Sid Chaplin
Encyclopedia
Sid Chaplin was a writer (novel
s, television
screenplay
s, poetry
and short stories
) whose works are mostly set in the North East England
of the 1940s and '50s.
There was a graceful acknowledgement of the audience, too: one purpose of the event was to celebrate the reissue by Flambard Press of Sid Chaplin's two Newcastle novels, The Day of the Sardine and The Watchers and The Watched, but, said Michael "I thought that coming to Durham to talk about Newcastle wasn't a terribly polite thing to do." Instead, he planned to focus on the area where Sid had lived for much of his life, in the pit villages of County Durham: "Welcome to Sid Chaplin's pit village".
The first speaker was Sid's youngest brother, Colin Chaplin. There was an age difference of seventeen years between them, and in some ways his elder brother had taken on almost the rôle of a father: Colin recalled Sid bringing him to Durham to walk along the riverbank under the cathedral
, hunting for conkers. This must have been the period of which Sid wrote in the introduction to The Leaping Lad, his first collection of stories: "I served my apprenticeship in bed" - that is, he had learned his craft as a storyteller at night, when it was his task to lull his brothers to sleep with narrative.
Colin's recollections were counterpointed with murmurs of recognition from the audience; many of them remembered the times, people and places he described. Michael's mother, too, was clearly impatient to enlarge on his account, and her turn came next: Rene Chaplin's first recollection of the man she was to marry was that he had spoken at chapel, and had impressed her as altogether too sure of himself!
Edith Kirtley's acquaintance with Sid Chaplin also had its origins at the local Wesleyan chapel; the young people were not always enthusiastic chapelgoers, but "We didn't mind going to hear Sid - I suppose he was telling us stories." She spoke of Sid's involvement with the Spennymoor Settlement, an extraordinary social, artistic and educational resource set up in the 1930s for the benefit of the people of Spennymoor, many of whom were unemployed. Sid's studies at the Settlement, and its library, enabled him to go to Fircroft College to study economics. His plan was to make a career in politics or the labour movement, but with the war he returned to Ferryhill
, to work in the Dean and Chapter Mine, and continue to write.
Rene Chaplin recalled that during this period Sid had built up a substantial collection of rejection slips, but eventually made his first sale: his poem A Widow Wept was published by Penguin New Writing. They paid £5 for it, and Sid spent the money on a dinner service, a gift to his parents for their silver wedding anniversary.
John Bate first met Sid Chaplin during the war, and corresponded thereafter, and since John had kept all of Sid's letters over a period of 46 years, Michael Chaplin was able to read his father's words to the young man who had written to him, hoping to found a magazine, and suggesting they meet. Sid had sent directions about how to find him, and suggested that they might also go to the cinema. It was fascinating to hear this informal scrap of the writer's conversation.
But this was not the only time in the evening that Sid's voice was heard: Live Theatre's Laura Norton read extensive extracts from his writings with freshness and conviction; the young voice fitted perfectly the writer's descriptions of scenes from his boyhood. Her reading of the moving Grace Before Meat, set in the hard times of the 1926 General Strike
, showed how regrettable it is that Sid Chaplin's short stories are not currently in print. Laura admitted she had not previously known Sid Chaplin's work, but had greatly enjoyed reading the Durham stories, and as a Newcastle
lass herself was now looking forward to reading the two Newcastle novels.
Read David Whetstone's Journal article about this event.
His son is Michael Chaplin
.
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
s, television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
screenplay
Screenplay
A screenplay or script is a written work that is made especially for a film or television program. Screenplays can be original works or adaptations from existing pieces of writing. In them, the movement, actions, expression, and dialogues of the characters are also narrated...
s, poetry
Poetry
Poetry is a form of literary art in which language is used for its aesthetic and evocative qualities in addition to, or in lieu of, its apparent meaning...
and short stories
Short story
A short story is a work of fiction that is usually written in prose, often in narrative format. This format tends to be more pointed than longer works of fiction, such as novellas and novels. Short story definitions based on length differ somewhat, even among professional writers, in part because...
) whose works are mostly set in the North East England
North East England
North East England is one of the nine official regions of England. It covers Northumberland, County Durham, Tyne and Wear, and Teesside . The only cities in the region are Durham, Newcastle upon Tyne and Sunderland...
of the 1940s and '50s.
