A Surprise Connection to Reg "Crash" Harrison's Family Farm

Selling my books at craft and trade shows on the Canadian Prairies is usually a fun and fascinating exercise in which I meet avid readers and get ideas for future stories to write and/or publish. Sometimes, people praise my publishing efforts and the nonfiction or historical fiction books they particularly enjoyed. But the lovely surprise at a craft show in Swift Current in October 2024 was a unique experience.

A few minutes before the show closed on its final day, a woman came running up to my booth, clutching her copy of my book Crash Harrison: Tales of a Bomber Pilot Who Defied Death. "I made it!" she said. "I told my husband I met you yesterday and it was too bad I didn't have my book with me. He asked when the show ended today and told me I still had time to get back here!" Which she did, and I promptly autographed the book for her.

But that wasn't the only reason for her return visit. This time, she brought her cellphone, which contained photos she wanted to show me of an important farmhouse.

You see, Arlie (Dreger) Neufeld was raised on a farm at Lorlie, Saskatchewan, just down the road from Reg "Crash" Harrison, the 102-year-old subject of my book. Reg was a bomber pilot in England in the Second World War who had survived four plane crashes and numerous close calls. I wrote the biography about Reg's childhood on the farm at Finnie, SK, his adventures during his war years, and his life afterward, including being made an Honorary Snowbird by the famed Canadian aerobatics team.

Author-publisher Deana Driver and Arlie (Dreger) Neufeld

When Arlie first spoke with me, she said her sister Loretta was a friend of Reg's youngest sister Sylvia, so she wasn't sure if Reg would know her. Arlie then asked when Reg had last been to the area where they grew up - a question I did not have an answer for. She talked about how she'd been out there recently and had taken photos of the farmhouse. She would have shown them to me except she'd left her phone at home.

So here she was on Day Two of the show, posing for a photo with me and the book, and showing me photos of the farmhouse - the Harrisons' farmhouse, not the house her family lived in!

I was astounded and pleased. I had thought Arlie was talking about photos of her family's farmhouse, not Reg's. This was a great surprise!

Harrison family's farmhouse, Finnie, SK, 2024
Photo by Arlie (Dreger) Neufeld

Side view of Harrison family's farmhouse, Finnie, SK, 2024
Photo by Arlie (Dreger) Neufeld

Harrison family's farmhouse, Finnie SK, 1960
(one of the 98 photos in the Crash Harrison book)

I wish I'd had those recent photos for the book, but I didn't know the house was still standing or I probably would have driven out to take some photos myself.

Oh well. The things you learn after a book has been published.

Thanks, Arlie, for coming back to the craft show and sharing those images with me.

Reg and his daughter Laurie, and his sister Sylvia were all tickled by the reconnection and the photos. They all say, "Hi, neighbour! And thank you!"

Reginald "Crash" Harrison and author Deana J Driver, 2023

Inspiring Crash Harrison book goes to England

An author's wish is that their book will travel to destinations unknown and be appreciated by readers everywhere. In November 2023, my author friend Mary Harelkin Bishop helped my latest book get to England, to the hometown of the subject's parents. And I am grateful.

Reg "Crash" Harrison is a 102-year-old former bomber pilot with the Royal Canadian Air Force. He survived four plane crashes - none of which were his fault - while serving in England during the Second World War. While writing Reg's life story in my award-winning Crash Harrison book, I learned about Reg's family background and his connections to England.

I wrote the book as though Reg was telling his story to the reader:

"My father, William Harrison, was born in the village of Bishop Wilton, about 14 miles east of York in northern England, and my mother, Nellie Harding, grew up in a village called Givendale that was just down the road. Both villages are in Yorkshire county...

"...England lost the cream of its youth in that war. My dad’s village of Bishop Wilton has a church that was built in 1916. There’s a cenotaph there (a memorial to people from that village who died in the First World War). All four sides of that cenotaph are covered with the names of men who never came back, including a family of five sons who were all killed. What a senseless, bloody war," Reg told me.

He went on to say, "As I mentioned, my parents knew each other in England. They dated while my dad was a soldier in the First World War. They got married in 1917, when my dad went home to Bishop Wilton on four days’ leave. After the First World War, my dad had an opportunity to go to New Zealand to work as a policeman, because his father was a policeman in Bishop Wilton. However, my dad really liked Canada and thought there was more opportunity for him here, so he and my mother packed up their belongings and moved to Canada."

Reg was born in 1922 in Saskatchewan, Canada, in the hamlet of Pheasant Forks, southeast of Yorkton. He began sharing more details of his war years when he was in his 80s, and his story has since become the subject of numerous news articles, documentaries, and my book.

