Tim and the Hidden People - Sheila McCullagh

Which other authors do you enjoy? Discuss them here.
Post Reply
User avatar
Stephen
Posts: 2105
Joined: 05 Feb 2006, 09:38
Location: Maidenhead
Contact:

Tim and the Hidden People - Sheila McCullagh

Post by Stephen »

Do the names Tim and Tobias mean anything to anyone? They were characters in a series of books by Sheila K McCullagh we had to read at primary school. It was all mysterious, supernatural stuff and I didn't have the faintest idea what was going on - but it was still fascinating to read. I remember that Tim was a normal boy and Tobias was a talking cat. There was another talking cat called Sebastian, a ghostly pirate called Captain Jory and some talking trees called Stump People. Unfortunately, I never got to read all of them.

http://www.timandthehiddenpeople.moonfruit.com/

Anyone else remember them?
User avatar
Almas
Posts: 963
Joined: 09 Jul 2007, 03:11
Favourite book/series: Six Bad Boys/Adventure/Famous Five/ Find-Outers
Favourite character: Fatty (I have a crush on him!!)
Location: Sharjah, UAE

Re: Tim and the Hidden People - Sheila McCullagh

Post by Almas »

Hi Stephen

I'm afraid I haven't heard of them - but they found interesting - and thanks for the link :D
Books are the quietest and most constant of friends; they are the most accessible and wisest of counselors, and the most patient of teachers.

When once the itch of literature comes over a man, nothing can cure it but the scratching of a pen.
User avatar
daanton
Posts: 1114
Joined: 01 Apr 2014, 03:26
Favourite book/series: FAMOUS FIVE
Favourite character: All the Five, but especially Anne.
Location: Canada

Re: Tim and the Hidden People - Sheila McCullagh

Post by daanton »

Merged with an older topic.

Any of you guys out there remember (when you were a school child) reading any or all of the titles in this book series created by Sheila K. McCullagh?

This was a 1970s reading scheme originally devised for younger readers (4-7 years), consisting of 32 books, each 32 pages long, and illustrated originally by Pat Cook and later by Ray Mutimer.

This night-time fantasy adventure series of books are about a boy called Tim who lives in a house in The Yard. The books begin with Tim finding a key which enables him to see what are called the Hidden People, and befriending Tobias the black cat with whom has many adventures on their flying broom.



Comments. Remembrances.
Famous Five TV Fan
Image
User avatar
Anita Bensoussane
Forum Administrator
Posts: 26772
Joined: 30 Jan 2005, 23:25
Favourite book/series: Adventure series, Six Cousins books, Six Bad Boys
Favourite character: Jack Trent, Fatty and Elizabeth Allen
Location: UK

Re: Tim and the Hidden People - Sheila McCullagh

Post by Anita Bensoussane »

I've never read the Tim books, but they sound intriguing. When my daughter was little she collected Sheila McCullagh's Puddle Lane series from charity shops, and soon had the whole set of 54 books. They were published by Ladybird in the 1980s for beginner readers, and the stories were simple but full of mystery and magic. There was a Puddle Lane TV series in the 1980s.
"Heyho for a starry night and a heathery bed!" - Jack, The Secret Island.

"There is no bond like the bond of having read and liked the same books."
- E. Nesbit, The Wonderful Garden.


Society Member
User avatar
daanton
Posts: 1114
Joined: 01 Apr 2014, 03:26
Favourite book/series: FAMOUS FIVE
Favourite character: All the Five, but especially Anne.
Location: Canada

Re: Tim and the Hidden People - Sheila McCullagh

Post by daanton »

I for one remember reading them in grade school... intriguing stuff, sometimes scary, overall fantastical... especially how the key and Tobias the cat almost like so similar... almost sinister or evil-like....!

At least that's what it kinda felt like to a kid like me doing Grade II or III.

