I was interested to learn that Hattie was not allowed to read Enid Blyton books as a child. "My childhood was spent under a Blyton ban. Whether this was a judgment on the books' literary merits or rather un-PC values remains unclear." Hattie goes on to say that "in the current context, Julian, Dick, Anne, George and Timmy the dog are beginning to look like model citizens, their summertime adventures positively prescient. No foreign holidays for them. It's down to Dorset for heaps of healthy, sanctioned outdoor activity, during which they go to heroic lengths to practise social distancing, skirting adults almost entirely. They eschew super-spreading forms of public transport for sail, peddle [sic] or foot and are champions of struggling small businesses (particularly ice-cream producing farms)."
I couldn't help noticing that it's now assumed that the Famous Five spend practically all their holidays in Dorset! Oh, and the fact that they quite regularly travel by train is conveniently ignored!
Also, it's amazing how many journalists confuse "peddle" and "pedal"! I've come across the same mistake in other publications.
After continuing to talk about the Famous Five, Hattie quotes me:
That comes from an email that I sent to Hattie Garlick when she contacted Tony to say that she was writing a piece on "how to have an Enid Blyton summer." Her email didn't say she'd be concentrating on the Famous Five in particular, so some of what I said ("badger-watching and birdwatching") applies to characters from other Enid Blyton books and series!"We see the characters camping, swimming in the sea and lakes, observing nature (e.g. badger-watching and birdwatching), hiking, exploring and picnicking," says Anita Bensoussane of the Enid Blyton Society. "The books show children it's exciting to be outdoors, with plenty to do and discover."
It's always good to see a positive Blyton-themed article and this one stands out because of the striking Ruth Palmer illustrations and the use of a number of quotations from the books.