Mary Harelkin Bishop has known Reg Harrison for decades, since they attended the same Presbyterian church in Saskatoon. I have worked with Mary for almost 20 years, as an editor and publisher of her work, and she has become a dear friend. In November 2023, Mary and her partner Pete took copies of my Crash Harrison book to England on their vacation. She sent me the photos below.

Thanks, Mary, for making this author's wishes come true!

Mary Harelkin Bishop with Crash Harrison book by Deana J Driver, at Bishop Wilton, England Nov 2023

Mary Harelkin Bishop with Crash Harrison book by Deana J Driver, in Bishop Wilton, England Nov 2023

Mary Harelkin Bishop donated a Crash Harrison book by Deana J Driver to the Pocklington Library, England Nov 2023. "They were pleased to receive it," Mary reports.

Milestone Prairie Players show off our Playwright's Christmas Play

Near the start of the pandemic, retired educator Georgia Joorisity contacted me to ask about publishing a community-oriented drama she'd written. Georgia had seen my name as the editor and publisher of the "Running the Riders: My Decade as CEO of Canada's Team" book by Jim Hopson. She loved that book and had worked with Jim in Saskatchewan's education system.

Being committed to her province, community, and the Saskatchewan Roughriders, Georgia had written a fun-loving play script called Santa Claus Wore Green. It's about a time when things started going terribly wrong at the North Pole just a few days before Christmas. Fortunately, there are Rider fans everywhere to save the day!

She asked for my help in publishing her play script. Part of the process involved obtaining copyright and other permissions from the Saskatchewan Roughriders, The Arrogant Worms, Jim Hopson, Jason Plumb, and more. They were happy to give us their approval. 

We printed a few physical copies of the script and let it be known that drama groups could obtain the script for a nominal fee. 

Fast forward to four years later...

Georgia was delighted when The Milestone Prairie Players requested permission to present her play at the Milestone Community Christmas celebration. I was thrilled as well and we were both excited to go see the play be performed in front of a live audience. 

It was so much fun to watch the play unfold, and especially fulfilling to see the joy on Georgia's face as her vision came to life! 

 Thank you to the Milestone Prairie Players and Shelley Sentes for performing this fun play! 

It was a blast! 

Unique Reenactment and Memoir Celebrate 80th Anniversary of Canadian Liberation of French Town

Guest blog post by Calgary author Romie Christie:

In September 2024, I travelled to Le Touquet in northern France. This is a place I hold dear in my heart. It’s my mother’s hometown, where we vacationed several times when I was young, twice staying in her family home, Rosemary Cottage. Le Touquet is where my parents, Sandy and Dorothy MacPherson, met and where they were laid to rest after almost 60 years of marriage and a good life in Saskatchewan, Canada. Their ashes are buried under a beautiful marble angel in Le Touquet’s cemetery alongside my maternal grandparents.

When I began writing about my parents’ dramatic and romantic World War II story in what became a published book, See You in Le Touquet: A Memoir of War and Destiny, I was not expecting it would lead me to participate in a memorable celebration in France. Using the word “memorable” hardly does justice to what transpired during the days leading up to the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Le Touquet and the very special day itself, September 4th, 2024.

Last December, I sent a handful of copies of my newly published See You in Le Touquet book to Le Touquet – to the mayor, Daniel Fasquelle, to his office at the town hall, and to the historian Alain Holuigue, who’d lent me his support as I researched and wrote my parents story.

Author Romie Christie and Le Touquet historian Alain Holuigue in the Le Touquet Musee grounds, Sept 2024

Alain and his Le Touquet academic committee were thrilled to see the book. Their chairperson was able to read the book in English and immediately called a meeting with the mayor, suggesting the town host an event to commemorate the 80th anniversary of Le Touquet’s liberation during World War II and, most importantly, that the event should spotlight my parents and their history as told in my new book. And just like that, planning for the event began.

My sister and her husband, Alexandra and Don Young, committed to attending with me, as did a cousin from Vancouver, Sharon Gove. I stayed in close touch with Alain, who told me the town wished to do a reenactment of my parents’ meeting. I’d been there when my mom and dad performed a reenactment at the 40th anniversary celebration and I knew who should do it this time. I quickly responded to Alain, suggesting Alex and Don. I even sent pictures of them so the planners could see they would do a great job. Alex looks a lot like our mother Dorothy and Don, similar in size to our father Sandy, promised to obtain a Canadian WWII uniform for his part in the drama.

