Raymond Sheppard and Children's Hour (Part Two)

The Children's Hour Annual 1937

Children's Hour Annual 1937

For my previous article on Raymond Sheppard and Uncle Mac and the Children's Hour Annual 1936, see here. As I was tracking down information for my own interest, I decided to create an article with a gallery of Children's Hour Annuals (and its associated title BBC Annual) on my other blog. As a result of the latter, Tim Ahern got in touch and told me about a missing dustjacket image - which he had. I was excited to re-visit this area as it gave me a chance to trawl the Internet again for other images that might have appeared - so I updated the other article.

What's this got to do with Sheppard? Well, I'm ashamed to say, even when Tim sent me the image, I didn't realise it was Raymond Sheppard's work for the third Children's Hour Annual! Tim had to point out to me the signature!

So for your delectation and delight (now I sound like Leonard Sachs!) I've scanned the whole cover 

Children's Hour Annual 1937 whole cover

Tim has given me the opportunity to follow up on my promise from my previous Sheppard article to write about his work in this 1937 Annual in which he illustrated 3 stories plus that cover!

"Reminiscences" by Commander Stephen King-Hall has two Sheppard illustrations and the intro is worth recording here for fellow researchers

Children's Hour Annual 1937 p.11

 Sheppard's first illustration reminds me so much of a story by John Wyndham, "Pawley's Peepholes"

Children's Hour Annual 1937 p.13
He tried but stuck half-way, much to the joy of the crowd

Children's Hour Annual 1937 p.16
It discovered after about the seventh or eighth fence it could
generally get round the course without the rider on its back

The Policeman stuck in a hole in the ground has some nicely observed figure work. In the second illo, Sheppard has definitely got to grips with his animal drawings too!

The second story is "Adam and the bear cub" by H. Mortimer Batten. Page 60 has a short biography 

Children's Hour Annual 1937 p.60

Children's Hour Annual 1937 p.65
He had just time to see the bear clutch her cub by the neck

A couple of years later Sheppard found himself drawing bears for a children's story "The bear and the baby" by C. G. D. Roberts for Odhams' "Golden Gift Book" in 1939

The third story he illustrates is "Jimmy rides the range" by Escott North

 

Children's Hour Annual 1937 p.145

 Children's Hour Annual 1937 p.148
“Jimmy, this is Guy Weadick, one of my friends”

 

 

Children's Hour Annual 1937 p.150
Suddenly the pony exploded into action

Children's Hour Annual 1937 p.154
In thirty seconds the man was thrown