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Ernie Gordon was born on 15 April, 1933, at Wallsend on Tyne, into a railway family. Soon after, they moved to the north of Northumberland then eventually settled in Ulgham Grange (pronounced Uffam) about sixteen miles south of the ancient and historic county town of Alnwick.
From about the age of six he became known as Sonny simply because his father was also called Ernie and the two of them always came running when his mother Jenny called! Even today, some sixty-five-plus years on, there are those who still call him by his nickname.
It was at Ulgham that the love of the wild red squirrel, and nature in general, was first formed; and his way of life in those distant days was more akin to that of Huckleberry Finn, where every spare moment of his life was spent in the woods and fields and along the banks of the small River Lyne.
The adventures of Rusty Redcoat, a red squirrel, start when the Redcoats’ family home is severely damaged, when it crashes to the ground, after the tree in which it was built is cut down.
When Sonny, the son of a gamekeeper, is out exploring the woodland, he finds the mass of twigs and moss, which are the remains of the Redcoats’ home, and he decides to investigate. To his surprise he finds Rusty Redcoat.
Sonny befriends Rusty, and knows that he must care for this poor creature if it is to survive. As his new friend takes him back to his house, Rusty uses all of his squirrel warning detection systems to alert him when things are not quite as they should be, and danger threatens.
Thrilling times are ahead for the pair, with total mayhem often being the end result.
Follow Rusty as the adventure of a lifetime begins. Learn about woodland life and many of the wonderful creatures who live within it, and how Rusty deals with them, and the dangers that lie ahead.
On my holidays I read a great book, The Aventures of Rusty Redcoat Volume 1 by Ernie Gordon. . . . The book is a fantastic way to see life from a red squirrel’s point of view, and I can’t wait to see what happens next in Volume 2! There’s even a web site (see below) all about the series.
Autumn 2008, mammals uk.
An ideal Christmas present for any young reader this fictional tale portrays a realistic picture of red squirrels’ everyday habits and the perils they face. Written by a man who has devoted most of his life to the study of this threatened species. . . . and along the way young readers will learn much about woodland life.The Northumbrian
ISBN 978-0-7223-3940-4
Paperback - 160 pages
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