A Bucket List Biography - A Nottingham Man
Nottingham
Aim
I want to write a biography entitled 'A Nottingham Man, his life, his works'. To celebrate and highlight Frederick Clements (1840-1921)
Project aim
My aim is to produce a biography of Frederick Clements (1840-1921) and to highlight and celebrate his life and work.
About the project
Introduction.
Following, or was it during, a recent brief spell of ill health I asked myself what I would regret not doing, if I suddenly found I could do nothing.
Not for me trips to Venice or exotic destinations with heat. No world cruise or death defying acts of bravery/foolishness. I adore dolphins but have never wanted to swim with them.
I want to produce a book. A biography. Of a Nottingham man. Frederick Clements.
Largely unknown, and therefore undervalued, he wrote and illustrated a two volume piece of work in the late 19th Century, he had intended to produce a third volume and, I believe, he had done some work towards this end but it was never finished.
He came to my notice several years ago and it was not long before I was delving into his life story as well as the lives of some of his subscribers.
The subscribers, including high profile businessmen of the day, are named in the second volume and I thought I would get my own set of subscribers from today's high profile business folk. My first attempt met with failure, the subject was only interested in having his own story told. The reason being that, 'everybody knows who I am, no-one has heard of your man...' of course, ironically, that is my point exactly. To get 'my man' known, and he and his work celebrated.
Now, dear reader, I turn to you, you now have the opportunity to become one of my subscribers.
In honour of Frederick Clements, who produced 60 copies of his volumes, there will be an initial limited edition of 60 copies but with the hope that there will be the demand for more to be produced.
A bit about me.
Ok, what about me? Do I tell you about my interests? My family? My work history? My childhood? My age? My dreams? My likes and dislikes?
Briefly, like the subject of the biography, I was born in Nottingham and, like him, will probably end my days here. I did spend about ten of my early years going backwards and forwards between Kenya, Uganda, Malawi and Nottingham and, I believe, it was those unsettled, sometimes magical, years that have left me a somewhat eccentric individual. I have used the word eccentric as opposed to weird, which was the word I once used to describe myself to one of my sisters, who kindly said that maybe I was eccentric rather than weird. I have looked at the definition of both words and the one word they have in common is 'odd'!
I wonder how people who know me might describe me? Definitely that I talk too much, maybe that I easily get distracted, can be enthusiastic, likes to learn, am passionate about genealogy and local history, dislikes intolerance and injustice, enjoys a debate and loves Lenny's Chicken! (Lenny was a volunteer cook in the Sneinton Hermitage Community Cafe and his chicken dish was amazing!)
My working life began before I left school when I helped my Dad by being a petrol pump attendant at the garage he managed. For the benefit of those who do not remember the time before self service at the pumps, drivers would pull up and someone like me would come scurrying out and carry out your order of 'fill it up please'! My first real job began on 1st January 1970 in a bank - an impossibilty since New Years Day became a bank holiday! I have done a wide variety of other jobs since then and am currently a care worker in a home where many residents are living with dementia. I enjoy this work immensely.
Is that enough about me? I think so!
Why I need your help
I have been 'working' on this project on and off for a few years, it has been a labour of love but, as I stated earlier, this is one thing I would regret not doing if I found I could do nothing. Keeping a roof over my head has meant that any labours of love (and there is at least one more, as you will see later) have had to take a back burner. With your help I will be able to take time out to spend at the Archives Office, and other locations around Nottingham, to ensure I do the most thorough research possible to produce a full and fitting picture of the man, his life, his times and his work.
In an ideal world, my book would be taken up by an agent/publisher, sell millions of copies, become a best seller and I would get very rich and famous! This isn't an ideal world, someone once said you should never write for fame or fortune, and this has always been about 'his' profile, not mine. I really do want the people of Nottingham (and beyond) to know and celebrate a fellow citizen, albeit one who is no longer around. He died almost a hundred years ago!
So, in the absence of the ideal world, here are my figures to bring (with your help) this project to fruition:
Research in the Nottingham Archives 10 hours @ £7.50 an hour 75.00
Research in the Local Studies department 10 hours as above 75.00
3 days visiting local graveyards and other relevant locations as above 135.00
Copy Editing and Proof Reader services 325.00
Postcards 80.00
Print 60 copies of the Limited First Edition (inc scans of original artwork) 1000.00
Sub-Total £1690.00
*Go cardless payments incur me a charge of 7% 118.30
Total £1808
Overfunding?
If I should find myself in the very fortunate position of being overfunded for this project, I will be able to dedicate time to my next one which is also Nottingham related. A young woman emigrated from Nottingham to Canada. Many people did this but how many had hand written a three hundred recipe cookery book? In 1889? Intrigued? I hope so!
This project has a working title of 'Good Potato Pudding and Other Recipes'.
Thank you for taking the time to read this and for your support.
Best wishes,
Yvonne
This project closed unsuccessfully on 15th June 2015