’. Sadly, he occasionally noted former pupils’ deaths, one having ‘died of wounds in 1944’ during the Second World War and another ‘killed flying in 1938’.
After generating so much admiration for his kindness, it’s no surprise Moughton followed his young charges’ lives with deep interest. I hope he lived long enough to witness Dahl’s worldwide success as an author.
Surprisingly, Dahl’s writing talented did not emerge at school with one English teacher writing in his report, ‘I have never met anybody who so persistently writes words meaning the exact opposite of what is intended’. Instead, he excelled at sports including cricket, football and golf, and was captain of the squash team.
We were reminded of Dahl’s sporting prowess in March when his Junior Fives sports trophy won at Repton in 1932; a signed copy of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and a ticket for the premiere of Danny the Champion of the World, Odeon, West End, July 27, 1989, sold for a total of £2,080.
We discovered Dahl had given two Repton School sports trophies and the book to his neighbour’s grandchildren. Plus, when the youngsters were seven and 10, he took them to the aforementioned film premiere together with their grandma as his guests. Kindness and Dahl go hand-in-hand.
The archive/library of books gifted to Moughton, including the book signed by Dahl, are set for auction with a guide price of £500-£800 – and further entries are invited.
Jim Spencer will be offering free valuations of books, maps and works on paper at Hansons, Heage Lane, Etwall, on September 7, 1-4pm.
In addition, free valuations of musical instruments, fishing ephemera, rural bygones and tools plus clocks and barometers are available on September 2, 10am-1pm.
To book a valuation appointment, email [email protected] or call 01283 733988.