Author Romie Christie (left) with her sister Alexandra Young in front of Rosemary Cottage, their mother's home in Le Touquet, France

We knew before our arrival that on September 4th, 2024 - the day of the 80th anniversary - the reenactment would take place and I would read a segment from my book in English. Then Alain would read a translation. Even so, we all thought it would be a modest occasion. I never imagined how enormous the event itself and our entire week in Le Touquet would be!

On our first day, we met the mayor and his committee at the Hotel de Ville (City Hall) and then visited the cemetery where our parents were laid to rest.

Another day, we returned to Le Touquet's City Hall and reenacted our parents’ wedding photos, complete with a hat we fashioned to look like the one our mom had worn. Mayor Fasquelle handed us copies of their original marriage certificate from 1945. No added touch seemed too much.

Alexandra and Don Young reenact the wedding photo of Romie and Alexandra's parents, Le Touquet, France

Bright and early on September 4th, we were chauffeured in genuine WWII Jeeps to the traffic circle where the Avenue des Canadiens begins. At the town’s 40th anniversary celebration, our mother had unveiled the street sign which honours the nation that liberated them.

For the 80th celebration, over 20 Jeeps with Canadian, American, and French "soldiers" in period military dress paraded the streets. After Mayor Fasquelle delivered a somber message detailing the loss and devastation that occurred in Le Touquet, we were transported - by Jeep again, of course - to another traffic circle about a kilometer away, at the corner where my mother’s childhood home, Rosemary Cottage, still stands. She lived there with her parents throughout the war years. The town had reached out to the present owners of Rosemary Cottage, who allowed their home and garden to play an authentic role in the reenactment of our parents' first meeting.

As the story goes, my mom vowed early in the war that she would kiss the first Allied soldier she saw. She told her plan to the female political prisoners who were in jail with her in 1942. And after five long years of wartime occupation of Le Touquet, the day after German forces fled the town, my mother heard a Jeep on the road... and the rest is history, told in my book.

It was right here where Alex and Don went into action, much to the delight of the several hundred Touquetois who had come to watch.

Alexandra and Don Young reenact Romie's parents' first meeting

Alexandra and Don Young reenact the first kiss of Romie's and Alex's parents

Driving through Le Touquet during the 80th anniversary liberation celebration, Sept. 4, 2024

Alex walks Don to Rosemary Cottage, Le Touquet, 2024, just as her mother, Dorothy, walked Sandy to her home in 1944.

Across the street, on the grounds of the town’s museum, a series of large signs were filled with photographs from my book. The front book cover was on the first panel. I was both touched and thrilled.

Panels commemorating the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Le Touquet

Romie Christie's book See You in Le Touquet is on the first panel

The panels in Le Touquet commemorate the meeting of Romie's parents, recognized as the town's liberation moment!

My parents’ history was marked by a new plaque in the centre of town, at the traffic circle where my mother had jumped up and down, waving her arms to flag down my father’s Jeep on September 4, 1944. It is now named “Rond-Point de la Rencontre.” The meeting place, or place of the encounter. (The town is still searching for the best English translation of ‘rencontre’.)

Alexandra, Romie, and Le Touquet's Mayor Fasquelle unveil the new plaque honouring the historic encounter

Alain Holuigue and Romie Christie address the crowd while Alexandra and Don Young look on, Sept. 4, 2024

Mayor Fasquelle presents a commemorative coin to Romie and Alexandra

The French government representative, Isabelle Fradin-Thirode from Arras, said in her presentation, “The couple’s love symbolizes the rebirth and hope that blossomed after the war.” A photo of Alex and Don’s reenactment, shown in local papers the next day, said the hundreds of people in attendance were moved by the opportunity to revisit this part of their past.

The town’s bookstore had ordered 64 books from my publisher in Regina. After the speeches, I sat at the store’s table on the museum grounds to sign books for a long line of locals. I did my best in French! Many of them thanked me for writing the book that tells part of their history that must not be forgotten. In short order, there were no books left.

Romie Christie signs copies of her book See You in Le Touquet in Le Touquet, France

Sept. 4/24

Alex and Don ride in the parade of Jeeps, touring through Le Touquet

I am filled with gratitude for Alain Holuigue, the wonderful historian who played such a vital part in the 80th-anniversary events; to Le Touquet’s mayor Daniel Fasquelle, who, once he gets behind an idea makes sure it is done better than anyone might imagine; to everyone who works for the town, who came up with the plan for the day and made it all happen; to the Faire association who drove their Jeeps and lent such authenticity to the day. And to the hundreds of people who call Le Touquet home, who came to experience and honour my parents and their story. You will always be in my heart!

