More time, too, for simply sitting out in my garden in the sun or shade enjoying the place where I live.
Inevitably, as old age creeps further into my bones and it’s a bit of struggle to heave myself out of an armchair, I am becoming a bit of a grumpy old fossil. I have little to complain of, really, but that’s never stopped any of us old fossils from ranting about this and that. I have a few pet peeves on language usage. You’ll never catch me using the words ‘passion’, ‘awesome’ and ‘closure’ the way they get used today! I don’t think I ever had a ‘passion’ for teaching, anymore than later did I have a ‘passion’ for writing. Great enthusiasm, boundless enthusiasm—sure. Passion? I don’t think so. The view from my home is certainly ‘awesome’, but I have yet to munch into any hamburger that could be prefixed by the same adjective. These are, of course, mere trifles in the greater scheme of things.
One thing I’ll never be caught saying is ‘Things were better in my day’—whenever ‘my day’ may have been. Those far off, golden olden days? They may have been different, they may have been great, but they certainly weren’t better. I live in the here and now. Generally, I write of the here and now. Of course I look back, often with a smile, occasionally in sadness or regret. We all do. However, young or old, we must make the most of the day we are given and the life we are given. Think, too, of the future, of tomorrow—and look forward to it!
Photographs
Young Salvation Army Officer Annie Georgina Taylor née Reeves (kneeling), circa 1897, Western Australia, during her posting to Kalgoorlie. Grandma Taylor.
Alexander Taylor (centre) on his horse, Winton, circa 1895. Grandad Taylor.
Ivan Taylor and his dog, William, circa 1912. According to my siblings, I was named after my father’s dog…
Ivan Taylor, 1940, prior to embarking for his four years’ service in World War Two, in North Africa, Europe and the Middle East.
Rosa Dorothea Taylor, 1940: a publicity shot for the New Zealand Listener.
Dorothea and Ivan, well-groomed, off to the Wellington races, 1936.
Baby Bill, 1939. Possibly Wellington’s Centennial Baby 1940! A soulful study.
Margaret and Bill, 1942. A photograph ‘for Daddy’. It was around now that my sister dragged me to the nearest railway station and stuffed me on a train, saying ‘Go and find your mother!’
Early evidence of my love of hunting—or maybe protection against my sister.
Christchurch Teachers’ College, 1957–1958. Off to the college ball with Jacqui, Marlene and John.
As Smee in Peter Pan, Valley Players, Lower Hutt, 1961. Great eyes!
My first class: Trentham School, 1959. ‘I are sorry I cold you a donkey’ stands three across from me, second row from top.
William at twenty-one.
A young writer with moustache and sideboards holding a book. Remarkable trousers—they were green, brown and yellow!
Marriage to Delia, Lower Hutt, 1965.
Husband and wife and two boys, Waiwhare, Hawke’s Bay, 1968.
Julian and Robin at three and four years, early 1971.
Hugh and Alyson Taylor say goodbye, 1978. The tragedy of their deaths three weeks later indirectly served to start my career in writing for children.
With sisters, Janette and Margaret, at the Esther Glen Award ceremony, 1995.
Chained to the job: His Worship the Mayor of Ohakune, 1981–1988.
William at sixty.
Metaphor: Five Go to the Dogs, with Martin Baynton and Gaelyn Gordon. Tessa Duder must have taken the photo.
Seventieth birthday, with Janice Marriott and Tessa Duder.
With Tessa Duder at a book launch. One of hers? One of mine? Probably!
Having a chat with Governor General Dame Sylvia Cartwright at Government House, 2004.
Robin and Julian on the occasion of Robin and Carmen’s wedding, in the garden here at Raurimu.
Robin and Carmen marry, 2001.
With two of my AFS ‘sons’, Johannes of Germany and Johan of Sweden, along with Tig the cat, in the garden at Raurimu, 2003.
With oldest grandchild, James Richards-Taylor.
Leon Taylor at six months.
Isla Taylor, aged two, at Grandpa Bill’s seventieth birthday, 2008. Not too sure what it’s all about!
Two grandkids—Jamie and Isla.
Isla and her daddy and a bottle of beer (his).
Views from home and of garden at Raurimu.
Summer, Raurimu.
Winter, Raurimu.
Copyright
HarperCollinsPublishers
First published 2010
by HarperCollinsPublishers (New Zealand) Limited
P.O. Box 1, Auckland 1140
Copyright © William Taylor 2010
William Taylor asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publishers.
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National Library of New Zealand Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
Taylor, William, 1938-
Telling tales : a life in writing / William Taylor.
ISBN 978-1-86950-837-1 (pbk.)
ISBN: 978-0-730-45093-1 (epub)
1. Taylor, William, 1938- 2. Authors, New Zealand—20th century—Biography. 3. Children’s literature—Authorship. I. Title.
NZ823.2—dc 22
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