Tribute to Sid Chaplin
It is a commonplace that writers often exploit their families ruthlessly for material; Durham Literature Festival's tribute to Sid Chaplin, turned the tables and gave the writer's family and friends a chance to talk about him. Sid's son Michael Chaplin (himself an experienced journalist and screenwriter) had put together an evening which had the coherence and structure of a dramatic performance, but all the warmth and directness of a family conversation.There was a graceful acknowledgement of the audience, too: one purpose of the event was to celebrate the reissue by Flambard Press of Sid Chaplin's two Newcastle novels, The Day of the Sardine and The Watchers and The Watched, but, said Michael "I thought that coming to Durham to talk about Newcastle wasn't a terribly polite thing to do." Instead, he planned to focus on the area where Sid had lived for much of his life, in the pit villages of County Durham: "Welcome to Sid Chaplin's pit village".
The first speaker was Sid's youngest brother, Colin Chaplin. There was an age difference of seventeen years between them, and in some ways his elder brother had taken on almost the rôle of a father: Colin recalled Sid bringing him to Durham to walk along the riverbank under the cathedral
Durham Cathedral
The Cathedral Church of Christ, Blessed Mary the Virgin and St Cuthbert of Durham is a cathedral in the city of Durham, England, the seat of the Anglican Bishop of Durham. The Bishopric dates from 995, with the present cathedral being founded in AD 1093...
, hunting for conkers. This must have been the period of which Sid wrote in the introduction to The Leaping Lad, his first collection of stories: "I served my apprenticeship in bed" - that is, he had learned his craft as a storyteller at night, when it was his task to lull his brothers to sleep with narrative.
Colin's recollections were counterpointed with murmurs of recognition from the audience; many of them remembered the times, people and places he described. Michael's mother, too, was clearly impatient to enlarge on his account, and her turn came next: Rene Chaplin's first recollection of the man she was to marry was that he had spoken at chapel, and had impressed her as altogether too sure of himself!
Edith Kirtley's acquaintance with Sid Chaplin also had its origins at the local Wesleyan chapel; the young people were not always enthusiastic chapelgoers, but "We didn't mind going to hear Sid - I suppose he was telling us stories." She spoke of Sid's involvement with the Spennymoor Settlement, an extraordinary social, artistic and educational resource set up in the 1930s for the benefit of the people of Spennymoor, many of whom were unemployed. Sid's studies at the Settlement, and its library, enabled him to go to Fircroft College to study economics. His plan was to make a career in politics or the labour movement, but with the war he returned to Ferryhill
Ferryhill
Ferryhill is a town in south-central County Durham, England with a population of around 11,651 people, making it the 8th biggest town in the County. It is in the Durham County Unitary area...
, to work in the Dean and Chapter Mine, and continue to write.
Rene Chaplin recalled that during this period Sid had built up a substantial collection of rejection slips, but eventually made his first sale: his poem A Widow Wept was published by Penguin New Writing. They paid £5 for it, and Sid spent the money on a dinner service, a gift to his parents for their silver wedding anniversary.
John Bate first met Sid Chaplin during the war, and corresponded thereafter, and since John had kept all of Sid's letters over a period of 46 years, Michael Chaplin was able to read his father's words to the young man who had written to him, hoping to found a magazine, and suggesting they meet. Sid had sent directions about how to find him, and suggested that they might also go to the cinema. It was fascinating to hear this informal scrap of the writer's conversation.
But this was not the only time in the evening that Sid's voice was heard: Live Theatre's Laura Norton read extensive extracts from his writings with freshness and conviction; the young voice fitted perfectly the writer's descriptions of scenes from his boyhood. Her reading of the moving Grace Before Meat, set in the hard times of the 1926 General Strike
1926 United Kingdom general strike
The 1926 general strike in the United Kingdom was a general strike that lasted nine days, from 4 May 1926 to 13 May 1926. It was called by the general council of the Trades Union Congress in an unsuccessful attempt to force the British government to act to prevent wage reduction and worsening...
, showed how regrettable it is that Sid Chaplin's short stories are not currently in print. Laura admitted she had not previously known Sid Chaplin's work, but had greatly enjoyed reading the Durham stories, and as a Newcastle
Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne is a city and metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England. Historically a part of Northumberland, it is situated on the north bank of the River Tyne...
lass herself was now looking forward to reading the two Newcastle novels.
Read David Whetstone's Journal article about this event.
His son is Michael Chaplin
Michael Chaplin (writer/producer)
Michael Chaplin is an English radio, television, theatre, and non-fiction writer and former TV executive and producer.He began his career as a print and television journalist...
.