Nowadays, I sometimes wonder why I couldn't have read all the titles, instead of just the first two or three. Of course, as they were part of a developmental reading series. Still, y'know.
Last edited by daanton on 26 May 2014, 14:27, edited 1 time in total.
Famous Five TV Fan
Image
User avatar
Courtenay
Posts: 19275
Joined: 07 Feb 2014, 01:22
Favourite book/series: The Adventure Series, Galliano's Circus
Favourite character: Lotta
Location: Both Aussie and British; living in Cheshire

Re: Tim and the Hidden People - Sheila McCullagh

Post by Courtenay »

Anita Bensoussane wrote:I've never read the Tim books, but they sound intriguing. When my daughter was little she collected Sheila McCullagh's Puddle Lane series from charity shops, and soon had the whole set of 54 books. They were published by Ladybird in the 1980s for beginner readers, and the stories were simple but full of mystery and magic. There was a Puddle Lane TV series in the 1980s.
Ah, I remember Puddle Lane on TV, just barely - it obviously screened in Australia too. :D At least, I don't remember any of the stories (though I presumably enjoyed them, or I wouldn't have bothered to watch at all), but I do remember the Magician and his talking cauldron with big eyes on its side. I certainly recall finding it rather silly that the Magician had to ask Cauldron what the magic spell was in each episode, and it was always exactly the same thing each time - singing "pom, pom, pom-pom-pom" (or sounds to that effect). Did that bloke have a short term memory problem, or what?? :lol:
Society Member

It was a nuisance. An adventure was one thing - but an adventure without anything to eat was quite another thing. That wouldn't do at all. (The Valley of Adventure)
User avatar
Anita Bensoussane
Forum Administrator
Posts: 26772
Joined: 30 Jan 2005, 23:25
Favourite book/series: Adventure series, Six Cousins books, Six Bad Boys
Favourite character: Jack Trent, Fatty and Elizabeth Allen
Location: UK

Re: Tim and the Hidden People - Sheila McCullagh

Post by Anita Bensoussane »

:lol: I haven't actually seen the Puddle Lane TV series, but I don't remember the magician in the books being a comical character. It must be well over a decade since I last read any of the stories though.

Your comment reminds me of the traditional tale The Magic Porridge Pot, Courtenay. How strange that the mother could remember the words "Cook, little pot, cook" but not "Stop, little pot, stop."
"Heyho for a starry night and a heathery bed!" - Jack, The Secret Island.

"There is no bond like the bond of having read and liked the same books."
- E. Nesbit, The Wonderful Garden.


Society Member
User avatar
Courtenay
Posts: 19275
Joined: 07 Feb 2014, 01:22
Favourite book/series: The Adventure Series, Galliano's Circus
Favourite character: Lotta
Location: Both Aussie and British; living in Cheshire

Re: Tim and the Hidden People - Sheila McCullagh

Post by Courtenay »

Anita Bensoussane wrote: Your comment reminds me of the traditional tale The Magic Porridge Pot, Courtenay. How strange that the mother could remember the words "Cook, little pot, cook" but not "Stop, little pot, stop."
Oh yes, I remember a substitute teacher at primary school (and I'm pretty sure she was English, or at least had an accent that sounded "different" to me) telling our class that story one time - it is a bit absurd, isn't it? :lol:

There's a rather similar Chinese folk tale that has a more logical twist to it - the magical object in this case is a stone grinder that will produce anything someone asks, but it will only start and stop if the person says "please" and "thank you" respectively. The poor man who is originally given the grinder uses it only for good things (I think he receives it in return for giving his only portion of food to a beggar, who turns out to be an Immortal or some other good spirit in disguise). But then his wicked brother "borrows" the magic grinder and takes it away in a ship, intending to have it produce all kinds of expensive goods for him to sell overseas. During the voyage, he starts out by saying "Grinder, grinder, please grind me some salt," and the grinder starts churning out salt for him to sell. But the brother, being completely selfish, forgets to say "thank you" when he tells the grinder to stop, with the result that the growing mountain of salt sinks the ship and takes the wicked brother to his doom. So the story at least has a moral - saying "please" and "thank you" is all-important!! - while also being a clever explanation for something in nature: that grinder is still grinding away somewhere beneath the ocean, and that's why the sea is salty! :D

