Arthur Redvers Randell (11 July 1901 – March 1988) wrote about life in the English

Fens A fen is a type of wetland. Fen, Fenn, Fens, Fenns, may also refer to: People * Fen (name), a Chinese given name and surname * Fen Cresswell (1915–1966), New Zealand cricketer * Fen McDonald (1891–1915), Australian rules footballer * Kees ...

Biography

Randell was born near the River Great Ouse at Wiggenhall St Mary Magdalen, Norfolk, in the United Kingdom. During his early life he made a living from being a

railway Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a pre ...

worker for Great Eastern Railway,

LNER LNER may refer to: * London and North Eastern Railway, a railway company in the United Kingdom from 1923 until 1947 * London North Eastern Railway, a train operating company in the United Kingdom since 2018 * Liquid neutral earthing resistor, a typ ...

and British Rail and a molecatcher, the fourth generation in his family. He worked on the railways for 47 years mostly at Waldersea siding signal box. He was a great authority on the

and its people and customs. He wrote about the blacksmith who was forced to turn to repairing farm implements and kitchen implements, the

chimney sweep A chimney sweep is a person who clears soot and creosote from chimneys. The chimney uses the pressure difference caused by a hot column of gas to create a draught and draw air over the hot coals or wood enabling continued combustion. Chimneys ...

, the harness maker, the

pig The pig (''Sus domesticus''), often called swine, hog, or domestic pig when distinguishing from other members of the genus '' Sus'', is an omnivorous, domesticated, even-toed, hoofed mammal. It is variously considered a subspecies of ''Sus ...

-killer, the straw worker, the maker of

corn dollies Corn dollies or corn mothers are a form of straw work made as part of harvest customs of Europe before mechanization. Before Christianisation, in traditional pagan European culture it was believed that the spirit of the corn (in American English, ...

and many other now extinct trades. Later he wrote a number of books which were edited by Enid Porter and published. He was a popular speaker at community groups and made several TV appearances. Interviewed by

Anglia TV ITV Anglia, previously known as Anglia Television, is the ITV franchise holder for the East of England. The station is based at Anglia House in Norwich, with regional news bureaux in Cambridge and Northampton. ITV Anglia is owned and operated ...

Dick Joice Dick Joice (1921 in Great Ryburgh, Norfolk – 1999) was a British regional television presenter renowned in the East of England for his Anglia Television programmes - particularly the '' Bygones'' show that ran from 1967 for twenty years. ...

and featured in one of the Byegones books. In a letter published in a local newspaper he wrote that he had nearly finished a hand written manuscript for a book of ghosts, witches and haunted houses, this does not appear to have been published. By this time Enid Porter, the editor of his earlier publications had retired.

Death

Randell died on Saturday 26th March in the North Cambridgeshire Hospital, Wisbech. His funeral service was held at Friday Bridge Church and he was interred at Elm Cemetery.

Bibliography

* ''Sixty Years a Fenman'' (London Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1966) - Arthur Randell, edited by Enid Porter * ''Fenland Railwayman'' (London Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1968) - Arthur Randell, edited by Enid Porter * ''Fenland Memories'' (London Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1969) - Arthur Randell, edited by Enid Porter * ''Fenland Molecatcher'' (London Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1970) - Arthur Randell, edited by Enid Porter Detail taken from a copy of ''Fenland Memories'' published by Routledge and Kegan Paul (

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

) in 1969, and edited by Enid Porter of the Cambridge Folk Museum

Footnotes

External links

River Great Ouse and its route through the Fens
{{DEFAULTSORT:Randell, Arthur 1901 births English writers People from King's Lynn and West Norfolk (district) 1988 deaths