It’s been a busy week but I did manage to rescan all my copies of PAN number 2 of ‘Lost Horizon’ by James Hilton, This title must hold the record for the most editions with six different covers but with the same number from 1947 through to 1957. Artists for these covers include Stephen Richard Boldero (whose real surname was Hamel-Wedekind), Sax (Rudolph Michael Sachs) , J H Bruce and Roger Hall. PAN also published it as G330 in 1960 with a cover by Samuel John ‘PEFF’ Peffer, again in 1966 as X558 with a cover by Hans Heinrich Helweg which PAN also used for 0330 105582 in 1980. PAN published a film tie-in edition in 1973 with film stills on the cover and at least two special editions for the Shangri-La Hotel in Singapore which opened on the 23rd of April 1971 One of the covers features the Hans Helweg cover artwork.
Just as an aside, and this may be hard to believe, but I do have other interests alongside PAN Books. The reason it has been busy this week is because we have had news on a decision we have been waiting for for nearly two years. The press release from SUSTRANS say “We’re thrilled to announce that planning permission has been granted for a multi-million-pound upgrade to the McClean Way, enhancing safety and accessibility for all users! The project will improve the route between Pelsall and Brownhills, providing a safer, direct path for walking, wheeling, and cycling. A huge thank you to our partners National Highways and the Department for Transport for their support in delivering this transformative project!” Having helped open up this disused railway track from the primeval swamp it was, this is fantastic as it means it will get a proper surface which currently can get very muddy in the winter. We are now moving along the Lichfield section of which we have cleared a third.