(Sorry to take the thread off topic, everyone - I just love old folk tales, that's all. :wink: )
Society Member

It was a nuisance. An adventure was one thing - but an adventure without anything to eat was quite another thing. That wouldn't do at all. (The Valley of Adventure)
User avatar
Anita Bensoussane
Forum Administrator
Posts: 26772
Joined: 30 Jan 2005, 23:25
Favourite book/series: Adventure series, Six Cousins books, Six Bad Boys
Favourite character: Jack Trent, Fatty and Elizabeth Allen
Location: UK

Re: Tim and the Hidden People - Sheila McCullagh

Post by Anita Bensoussane »

Ah yes - I recall reading that Chinese folk tale somewhere. I used to love reading collections of folk tales and fairy tales as a child. A little while ago when I was browsing round (but not buying from, sadly!) Harrods, I saw some truly sumptuous Folio Society editions of fairy tales collected by Andrew Lang (The Blue Fairy Book, The Red Fairy Book, etc.) I read a number of those books from the library when I was a youngster, though not in such lavish editions.
"Heyho for a starry night and a heathery bed!" - Jack, The Secret Island.

"There is no bond like the bond of having read and liked the same books."
- E. Nesbit, The Wonderful Garden.


Society Member
User avatar
deepeabee
Posts: 905
Joined: 27 Jan 2013, 22:48
Favourite book/series: The one I'm reading....
Favourite character: Frederick Algernon Trotteville.

Re: Tim and the Hidden People - Sheila McCullagh

Post by deepeabee »

Stephen wrote:Do the names Tim and Tobias mean anything to anyone? They were characters in a series of books by Sheila K McCullagh we had to read at primary school. It was all mysterious, supernatural stuff and I didn't have the faintest idea what was going on - but it was still fascinating to read. I remember that Tim was a normal boy and Tobias was a talking cat. There was another talking cat called Sebastian, a ghostly pirate called Captain Jory and some talking trees called Stump People. Unfortunately, I never got to read all of them.

http://www.timandthehiddenpeople.moonfruit.com/

Anyone else remember them?
My children read the books in primary school. They were set as homework and I really enjoyed the whole series. I got upset when my daughter was deemed too advanced to read some and missed a few episodes! We asked if she could read them any way - just so I could see what happened!! :D (She wanted to know too.) 8)
SwatIsaid!

Society Member
User avatar
Courtenay
Posts: 19275
Joined: 07 Feb 2014, 01:22
Favourite book/series: The Adventure Series, Galliano's Circus
Favourite character: Lotta
Location: Both Aussie and British; living in Cheshire

Re: Tim and the Hidden People - Sheila McCullagh

Post by Courtenay »

That sounds nice - a set of school readers that are actually exciting and make the children (and parents) want to keep on reading!! I don't remember any such thing when I was at school... I managed to skip most of the set readers in early primary school because I was already reading before I started school, but I don't recall any of the ones I did read as being very enjoyable. That is, I don't think I can actually remember any of them! :lol:
Society Member

It was a nuisance. An adventure was one thing - but an adventure without anything to eat was quite another thing. That wouldn't do at all. (The Valley of Adventure)
User avatar
Stephen
Posts: 2105
Joined: 05 Feb 2006, 09:38
Location: Maidenhead
Contact:

Re: Tim and the Hidden People - Sheila McCullagh

Post by Stephen »

Sheila McCullagh has died aged 93. :(

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sheila_K._McCullagh" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

R.I.P.
User avatar
Anita Bensoussane
Forum Administrator
Posts: 26772
Joined: 30 Jan 2005, 23:25
Favourite book/series: Adventure series, Six Cousins books, Six Bad Boys
Favourite character: Jack Trent, Fatty and Elizabeth Allen
Location: UK

Re: Tim and the Hidden People - Sheila McCullagh

Post by Anita Bensoussane »

That's sad news. RIP Sheila McCullagh.
"Heyho for a starry night and a heathery bed!" - Jack, The Secret Island.

"There is no bond like the bond of having read and liked the same books."
- E. Nesbit, The Wonderful Garden.


Society Member
Post Reply