Author Romie Christie (right) with her sister Alexandra Young and Don Young,

Sept. 4, 2024, Le Touquet, France

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Buy Romie's inspiring book: https://driverworks.ca/

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France’s media coverage of the celebration:

 

     

      

                          

            

See the video of the 80th liberation anniversary celebration on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yNTXO0aYfZU

See the print story, Mayor Fasquelle's speech, and photos: 4 September - Le Touquet celebrates the 80th anniversary of the meeting between Dorothy Borutti and Sandy MacPherson and celebrates the Liberation - Touquet Info

Warm Welcome to Carlyle Homespun Craft Show

Each fall since 2009, I've showcased and sold my books at craft shows and trade shows in Saskatchewan and other Prairie communities. That's 15 years of setting up tables, chairs, books, brochures, and posters in exhibition halls, schools, museums, hockey rinks, and more to sell the books I edit, publish, and sometimes write. And it's been great!

These venues enable me to meet customers and learn what they like about the books I create and what they want to see more of in future publications. I hear accolades about my writing and that of my authors, and it's heartwarming to talk to people who have bought our books and come back for more.

The organizers of these shows are awesome humans too, and a recent event in Carlyle, SK proved it once again.

Upon arrival, I was met by Nicole Currie, one of the organizers of the 38th annual Carlyle Homespun Craft & Quilt Show. Alongside Nicole was her young grandson, Kitt, who quickly endeared himself to me with his choice of T-shirt.

Nicole Currie, an organizer of Carlyle Homespun 2024

Nicole's grandson Kitt with his "red wings" T-shirt

       

(The Detroit Red Wings was my late husband Al's favorite team, so any red wings that pop up since Al's death is a gentle sign of Al's spirit visiting us.)

Young Kitt then went on to endear himself to all the vendors by running from booth to booth as we were setting up our tables. Carrying a stack of sticky notes, Kitt enthusiastically told me, "You're working really hardly, so I want to give you three checkmarks. If you work really hard, you get 10."

That cracked me up!

Kitt handing out checkmarks to vendor Deana Driver of DriverWorks Ink, at Carlyle Homespun 2024
(Photo by Nicole Currie)

He then went to another booth down the aisle, where the vendor asked for a star on his note as well.

"If he gets a star, I want a star!" I called out to Kitt, who immediately came running back to my booth. He carefully added a star - which is "really hard to draw" - to my sticky note. I asked him to write his name too. He complied.

3 checkmarks and a star from Kitt

How much fun is that?

Nicole informed her grandson, "When your dad was little, I bought some books from this lady and her husband. I asked your dad, 'Will you read them?' I said, 'If you read them, I will buy them."

So that adds another wonderful memory for me of why I do what I do with our Prairie stories.

Thanks, Nicole and Kitt for putting a smile on my face at my first craft show of the 2024 fall season!

DriverWorks Ink books booth at Carlyle Homespun 2024

Buried Treasure in the Backyard

While I was working in my new backyard transplanting peonies, my new neighbour Patty brought me a bowl of gluten-free spaghetti and meat sauce. What a great neighbour! 

I've hired Patty to repaint the main floor of my house, so we've been spending a lot of time together. I told her that I had hit something solid with my shovel when I was digging in the backyard. It was a strange light blue colour and it made a strange noise when the shovel hit it. I had no idea what it was. "Come, I'll show you," I told her.

"Maybe it's buried treasure," Patty said hopefully.

"If it is, we'll split it," I replied.

So we started digging ... and digging.

I had a feeling this might be an important moment, so Patty kept digging while I went to grab my phone camera.

We hoped we wouldn't uncover a dead animal, like a beloved family pet. Mostly we hoped it wasn't a buried power line that was about to zap us or cause chaos in the neighbourhood because of our curiosity.

We dug and dug and the light blue surface kept getting bigger and bigger.

I sent a photo of it to a contractor friend and asked if he had any idea what it might be. "It sounds like porcelain, " I told him. 

"Very strange," he replied. 

Meanwhile, Patty kept digging and we discovered that this thing was rectangular and had rounded corners.

With one last turn of the shovel, Patty flipped our buried treasure up out of its resting place. 

We laughed and laughed! 

Wow. It is Porcelain! 

It's the top of a toilet tank!

Why was it buried? No idea. It doesn't really matter to me. "I'm keeping it for its story," I laughed as I hauled this blue treasure to its new spot in my yard - above ground!

"We're not any richer, but we've got a great story," I told Patty, who replied with a hilarious comment...

"We're still splitting it! One week it will be in your yard, and the next week it will be in mine." 

We laughed and laughed some more at our new bonding backyard adventure.