Edward Lear and My Father

About the Book

This is really my father’s book. Dad was a great fan of Edward Lear, constantly reciting the Nonsense Poems throughout my childhood. He asked me, when I was a teenager, to quote the first line of a Lear limerick. Without reading the rest of the verse, Dad composed his own version using Lear’s first line and he continued until he had rewritten all hundred and nine limericks, bringing them into the twentieth century. If this little book amuses and delights even a few people, I think Dad would be pleased. His motto in life was to put more into this world than he took out of it. I have tried, out of love for him, to enable him to leave a little more in this world. Barbara Whitehead (nee Lowe)

About the Author

William Joseph Lowe (1910-1975) was born and educated in Liverpool. He graduated with First Class Honours in chemistry and soon became the chief chemist at William Crawford and Sons, biscuit manufacturers, continuing in this post when Crawford’s joined United Biscuits. A devout Catholic, a keen gardener, an accomplished linguist, “Bill” had many interests and his encyclopaedic knowledge enlightened many. He loved poetry and always marked special family occasions with his own poetic offering. He was devoted to his wife, Win, to whom he was married for forty-one years. He was a loving father to Barbara and Bernard and a doting granddad for all too short a time to John, Stephen and Claire.