Paul Jennings
Described as an English humorist Jennings was best known for his ‘Oddly Enough’ column in The Observer that ran for many years and also wrote popular children’s books including ‘The Great Jelly of London’, The Hopping basket’ and ‘The Train to Yesterday’
- 48
- Author & Journalist who lived for many years on Rectory Hill
- 51.970331, 1.016991
Details
Described as an English humorist Jennings was best known for his ‘Oddly Enough’ column in The Observer that ran for many years and also wrote popular children’s books including ‘The Great Jelly of London’, The Hopping basket’ and ‘The Train to Yesterday’
In the early years whilst serving with the Royal Signals during WWII he did freelance work for Punch and The Spectator and soon after leaving the army worked briefly as a scriptwriter for the Central Office of Information whilst continuing with his freelance work.
In the 1949 he joined the Observer with his fortnightly column Oddly Enough’ until 1966 but continued through this time to publish other freelance work in Punch, The Times and the Telegraph magazine.
His published pieces were a mixture of poems, books and articles such as ‘The Unthinkable Carrier’, ‘Sleep for Sale’ and he also came up with the concept of the capsule hotel.
A great admirer of James Thurber who did attended a dinner party at his house on Rectory Hill and subsequently wrote of the conversation in a 1955 New York piece (The New Yorker is an American weekly journalisms magazine which started in 1925), which sadly I have been unable to track down.
Married to Celia Blom, they lived at Hill House where they had six children. A Catholic and keen chorister, he sang with the Oriana Madrigal Society and the London Philmarnia Chorus and in later years was an active member of the Church choice at St Thomas of Canterbury church in Woodbridge.
He died in December 1989
- 48
- Author & Journalist who lived for many years on Rectory Hill
- 51.970331, 1.016991
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