Alf and Binnie Hodbin are ruffian tearaways who were evacuated from Whitechapel, in the Second World War literary world of Connie Willis’ books Blackout and All Clear. At the Manor House of Lady Catherine, they create havoc for the maid, Eileen O’Reilly, who is actually a time-traveller from the Oxford University of 2060. Over the course of the two books, Alf and Binnie are evacuated, fall very ill with the measles, are returned home to their uncaring mother, saved by Eileen from a fatal journey on the City of Benaras ship and eventually adopted into a better life…. All the time scraping their knees, stealing from other people, living rough, swearing and gaining uncanny insight into Eileen’s reasons for working as a maid.
Hodbins-All! was on display recently at The Spring in Havant as part of my Mrs Miniver sock art exhibition.