Various Verses by Gordon Burness: The Complete Works of the Bard of Beckenham

Burness, Gordon

ISBN 10: 0989719979 / ISBN 13: 9780989719971

Published by Jamestowne Bookworks, 2015

About this Item

72 pages. 8.00x5.00x0.18 inches. In Stock.

Seller Inventory # zk0989719979

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Various Verses by Gordon Burness: The Complete Works of the Bard of Beckenham
• Publisher: Jamestowne Bookworks
• Publication Date: 2015
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0989719979
• ISBN 13: 9780989719971
• Binding: Paperback
• Condition: Brand New
• Weight: 0.13 kilograms

About this title

Synopsis

Gordon Burness lived his entire life in London (1928-2015), leaving no large footprint in history. His life was nonetheless remarkable because he excelled in that great British tradition of the “great amateur.” His restless curiosity and intelligence were not stimulated at school, because his education virtually ended at age 11 with the outbreak of World War Two, nor was it fueled by a high-flying career, since he worked as a toolmaker in a factory and later as a security officer. It was innate. He strode through several life phases, first as a poacher turned naturalist, then book author and broadcaster, painter, and finally poet. This is a short anthology because he was already seventy years old when he began to compose verse, and that he succeeded so well is amazing without the benefit of a secondary education. But he was a natural wordsmith. His poetry phase followed two decades of painting in oils, for which he had an accomplished brush technique considering this too was self-taught. The subjects of his art ranged widely, from landscape to animals to fantasy, and even romance. For most of his life he was passionately interested in nature, beginning as a young poacher putting meat on the table during the austere post-war years of food rationing. Later, he exchanged his shotgun for a camera, achieving notice for his excellent writing and photographs in wildlife magazines. The discovery of an albino badger in the London suburbs led to TV and radio appearances and a popular children’s book, “The White Badger.” His love of nature and deep interest in science radiate from his craft, as does his flair for not taking life too seriously. He remained single all his life, but good humor and engaging conversation charmed a number of women. He treasured privacy and became a virtual recluse at the end, although welcoming old friends to his home where he would regale them with comical stories or the latest news about the Hubble telescope, the pineal gland or other scientific endeavors. His curiosity was never conquered by blindness and poor health, nor did he lose a cheerful outlook. Visitors left feeling enriched after engaging a remarkable mind that was careless about his own accomplishments, and which always deserved a wider airing. That is why Jamestowne Bookworks is proud to present his poetry in its original form.

About the Author

When Gordon died in London at age 86 he left no large footprint in history, but those close to him knew that a remarkable man had passed. He had none of the career achievements we expect in a notable life, but instead excelled as one of those great amateurs celebrated by British people. After an education truncated by World War Two, he enrolled as an apprentice toolmaker and when the factory closed he became a security officer on a property where he had been a poacher. After this second phase of life, his interests turned to wildlife conservation. He learned how to track animals and became an expert mimic of bird song, but apart from a single trip to Scotland he never traveled far from his home turf which he knew intimately. He published beautifully illustrated articles in wildlife magazines, and his first book, The White Badger, was sold widely. His fourth phase began in the early 1970s when he took up oil painting. He completed thirty-two canvases ranging from landscapes to animals to fantasy, painting to a background of classical music. His brush technique was excellent, especially considering he was untutored in the art. When he was no longer inspired to paint he turned to poetry, his fifth phase. Despite little education in English literature and composition, he was a natural wordsmith and said his art reflected “our personal frailties and his personal views.” This oeuvre is not a large legacy, but as revealing of the man’s character and broad interests as his paintings. He could be very droll, loved inventing jokes and limericks, and was unfailingly cheerful even towards the end when nearly blind and weakened by ill-health. His fun-loving heart could spend weeks poring over a painting or poem created to amuse himself or a rare visitor. He took a deep interest in science, often asking searching questions about astronomy and biology. His ingenious mind led to the manufacture and marketing of a couple of mechanical devices, but he forgot to take out patents. One wonders what he might have achieved had he started life in better times and with greater advantages, but he never complained.