Page 27 - link magazine

Swindon Wide 27

A childhood paradise in Paraguay

To mark the eighth Swindon Festival of Literature during the first ten days of May, The Link is launching a new occasional feature where
we offer young people the chance to see their writing in print. In this first contribution Greendown pupil Anna Hirsch -Holland
interviews her dad.

Matt may seem just an ordinary catches the memory, is something to clothes were also a surprise. In
man, married, with three children, "when I was 9 or 10 behold. South America I would just pull on a
who happens to be Director of the years old, a man came "We galloped the pair of shorts, a cotton shirt, no
Swindon Festival of Literarture. But running into the remaining three shoes, and run off to school. In
he spent his childhood in Paraguay, classroom, breathless. kilometres to the next England everything was much more
South America, where he shot birds He said to our teacher, village." Taking awell- formal and proper. But I remained a
with catapults and was chased by 'we need someone very earned breath, he bit of a wild boy."
rabid dogs. quickly who is reliable continued more Matt also remembers how he
In the spring of 1953 Matt, aged to ride to the next village quietly, "so I gave this was teased at Malmesbury
six, left Shropshire and set sail on with a message for a message to the Grammar School because of his
the Highland Princess with his doctor about medicine hospital and they were funny accent and curly hair. "All the
mother, father, four brothers and for a sick child'. I felt very grateful. But then children seemed to have straight
sister across the Atlantic and duly very proud when I was chosen and they just asked me to ride back to blond hair. It upset me a bit but I still
arrived in the hot, humid country got my fastest horse. I took the my village. I told them there was a enjoyed farming and other things."
south of the equator. letter and galloped off. rabid dog there and they just said, "Initially I was very sad about
Paraguay was very different to "Along a stretch of road, I saw a 'well go the other way through the leaving Paraguay. I loved riding and
England. "The biggest shock was dog come out of the wood and wood.' It was big dark jungle with a the rivers, and my chickens, and
the heat and the smells," Matt noticed immediately that its mouth very narrow path and I was terrified. the cows, and playing with the
reminisced passionately. He also was foaming. We'd been told that, Even though it was a completely Indians. It was the life I'd got used
had to get used to the brightly in the tropics, if you see a dog with different direction to where the dog to." Matt only knew England from
coloured birds, the rivers full of fish, a foaming mouth, it's likely to have had been, I still jumped every time history lessons and thought it full of
the trees to climb, the sand to play rabies. So I spurred my horse on I heard a bird or some other noise." kings and queens and big buildings.
in, and the horses to ride. "It was and as we got level with the dog it Matt's family lived in Paraguay Living in Paraguay has had an
just endless excitement." jumped at us. We galloped even for seven years, so it was a big important effect on Matt's life. "Now
His time in Paraguay was full of faster and there was this dog shock when they moved back to that Britain is much more multi-
adventures but there was one snapping at the horse's tail. It was chilly England. "Soon afterwe came cultural than it was in the 1960s, it
particular memory that stuck in his getting bits of hair in its mouth and back there was the terrible winter of has given me a sense of being an
mind. "On one occasion," Matt said, snarling." 1962-63, where everything was international person, feeling at
gazing into the distance as he Matt's growling dog impression frozen up for months. Fashions in home in the world, wherever I am."

The director's pick
With dozens of enjoyable attractions at this year's Swindon Festival of Literature, as comprehensively listed in last month's Link, it's
hard to know what to attend. Matt Holland gives the festival a local flavour.
Why is living simply so complicated? What makes a really nice person
and what makes a really nasty one? How important is it to be popular?
What is more exhilarating than fresh fish simply cooked? Are some
people really more equal than others? What do talking trombones say?
Why do the best stories instruct as they delight? Why do impressions?
These are just a few of the chal- with star storyteller Cat Weatherill
lenging and life-enhancing ques- lodged all day at the Link Library.
tions being asked at this year's Elsewhere in town during the
Festival of Literature. And because first twelve days of May, you can
the festival's home and base is at see television cook Rick Stein talk-
Lower Shaw Farm in West Swin- ing about fresh fish cooking, fa-
don, a number of key events will mous former minister's wife
At the festival launch on 20 March. From left, sponsor Dominic Winter of
take place this side of town. Margaret talking about fresh life
Dominic Winter Book Auctions, Oxford University Phd. Economics student
For example, on Saturday 12 after Cook, and popular psycholo-
and performance poet Ailish Johnson, BBC Castaways Colin, Julia and
May, stars of BBC1's Castaway gist Oliver James tackling Britains
Natasha Corrigan, festival director Matt Holland
programme, Julia, Colin, and nine on the couch.
year-old Natasha Corrigan head Or if you fancy exercising your
for the farm to talk about the tricki- body as well as your brain, there's BRITANNIA TOWING CENTRE
ness of living the simple life with an international fiesta night of salsa
thirty other complicated people on and merengue dancing on 4th May, The BEST, BAR NONE, for quality, price and service
the island of Taransay. with travellers' tales and talking NEW CAR, NEW TOWBAR -
On Bank Holiday Monday 7 May, trombones to boot!
there will be a campfire with story- And for an early and adventur- Are you EC24/90 compliant? We are!
telling and music with Gabamouche ous start to the festival, why not
Storytellers at Lower Shaw Farm, see the sun rise on 1 May in Lawn
followed by children's author Pat Woods, with other festival follow-
Hutchins walking with children and ers, poets, minstrels, musicians,
chickens on Wednesday 9 May. mischief, magic, maypole danc-
And the previous Thursday, 3 May, ing, and hot breakfasts on site.
n
it will be Libraries Festival Day, Earlybirds catch the word!
Pickup the green covered Festival Programme in libraries. See it online
Unit 16, Station Industrial Estate, Sheppard Street, Swindon
Tel: 01793 613147 A