The former home of C S Lewis - the Kilns, in Oxford, England.

Why isn't the former home of C S Lewis' the Kilns, which in my opinion is part of Britains Christian heritage, open to all? The Founder and President of the C S Lewis Foundation (Mr Stan Mattson) in Redlands, California (who currently own the former home), says he will never open it up on a full time basis, and that it is not a public place, nor yet a museum! I think it should be all three; open, public and a museum to a man who has changed the hearts and minds of millions of people throughout the world, indeed who continues to do so!

Why do the American people support this Foundation? In some cases members of the Foundation who have travelled with me on the C S Lewis tour that I operate here in Oxford, have found it impossible to get an internal viewing! That can't be right, surely? What do other people feel about this situation, please comment through this forum.

See http://www.englandukhotelaccommodation.com to help me preserve the Lewis legacy, http://www.cslewistours.com to book your C S Lewis tour and/or http://www.visitthekilns.com for general information from one who was there at the time! 

Regards

Ron Brind

One can appreciate Ron's sentiments as east of Oxford at Great Missenden can be found the Roald Dahl Museum; another celebrated childrens author. Going south to Chawton, Hampshire, the former home of Jane Austen is open to visit inside with a great many things from her days still there to see. Indeed, visiting England using author's homes or villages/towns where they lived would take you to many interesting places to see, even to include American authors such as Mark Twain's home near Chelsea, London.

Ron's posting made me dig out my old copy of Alice in Wonderland which is anotated at the front as being given to a young girl named Gladys Redman as a present for her in 1919 from a French lady. I'm sure that has happened countless times over, around the world.

It occurred to me that if you were based in Oxford on a holiday and interested in English literature/authors, you could do rather well on days out visiting places associated with them in various ways. Off the top of my head, such authors would include: C S Lewis, Lewis Carroll, J R R Tolkien, R D Blackmore, Jane Austen, Dame Agatha Christie, Richard Adams,Charles Dickens, William Shakespeare, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and Thomas Hardy. 

Apart from Shakespeare in Warwickshire and Hardy in Dorset, the others you can find connections with in just 2 counties---Oxfordshire and Hampshire.

Paul

You say "Ron's posting made me dig out my old copy of Alice in Wonderland". I was talking about C S Lewis not Lewis Carroll - So does that mean you are in line with some 70% of 'Brits' in Oxford who during a small survey that I carried out (197 in fact) thought that C S Lewis wrote Alice in Wonderland? C'mon you can be honest, we won't mind.

Ron Brind

Author: A Guide to the C S Lewis Tour in Oxford  

You have upset me now Ron. I thought my mom made that story up "Alice in Wonderland" to keep me quiet as a kid.

You must admit Ron, unless it's your forte, the two are very confusable What concerns me is that many contestants on The Weakest Leak might be representative of the depth of general knowledge among the Great British Public....

Q.Which king of England defeated Robert the Bruce at the Battle of (I think) Bannockburn?

A. Napoleon.

Q, Memphis was the capital of which great ancient civilization?

A.Tennessee

On a literary note I once visited Howarth Parsonage and found it very moving, not least the horse hair couch on which Emily expired.