Colin Welch facts for kids

James Colin Ross Welch (born April 23, 1924 – died January 28, 1997) was an English journalist who wrote about politics. He was known for strongly supporting people's freedom against too much government power.

Early Life and Family

James Welch was born at a place called Ickleton Abbey in Cambridgeshire, England. His family had owned and farmed the land there since 1900. They even bred large farm horses called Shire horses. His father, James William Welch, was an important landowner in the area.

Education and War Service

James went to school at Stowe and then studied at Peterhouse, Cambridge, a college at Cambridge University. During World War II, he joined the Royal Warwickshire Regiment in 1944. He took part in the D-Day landings in Normandy in June 1944, which was a very important event in the war. He continued fighting until he was injured in March 1945.

A Career in Journalism

After the war, James Welch began his career in journalism. In 1948, he joined The Glasgow Herald newspaper. Then, in 1950, he moved to The Daily Telegraph, a major newspaper in England.

For about 30 years, he worked as a parliamentary correspondent for The Daily Telegraph. This meant he reported on what was happening in the British Parliament (the government's law-making body). He often wrote about his ideas, which supported economic freedom and less government control.

In 1964, he became the Deputy Editor of The Daily Telegraph, a very important role. He held this position until 1980. James Welch passed away in January 1997 in Froxfield, Wiltshire.

His Views on Enid Blyton

James Welch was also well-known for being a strong critic of the famous children's author Enid Blyton in the 1950s and 1960s. He especially disliked her Noddy series of books.

He believed that these books were not good for children's development after the war. In 1958, he wrote a very critical article in a magazine called Encounter. He wrote that it was "hard to see how a diet of Miss Blyton could help with the 11-plus or even with the Cambridge English Tripos." The "11-plus" was an important school test, and the "Cambridge English Tripos" was a difficult university exam.

He described the character Noddy as "unnaturally priggish," "sanctimonious," "witless, spiritless, snivelling, sneaking doll." These words showed how strongly he felt that the books were not helping children learn or grow.

Famous Granddaughter

James Welch had a son named Nicholas Russell Welch, who worked in advertising. Nicholas's daughter is the well-known musician Florence Welch, who is famous for her band Florence + The Machine.