Village Squire, 1977-11, Page 39PEOPLE
In a country where well-known play-
wrights are few and far between, London's
James Reaney is in the forefront both as
being %yell known and being kept busy.
Presently there's a flurry of activity
surrounding Reancy and his work.
In Toronto on Nov. 7 his play The
Dismissal, commissioned to commemorate
the 150th anniversary celebration of the
University of Toronto. It deals with a
student strike. thought to be the first of its
kind in North America when it took place in
1894. That tevolt was led by a young
student named William Lyon Mackenzie
King.
Meanwhile a spring tour of his play
Wacousta is nearly booked across the
province. It opens Feb. 24 in Amherstberg,
the town where the action takes place. The
play is taken from the novel of James
Richardson a Bristish colonial major who
v. as garrisoned in the town when he wrote
the novel of the same name.
Rcanev is also working on Summer
Kitchen. a play about an incident of incest
that occurred in Stratford in the 1930's.
And as if that wasn't enough. he's
beginning workshops at the University of
Western Ontario where he is a professor,
for a sequel to Wacousta based on another
Richardson novel and called The Canadian
Brothers.
On top of all the stage activity he has
recently published his first prose book
called 14 Barrels From Sea to Sea and
about the national tour last year of his
Donnelly trilogy of plays.
And he finds time to tach?
***
Orbe more practitioner of a disappearing
trade disappeared last month when
Stratford's Ralph Danner retired after 45
years in the shoe repair business.
"I enjoyed most of my customers and
when I had good shoes to work on I was
happy," he said, "But the junky stuff takes
all the pleasure out of it."
He's upset because of the growing
prevalence of imported footwear from
Spain. Mexico, Argentina and Oriental
countries which, because of lower wage
rates, have driven many quality Canadian
producers out of business.
He deplores people buying cheap, cheap
shoes, particularly for children. He himself
buys quality shoes from seconds shops in
Preston and Kitchener to save money,
shoes of top quality that would normally
sell for $65 but go for $30 because of slight
flaws. To illustrate the longterm value of
good shoes, he wears a 20 -year old pair of
shoes that cost $15 then but would be
worth $90 today. They've been resoled
three times but the uppers are as good as
new.
It's a dying trade with the number of
shops dropping, for instance in Toronto,
from 300 to less than 70 in 12 years but
luckily Stratford will continue to have a
DRAPERY FABRICS
CUSTOM DRAPES
WALL COVERINGS
repair shop. Mr. Dallner found a young
Scot, Adrian Brookes to continue the
business.
sss
After 30 years giving farm news to
Western Ontario farm families, Roy Jewell
gave up the microphone in July. Friends
and listeners honoured him in London on
October for his long service. Among those
pavine tribute were people such as former
Agriculture Minister William Stewart who
said that "No one can ever accurately
assess the contribution Roy Jewell has
made to the development of Southwestern
Ontario agriculture and the betterment of
his fellow farmers, but it is simply
enormous."
He'll keep busy writing for farming
publications and conducting tours for
farm -conscious tourists.
Operation
ettyle
Did you know that a small
beer contains as much alco-
hol as a strong drirk and
that six ounces or more of
alcohol per day can lead to
alcoholism and cause cir-
rhosis of the liver?
waste ydevt 44ste
to
adra ae4 04
age decoutte
rind
INTERIORS
151 Main Street1West, Listowel, Ont.
SHOP EARLY FOR YOUR CHRISTMAS RINGS.
WATCHES, JEWELLERY AND GIFT WARE.
Take advantage of our convenient Lay -Away Plan.
STANFORD JEWELLERS
187 Main St. W., Listowel
291-4561
VILLAGE SQUIRE/NOVEMBER 1977