But there was another English teacher, in the same school a couple of years after, who introduced our class to a book which I still remember fondly. The surprising thing to me now is how this old lady with a bun in her hair, seemingly cold and aloof, could let us read from a book which was so lively and enchanting (and yet at the same time obscure – I don’t remember reading about this book in subsequent years, as if it is strangely out of favour). The book was called ‘Autobiography of a Supertramp’ by the poet and author W.H. Davies and was first published in 1907. It tells the story of a young Welshman’s journeys as a hobo across the United States of America in the period 1893 to 1899. It is a rich account of the life of a hobo and the characters he met with on his travels, of times spent telling tall stories around camp fires, an adventurous life both carefree and exciting – or so it seemed to this reader. Best of all, the travelling was free, jumping on the many freight trains which criss-crossed this vast country, and taking a ride to wherever the loco was going. Yet this transportation was not without risk, as evidenced by the author losing part of his leg in one mishap getting on - or off - a moving train (I can’t remember now which it was) - quite apart from the risks of tangling with the violent railway guards who would beat the hobos to within an inch of their lives if they were caught trespassing on railway property. In short, a captivating and entertaining story for a teenager or adult. Thank you Mrs Brunton.
Vincent Walsh
Rossendale Books Self Publishing

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/W._H._Davies