I have an idea that someone is planning a book about CHK -- I need to ask him. Certainly in his writing he comes across as a fascinating, creative and deeply flawed individual. Wish I'd known him, and would love to read a biography.
Probably Clin’s greatest achievement, apart from his educational work with live animals in schools, was the founding of the Bartlett Society.
I never ever had the opportunity to meet with Clinton Keeling .. I have read a fare few of his books and I must say his style of writing is encapsulating ... You always feel that he is talking to 'you' in person .... It is amazing to think that when he wrote most of his books he worked from a lot of research that he had undertaken himself from scratch ..... I guess most families are dysfunctional in one shape or form but it seems from reading articles on the internet and books that this family had a good few problems that have been aired in public .... Ashover in Derbyshire appear to have quite airbrushed the Zoo from the planet .... I guess some of the family are still living in the Area and wish to keep their family matters private which is understandable ... I look forward to a book coming out about Clinton Keeling should it be true what I read on the posts about this possibility ...
In the 80´and 90´s I had correspondence with Mr. Clinton Keeling about his books about bygone zoos. I liked the way he wrote these books and it was me a pleasure to deliver him sometimes a book or newspaper articles.. Curious the thing that when you ordered a book he had to print it first before he delivered it. There were no books on stock.
I did meet Clinton Keeling, a couple of times as a schoolboy, and later in adulthood (as above) at 'Zoologica' and at a meeting at ZSL called to discuss the founding of something called NAPAK (National Assn. of Private Animal Keepers). His efforts with the 'Where the..' books were both major and important), and it is unfortunate but hardly surprising that so few (including all mine) never physically stood the test of time - but my opinion does vary from some of those voiced here. In life you were far more likely to be talked 'at' rather than talked 'to'.. It is worth digging out a copy of 'Ask of the Beasts' by his then wife Jill Keeling which details the building and running of Pan's Garden, and has some pictures of same. 'Air-brushing' is an oft-used term here, but from the description in her book, it is easy to see why Ashover would perhaps prefer the place to be forgotten.
As a boy with the dream of one day having my own zoo, I started to keep exotic animals, I read and re-read his book on Unusual Pets (1958) which I enjoyed. Viewed by today's standards the cage designs and captive management advice given are very basic, but do give a good idea of the thinking at the time,
I've got that book, and it's a really good read, but does take one back to a very different age. However, I wish I had met him (fairly sure he was high up on the Autistic spectrum), and visited Pan's Garden. I hope to collect all the 'Where the....' Books as the Bartlett Society republishes them
Twice, I remember him speaking at my school. I recall a slightly nasal, but almost booming voice which terrified the school audience into silence, matched by his appearance. A finger missing from one hand (bitten off by a civet?) and only one eye, the second having been lost to some sort of (animal related?) infection he had refused to be hospitalised to treat. Both years I was the only member of the whole school audience (all Caucasian at a rural English Secondary-Modern, so we were ok there!) who dared to ask a question at the end. I don't remember what I aksed, but do remember he answered politely and in great detail. On both visits I helped him carry his animal boxes back to his car, a big Citroen Safari a rare and expensive car in England in those days. Even as a teenager, I was surprised he had such as I'd read his wife's book about the chicken wire and plywood Pan's Garden they built themselves in their back garden. A number of years later I had a sense of deja-vu whilst observing (from a distance) the late Reg Smith haranguing a member of his audience during a flying display at Weyhill. The poor unfortunate visitor was being given piece of Reg's mind in front of the assembly, for daring to talk during his delivery. Suddenly I was back in that school hall...
It wasn't until I worked in mental health that I realised how many people I knew who must have been on the spectrum, me included!
I also knew Mr Keeling for a while, as I had joined the Zoological Society of Ashover Zoo (our closest zoo.) Full marks for the education work and enthusiasm. However I was dismayed that he fully supported old fashioned zoos. I worked at Ashover Zoo after he had left. His ex-wife Jill, another formidable character, took over and there were talks of modernisation, starting off with the dreadful bear accommodation. Of course it closed and I moved to Chester, a much better prospect.
Despite a number of written accounts, which are mainly in books by members of the Keeling family, there are few other records. Do you by any chance have any photographs?
This site mentions the Sugar Puffs Bear: MDR14961 - Hill Top House, Ashover - Derbyshire Historic Environment Record There was a radio programme in 1958: https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/fed8212fce5d45c7a8af04fdda0d188b.
There are a couple of photos of a younger Clinton & Jill Keeling on Google images. I did find a wonderful photo of Clinton in his later years holding a crow. He looked quite mellow! Unfortunately I didn't save it and can't find it again. I did come across this article though NOSTALGIA: Zoological garden plan for busy Glossop park I don't know whether anyone has mentioned it. (I will comb through this site more after I have finished writing up a family history conundrum which is a bit lengthy and convoluted.)
He came to my primary school on several occasions, and it was an event that generated huge excitement. "Mr Keeling's coming! Mr Keeling's coming!" The curtains would be drawn, because he'd always bring at least one owl, and a pile of heavy-duty animal crates would appear in the corner of the room, and then on with the show... His blind eye and incomplete finger were always a mystery (and hugely intriguing for a class of young children, equally as interesting as whatever creature he was holding). The way he spoke and the phrases he used were also fascinating... "Time is RRRRACING BY, so let's get onto the NEXT SPECIMEN" he would bellow, after having requested complete silence from the audience. I was far too young at the time to know or care anything more about the man himself, but he certainly left indelible memories.
I found this review of one of Clinton Keeling's books by Malcolm Peaker, on the blog Zoology Jottings, which gives some interesting biographical insights. Where the Lion Trod. C.H. Keeling. Zoo history - a new re-publication of the 1984 book, edited by John Adams for the Bartlett Society Zoology Jottings: Where the Lion Trod. C.H. Keeling. Zoo history - a new re-publication of the 1984 book, edited by John Adams for the Bartlett Society
Is there a list given in either version for the species held at Maidstone Zoo? I believe some animals from there went to the newly founded Howletts Zoo owned by a certain gambler, but have never been able to ascertain exactly which species they were.
