Item 012 - Flippy the Dolphin Book

Fonds
JR Butler's Internet of Things - a collection of objects amassed over a lifetime whether bought, found or given and which no longer serve any purpose other than as a mnemonic.

Level of Description
Childrens book detailing the life of a dolphin, part of the 'real life' readers series.

Provenance
Received as a 7th birthday present from my uncle and auntie Daniel and Sue Butler and their children Alexander and Lucinda in May 1979.

Associations
This book has been in my possession for nearly thirty years, I have always loved to read and this book combined both story telling and facts from nature (info on dolphins, sharks etc) which as I child I found fascinating and fuelled my inquisitive mind about the natural world around me. Though I soon outgrew the book, I never passed it on mainly as it was a gift and because it was one of the few books I owned which had a personal message in the front cover. As an adult I associate the book with my cousin, Alexander who passed away following a life long battle with a congenital illness, Hunters syndrome a variant of Mucopolysaccharide (MPS). Regardless of his disabilities he was a infectiously positive person who became a decorated boy scout, horse rider and passed his driving test. As children we were great friends and I would go and stay with his family in Oxford, regretably as I got older I saw him less and less and the last time we met was his 30th birthday when he was confined to a wheel chair (but still smiling and laughing). He passed away soon after and I always have a sense of regret that I never maintained contact with him.

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