Paul Cornell, who wrote the excellent Father’s Day episode of Doctor Who, has a blog, and remarks that Rose’s father Pete was based on his own dad.
The piece is really about me appreciating the sacrifices he made, and how I know he’d do what the Dad in ‘Father’s Day’ does. I think most Dads would.
Yup.
Paul goes on to say that he’s recently discovered his dad had a terrifying, chaotic time in WW2 in the Far East, including a spot of treasure hunting, and he now thinks of him in the same vein as Bobby Shaftoe, the character in Neal Stephenson’s Cryptonomicon.
I can’t help thinking that for most of us, there’s way more about our parents than we know about.
5 replies on “Bobby Shaftoe and Pete Tyler”
Bobby Shaftoe? Rings a bell, something to do with Northern Ireland? Wasn’t he a real person or am I remembering a movie? I am sure I have never heard of Cryptowhatever.
Of course there is a lot about our parents that we will not know. But I’m sure the present is not an isolated case. As a parent yourself…..well it is an obvious question.
Off to do a search for Bobby Shafto, which I probably should have done before writing a comment.
I don’t think there’s a real Bobby Shaftoe… just in the book AFAIK.
Bobby Shafto is an old folk song, based, apparently, on a real person:
“Bobby Shafto’s gone to sea|silver buckles on his knee|he’ll come back and marry me|bonny Bobby Shafto”
or words to that effect (my memory is a bit vague – should probably Google it).
Or is there something else that you are hearing echoes of?
“Of course there is a lot about our parents that we will not know. But I’m sure the present is not an isolated case. As a parent yourself…..well it is an obvious question”.
Daniel’s kids will just be able to look at all his blog entries…
A couple of yers ago I was reading a book on the development of the Harrier VSTOL jet. It mentioned an incident in 1965 when an American pilot ground looped a Kestrel, the experimental precourser of the Harrier. The jet was upside down on full throttle and the pilot was rescued by Flt Lt. Frank Coulton DFC. For his action he received the Queens Comendation for Valour. That was my father, and he never, ever, not once mentioned the fact. Even my Mother did not know. Wierd!