Talking HISTORY: Dear Alison - An NZ Soldier's Story
83 Clyde Road, Ilam, Christchurch
Ticket Information
- Additional fees may apply
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Dr Simon Pollard shares details of a truly unique WWII diary, written by great uncle Dudley for his favourite young niece Alison.
In July 1942, 42-year-old Dudley Roberts Muff started what would become a 55-page diary of his experiences and observations of life as a prisoner of war in Stalag 383 in Germany. For 33 months, he filled the book with chatty entries, sketches and stick-figure drawings which he called his “little men”.
What makes the diary truly special is the fact that he wrote it to his four-year-old niece Alison, then living in Timaru. So while the diary is a tale of captivity and war, the conditions he endured and the events he lived through are cushioned by being told in a style and language suitable for a child.
In July 2007, Dudley's great nephew, Simon Pollard, discovered this book in the Canterbury Museum collection. Simon penned an introduction and epilogue to put the diary and life in the camp in perspective and had the diary, along with a collection of Dudley's letters and photographs, published by Penguin Books in July 2009. Dear Alison won a number of awards including the LIANZA Elsie Locke Award, Non-fiction Book of the Year and the Children’s Choice Award, New Zealand Post Children’s Book Awards (non-fiction).
In this talk, Simon will share details of the delightfully intriguing diary, its author, and its owner, almost eighty years after Dudley started his legacy with the words Dear Alison.
Tickets: $2.50 - $5.00
Tickets must be booked in advance (no door sales).
If you want to explore the Te Whare Waiutuutu Kate Sheppard House visitor experience after the talk, admission charges apply.
Covid-19 Protection Framework update
Te Whare Waiutuutu Kate Sheppard House is now open under the traffic light system.
To visit us, you will need to present your Vaccine Pass to staff on arrival, sanitise, wear a mask and follow our requirements for the traffic light setting on the day, which you can find here:
https://www.visitheritage.co.nz/about/hnzpt-covid-19-information/
Please stay home if you are unwell, waiting for a Covid-19 test result, self-isolating or a confirmed or probable case of Covid-19.
Parking
Limited parking is available on the street, please allow extra time for parking during university term time. Try the University of Canterbury's pay and display Clyde carpark on Arts Road (5 minute walk), or take bus 100 or 120, which both have stops outside on Clyde Road. Please contact us prior to booking if you require accessible parking.
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