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Dead Man’s Head
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Dead Man’s Head
By Jack Lasenby
Narrated by Tina Regtien
Suitable for Kids and Young Adult
Published by Longacre Press
Set in the depression of 1930, Dead Man’s Head tells of the lively exploits of a gang of children in a small rural town as they fill their summer school holidays.
- Dead Man’s Head – Part 15m 30s5m 30sThe Seddon Street Gang - Denny, Polly, twins Pete and Joe and the leader, Bob - from the small rural Waikato town, Waharua, in 1930. Denny tries to blow up the Rotorua Express and at school, the kids all play footy.
- Dead Man’s Head – Part 25m 16s5m 16sMr Welsh the teacher, warns the children not to get into trouble in the holidays and tells Polly to leave Catherine Campbell alone. The gang decides what they're going to do over the summer.
- Dead Man’s Head – Part 36m 3s6m 3sThe Seddon Street Gang outwit Mr Whistler, the Station Master who they all call the Gorilla. They lock him in his goods shed, along with Mr Hudson the lorry driver.
- Dead Man’s Head – Part 44m 19s4m 19sThe rest of the gang have to go home after the serial but Denny stays on at the Saturday night flicks. He sits in front of Mr Whistler who puts his hands round Denny's neck during the horror feature. Denny's screams stop the movie.
- Dead Man’s Head – Part 54m 37s4m 37sThe gang have been forbidden to go to the pictures. They see smoke from Clark's house on Saturday night and race to the hall for help. Everyone runs out leaving Mrs Packham sitting on the ramp.
- Dead Man’s Head – Part 65m 38s5m 38sDenny rescues the Clark's cat and clock from the fire. A bucket brigade and blankets stop the fire spreading and Mr Clark's lorry is saved, but the gang have to watch as the house burns down.
- Dead Man’s Head – Part 75m 14s5m 14sBob leads the gang to the cheese factory to fly their gliders. Mr Shepherd sees their footprints, but can't reach them in the hut they've made of boxes, high up in the rafters.
- Dead Man’s Head – Part 85m 8s5m 8sThe Seddon Street Gang reach the top of the factory and carve their initials in the rail. Down in the yard Mr Shepherd sees them and gives chase but Catherine Campbell's father hides them behind his engine room bench.
- Dead Man’s Head – Part 94m 56s4m 56sThe gang hide in a hedge to surprise people passing by. Not much happens so they cross the paddock and watch a truck take away a dead cow. Then they go to Johnny Johannsen's orchard for apples.
- Dead Man’s Head – Part 105m 5s5m 5sJohnny Johannsen takes the gang to shoot at birds and lets them help themselves to apples. But Bob says Johnny used to shoot children and use them as scarecrows so they throw apples and taunt him.
- Dead Man’s Head – Part 115m 22s5m 22sThe gang all make trolleys and ride them on Pedlar's Hill. Mr Clark drives into the bamboo castle they've put at the bottom and is very angry. They're not allowed to go out of Seddon Street and the boys get hidings.
- Dead Man’s Head – Part 124m 58s4m 58sThe gang are wrongly accused of breaking the insulation cups on the telegraph poles. They work out that it's probably Catherine Campbell's fault. Bob has an idea of how to get their own back.
- Dead Man’s Head – Part 135m 43s5m 43sThe Seddon Street gang ride the railway jigger in the moonlight and bombard Mrs Pedlar's roof with acorns.
- Dead Man’s Head – Part 144m 44s4m 44sRailway jigger gets hit by the late goods train. The gang are OK but can't find the jigger anywhere. They run home and, years later, Mr Pedlar finds it.
- Dead Man’s Head – Part 154m 47s4m 47sDenny gets up in the night and goes to the peach tree. He hears 'the Murderer', Mr Clark, go into his shed. Then the gang all come out and go to the factory to carve their names on the new railing.
- Dead Man’s Head – Part 165m 5s5m 5sThe gang discover that Mr Clark has hanged himself in the shed. Polly's dad tells her he was a victim of the Great War but Mrs Pedlar, the Sunday School teacher, says it was against God's Law and it's wicked to say war is wrong.
- Dead Man’s Head – Part 174m 39s4m 39sPolly and Denny watch a mob of cattle go past. The drover frees a bull stuck by Mr Clark's lorry. The children talk about death and splash through the cow muck to join Denny and the others. Polly rolls a cigarette.
- Dead Man’s Head – Part 185m 8s5m 8sThe gang come upon a couple of swaggers and the younger one offers them some Juno Cut Plug tobacco in a pipe. Polly likes it but Denny feels sick. The swaggers take off and Denny vows never to smoke again.
- Dead Man’s Head – Part 195m 25s5m 25sThe gang go to Mr Silver's sawdust heap and hide in Old Man Wilson's maize. He's angry but Mr Wilson defends them. Pete cuts his foot badly and Mr Casey, who has a wooden leg from the war, shows them how to carry Pete home.
- Dead Man’s Head – Part 205m 14s5m 14sPete's mother bandages his foot and Denny copies the way Mr Casey hops and he breathes as if he has a gas mask. The children discuss marriage and Denny takes some of his mothers scones to Mr Casey.
- Dead Man’s Head – Part 215m 59s5m 59sDenny's father has a serious accident and his mother goes to be with him in Waikato hospital, leaving Denny and his sister Betty with mean Aunty Joyce. Aunty Joyce locks Denny in his room.
- Dead Man’s Head – Part 225m 29s5m 29sDenny escapes to the back shed and the gang give him food. Aunty Joyce tricks him into coming out and thrashes him. Uncle Ted arrvies and takes Denny home to stay with him in the country.
- Dead Man’s Head – Part 235m 46s5m 46sUncle Ted gives Denny some Dead Man's Head pudding and Denny talks to his mother on the neighbour's phone. Denny's father is much better.
- Dead Man’s Head – Part 244m 40s4m 40sDenny goes home to his mother in Waharua. But lots of children have got infantile paralysis and the gang are delighted - it means they're all going to stay at Uncle Ted's for the rest of the summer.
