Mr. Finchley
Encyclopedia
Mr. Finchley is a fictional character in three comic novels by Victor Canning
, a novelist who later gained great success with thrillers. He first appears in Canning's very first book, Mr. Finchley Discovers his England, published in 1934 and as Mr. Finchley's Holiday in the USA
in 1935.
solicitor's clerk who is told by his boss to take a holiday for the first time in his life. On his way to the railway station he agrees to keep watch on a car, goes to sleep on the back seat, and wakes to find it being driven off by a thief and pursued by the police. This is the first of around 20 disconnected episodes which take Mr Finchley gradually west to Land's End
and then back to London
.
In the second book, Mr. Finchley Goes to Paris (1938), he befriends and in the end adopts an orphan boy, and in the third, Mr. Finchley Takes the Road (1940), he marries and explores the county of Kent
in a horse-drawn caravan.
in the 1980s featuring Richard Griffiths
, and these were rebroadcast in 2005 on BBC 7
.
Victor Canning
Victor Canning was a prolific writer of novels and thrillers who flourished in the 1950s, '60s and '70s, but whose reputation has faded since his death in 1986...
, a novelist who later gained great success with thrillers. He first appears in Canning's very first book, Mr. Finchley Discovers his England, published in 1934 and as Mr. Finchley's Holiday in the USA
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in 1935.
Notable adventures
He is introduced as a 45-year-old LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
solicitor's clerk who is told by his boss to take a holiday for the first time in his life. On his way to the railway station he agrees to keep watch on a car, goes to sleep on the back seat, and wakes to find it being driven off by a thief and pursued by the police. This is the first of around 20 disconnected episodes which take Mr Finchley gradually west to Land's End
Land's End
Land's End is a headland and small settlement in west Cornwall, England, within the United Kingdom. It is located on the Penwith peninsula approximately eight miles west-southwest of Penzance....
and then back to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
.
In the second book, Mr. Finchley Goes to Paris (1938), he befriends and in the end adopts an orphan boy, and in the third, Mr. Finchley Takes the Road (1940), he marries and explores the county of Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
in a horse-drawn caravan.
In other media
A series of radio dramatisations were made by the BBCBBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
in the 1980s featuring Richard Griffiths
Richard Griffiths
Richard Griffiths, OBE is an English actor of stage, film and television. He has received the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor, the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actor in a Play, the Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Featured Actor and a Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor...
, and these were rebroadcast in 2005 on BBC 7
BBC 7
BBC Radio 4 Extra, formerly known as BBC 7 and BBC Radio 7, is a British digital radio station broadcasting comedy, drama, and children's programming nationally 24 hours a day. It is the principal broadcasting outlet for the BBC's archive of spoken-word entertainment...
.