THE TWO BOOKS W.E. JOHNS SIGNED FOR PAUL DUTTON

The two books below were signed for Paul Dutton, when W. E. Johns lived at Park House, Hampton Court, Kingston-upon-Thames (which was between 1953 and 1968).

The current full postal address for Park House is Hampton Court Road, East Moseley, KT8 9DA

Paul Dutton wrote his name and address in BIGGLES GOES HOME as 1 Redhouse Lane, Walton-on-Thames, Surrey.

The postcode for that address is KT12 1EF. The distance between the two addresses is 5.1 miles according to the AA.

Paul Dutton sold his two signed Biggles books to a book shop called “Cotswold Internet Books” in Cheltenham

I subsequently bought them both.

They are signed copies of “Biggles Gets His Men” (a second edition from 1952) and “Biggles Goes Home” (a first edition from 1960).

Paul Dutton wrote two short hand-written letters as to the provenance of the books, which came with the books when they were sold.

The contents of each letter is virtually identical, but you can tell that they are two separately written letters.

What is interesting is what Paul Dutton says in the letters. You can read them below:-

He says that Johns used to live above an antique shop in Molesey ………

But Johns used to live in Park House in Molesey.

Did he rent a room above an antique shop, perhaps? Or has Paul Dutton misremembered the facts?

Maybe Johns was a frequent visitor to the Antique shop and his father met him there.

I would love to get hold of Paul Dutton – if he reads this – can he contact me at rogerharris@biggles.info

BIGGLES GETS HIS MEN

BIGGLES GOES HOME

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