Trippers

[Fiona1986]

Absolutely, Jack. George considered Kirrin Island her own private sanctuary. It was a big deal for her to even allow her cousins to visit the island, she had never ever taken anyone there before even though the local children had begged, so the thought of complete strangers invading her personal space drove her wild.

[Anita Bensoussane]

Thanks for posting the whole of 'Little-Place', Fiona. A vivid and emotional poem!

[Lucky Star]

A wonderful poem. Very poignant. Thanks for posting it Fiona.

I don’t have a copy of FOATI to hand but do the sightseers actually land on the island? My recollection is that they just go out in boats and surround the wreck.

[Fiona1986]

Anita quoted a passage earlier which included Sightseers from the places all around came to see it, and the fishermen managed to find the little inlet and land the people there.

[floragord]

"I'm puzzled as to why people coming to look at the wreck would cause anyone to sob with rage, unless it was fury at the hoi polloi coming to gawk at a private event"
floragord

Because they landed on George's private island/property- think your back garden. And probably left litter, frightened the wildlife (Timmy wasn't allowed to chase the rabbits- the one thing that George and Timmy did not agree on)

Thanks for clarifying!

[Lucky Star]

Anita quoted a passage earlier which included Sightseers from the places all around came to see it, and the fishermen managed to find the little inlet and land the people there.

Ah thanks. I missed that.

[pete9012S]

The third mention of Trippers in The Famous Five books comes in book 14. Five Have Plenty Of Fun:

..

Whoever it was has gone into hiding somewhere. If it’s trippers having a picnic there I’ll be absolutely furious. If we see smoke rising we’ll know it is trippers!’
But no smoke arose. Dick had a turn at looking through the glasses, and he looked puzzled.

[pete9012S]

I can only find one reference to Trippers in the whole of The Secret Seven series:

..

Review by David Cook
This story is set in November, presumably following on from the previous adventure

Nine
An exciting time!
IT wasn't until they came to what seemed to be a dark kitchen-like place, with a huge stone sink in one corner, that they found anything at all exciting. Jack suddenly stopped and pointed.
The others looked, and saw what appeared to have been a fire, made of sticks, half-burnt through. Pam gave a little cry as she bent over them.
'Why — the sticks are still warm! It's not long since this fire was lighted!'
'Sh!' said everyone, looking over their shoulders, feeling that whoever had lighted that fire, might still be about.
Peter felt the twigs. Yes, they were certainly still warm — and what was more, it looked as if someone had stamped out the little fire in a hurry, for it was curiously flattened!
Talk in loud voices about ordinary things,' commanded Peter, in a whisper. 'And keep your eyes open.'
They followed Peter up some steps to a stone bench in a crumbling recess in the wall. A newspaper had been left there, and they pounced on it.
'What date is it? It might tell us whether anyone has been here recently,' said Colin. He shook it open.
'No — no use,' he said. 'Look — it's dated 16th September — ages ago!'
'Left by some visitor, probably — maybe trippers were still visiting the castle then,' said Peter. 'Come on — let's have another look round.'
To their great disappointment they could find nothing of any use at all. A few cigarette ends — one or two dead matches — a paper bag that had once held sweets. 'No — I can't say that these are any help,' said Peter.

[John Pickup]

I visited Torling Castle on the 16th September, Pete. That paper must have been mine. I'm certain I brought it away with me. It was only the Daily Mirror, I hope this doesn't reflect badly on me.

[pete9012S]

If you didn't light a fire John you are merely a harmless sightseer..
However if you did, you are an 'orrible, dirty old Tripper!!!

[pete9012S]

What about Trippers in the Adventure Series?? I hear you cry.
Well, so far I can only find just one reference. Can you guess what book it's from?


Above: 1962 Thames cover - book originally published 1949.
https://www.enidblytonsociety.co.uk/boo ... ustrations" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

“Why are there so many many butterflies, I wonder!” marvelled
Dinah.
“I suppose because there are so many varieties of food-plants,” said
Bill. “This valley is apparently as famous for flowers as for butterflies,
but because it is so much off the beaten track, it is rarely visited.
I’ve no doubt the pack of dogs would keep trippers away, anyhow!”

[Courtenay]

All this talk of trippers is reminding me of another of Harry Graham's Ruthless Rhymes (I remember Dave/Domino quoting him in another thread a while ago)...

I collided with some "trippers"
In my swift De Dion Bouton;
Squashed them out as flat as kippers,
Left them "aussi mort que mouton".
What a nuisance "trippers" are!
I must now repaint the car.

[pete9012S]

Enid Blyton's Trippers even find their way into two of The Mystery books!

..
The Mystery Of The Hidden House published 1948
https://www.enidblytonsociety.co.uk/boo ... dden+House" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

“Pity we couldn’t get in,”said Pip, in a low voice to Fatty. Fatty nudged him to keep quiet. Pip saw somebody riding up the track. It was a postman on his bicycle.
“Good afternoon,”said Fatty, at once. “Could you tell us the time, please?”
The postman got off his bicycle, undid his coat and looked at a watch in his pocket.
“Stopped!”he said. “Don’t know what the matter is with this old watch of mine. Just won’t go now!”
“It’s a nice old watch, isn’t it,”said Fatty. “Are you going up to those iron gates? We’ve just been there too, but the man at the lodge won’t let us in.”
“He’s the caretaker,”said the postman, putting back his watch and buttoning up his coat. “Proper bad-tempered fellow too. ’Course he wouldn’t let you in! He’s there to stop children and tramps and trippers from spoiling the place. It belongs to an old fellow who won’t live there himself, and asks such an enormous price for the place that nobody will buy it.”

Seem like a really nefarious lot these Trippers - listed along with other ne'er-do-wells who would trash a place as soon as look at it if given the opportunity!!!

[pete9012S]

Any fans of trippers on the forums?

I think the problem with modern trippers has become much worse since the advent of plastic.
It makes Enid's 1940's and 1950's trippers seem very tame as they only seemed to leave orange peel, apple cores and paper bags after themselves!

[Katharine]

I've just looked up the definition of a tripper, and it says a person who goes on pleasure trip or an excursion.

Well surely that makes many of us on the forums trippers?

I think there was probably a certain amount of snobbery in the past, because most trippers would have been working class, city dwellers and all tarred with the same brush by those in the upper classes who could afford to take a 'proper' holidays, rather than having to snatch a few odd days out whenever they were lucky enough to be given time off.