Could Enid Blyton’s Famous Five outwit modern parenting?

[pete9012S]

The Famous Five can outwit any smuggler they face, but I do wonder how they might cope with modern, helicopter parents who hover around their children to protect them and guide them through life? In particular, would strong-willed free spirit George survive?

Would you like to find out how they fare? Well, come on Timmy, let’s find out in this new adventure entitled:
Famous Five: Five Go Adventuring with Helicopter Parents

Famous Five: Five Go Adventuring with Helicopter Parents

Chapter 1 – All together again

In the back of the Citroen Picasso, looking out the car’s windows, the Five were excited! They were going back to Kirrin Cottage for another summer! Timmy barked loudly and cheerfully as Kirrin Island and its castle came into view.

Eleven-year-old George was the most excited of the Five. George was a wilful, stubborn girl. She hated being called Georgina and hated girl things like pretty dresses or dolls. She only liked boy things like climbing trees or swimming. Until last summer she’d never had any friends, until her three cousins came to stay with her.

As George looked out the window, she remembered her adventures on Kirrin Island. It had been dangerous and exciting and it had made them all the greatest of friends!

George looked around and saw Anne, Dick and Julian looking at her. Her face flushed and she grew upset.

‘Why are you all looking at me?’ George demanded to know from her cousins.

Julian laughed jollily, ‘Silly George, we’re looking at you, because we’re all remembering last summer’s adventures that could never have happened without you!’

George felt her anger and upset slipping away. For so many years she’d been on her own, but now she was here surrounded by the best friends she could ever imagine. She wondered what adventure they’d have this summer.

Everyone smiled, except for Dave and Liz in the front seats of the car. They were the cousins’ parents. Dave and Liz looked very serious. Very serious indeed.

You can read the whole story here in pdf:

Famous Five: Five Go Adventuring with Helicopter Parents
https://www.docdroid.net/xg0delM/famous ... arents-pdf

See also:
https://orandoyle.com/2016/08/03/could- ... parenting/

Inspired by #Ukmgchat with Jeff Norton last month which revealed that Jeff once ran the Enid Blyton literary estate and revised her books for modern audiences, myself and my children spent the last two weeks on holidays reading the first two Famous Five book together. Both were revised editions, but the lively, dangerous, silly adventures of the Five are still happily in place. What stood out most of all to me was the wonderful freedom that the children had to have adventures on their own and discover the beautiful British countryside together.

[Jomo]

“ First they had to stop and go back home to put their Factor 50 sun lotion. Next they had to stop at the main road so that Dave and Liz could help them cross safely, even though there were no cars to be seen in either direction.”

I’m everlastingly thankful that we were free-ranged as children, though not to the exquisite extent that the characters of these books were.
I do see children abandoned to their own devices these days - their electronic devices that is. It saddens me that parents are foolish enough to allow it.

[Viv of Ginger Pop]

Inspired by #Ukmgchat with Jeff Norton last month which revealed that Jeff once ran the Enid Blyton literary estate and revised her books for modern audiences,

I thought that I recognised the name, Jeff Norton.

If you were to appoint someone to be in charge of the Enid Blyton estate, would you choose someone who
a) was brought up in a part of the world where Blyton was virtually unknown (Canada) because of Rights issues
b) was a reluctant reader (ie didn't like books by anyone) and had only ever read a couple of Blytons as a child, probably under protest?

Would you then compound the problem by putting someone in day-to-day charge who was from Turkey, and had read even less Blyton as a child?
These international professionals were what David Goodhart calls "anywheres"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jya7nThQp8I

It was as if Chorion was deliberately removing Blyton from its cultural context of England in the middle of the C20th. And I mean England, not the UK !

They viewed Blyton as 'Product' and a property that they owned and could do with as they pleased. I regarded the original texts as part of England's heritage, which with them in charge, needed protection as an old building does against developers. I would mutter darkly that if they were in charge of John Constable's estate, they would take The Haywain and re-paint the sky pink to make it more attractive to girls...

I think that no adult should be in control of the Blyton estate who was not gripped by the books during Primary school. There are people from all around the world on this Forum who would have done a better job with the Blyton estate than this pair, who knocked the stuffing out of the books

Viv

[Barnard]

Vic is absolutely right.
The texts in Enid Blyton’s books do not need to be altered, changed or amended in any way by anybody. The stories are great as they are. I cannot understand why people are unable to stop interfering. There are so many busybodies around who think they know better.

[Jomo]

I think we’re all on the same page in regards to modernising, updating and censoring the texts. What I find most egregious however is the constant unwarranted criticisms of the writing - most of the criticisms levelled at Enid Blyton’s various series are vey one-eyed and can be shown to be baseless by reference to the actual texts.

[Barnard]

When I posted earlier that ‘Vic is right’, it should have read ‘Viv is right’.
Apologies for the error.

[pete9012S]

I thought that I recognised the name, Jeff Norton.
Viv

Yes, I thought you would Viv!

You have posted with restraint and painted a fair picture despite your frustrating historic interactions with him.

Regards

Pete

[Viv of Ginger Pop]

Vic is absolutely right.

But changing names for no apparent reason is something that Chorion did with gay abandon

[Barnard]

I apologised for accidentally spelling your name wrong at 15.49

[Viv of Ginger Pop]

Sorry Barnard - I meant that as an ironic joke

Viv - Vic - Vith