Enid - recognition during her life?

[Anita Bensoussane]

I'm surprised no journalist has ever gone and interviewed Hugh Pollack's children or grandchildren for more memories and insights or Enid's father's grandchildren just incase he mentioned something that could be made into a book. Even Enid's own grandchildren might remember her. Imogen has a son, I think.

Imogen Smallwood has a son and a daughter but I'm sure they're too young to remember Enid or even to have met her. Sophie Smallwood comes to the Enid Blyton Day most years and helps out on the Society stall. She also runs the Enid Blyton Trust for children, which was originally set up by Imogen.

Gillian Baverstock had four children, two of whom are still living (a son and a daughter) but I think they too would have been quite young at the time of Enid Blyton's death.

Isn't there supposed to be a biography of Hugh's wife Ida Pollock coming out soon (if it isn't out already)? That's sure to mention Enid Blyton in it somewhere. Barbara Stoney once wrote an article for the Journal about Rosemary Pollock (Hugh and Ida's daughter). I can't recall off-hand which Journal it was in but Rosemary said (I think) that Hugh sometimes spoke of Enid, Gillian and Imogen quite naturally in conversation, when something came up that reminded him of them.

Interesting about the Blytons in Sheffield, Rachel. Primrose Lockwood wrote about "The Sheffield Connection" in Journals 10 and 11. Enid's father (Thomas) had three brothers (one of whom died in infancy) and five sisters (two of whom died in infancy). At least one of his siblings was born in Sheffield in the 1870s. His parents (Enid's grandparents) had gone to live in Sheffield some time between 1873 and 1878. It's not surprising that Blytons were still living there in the 1980s - maybe there are still some there today.

Anita

[Moonraker]

You [Moonraker] mention that you have read Duncan's book.
I've been thinking about about getting it but many of the reviews are not good.
Is it any good?
What did you think about it?

There are thirteen pages of comments here, Rachel, which will be of interest to you. In a nutshell (I think I commented further on that thread) I enjoyed it, bearing in mind that much of it was written tongue in cheek, and I could have done with reading less of Duncan's bedtime games with his girlfriend!

I really liked reading about Duncan and his (girl?)friend exploring areas that had relevance to Enid and although much of what Duncan wrote was silly speculation they were fun to read.

I'm glad you qualified that, Fiona!

[Belly]

Just to add I read Shelia Ray's book 'The Blyton Phenomenon' which was interesting.

Also in my thread on the Blyton family in the cenus (Misc) I noted that it isn't a common surname and there appear to be a fair few with an unusual first name, Doncastio Blyton etc.

[Eljay]

Barbara Stoney's biography is the first one as far as I am aware - in the foreword Gillian says that Enid expressed hopes that she, Gillian, would write it. However due to time constraints the project kept on being put off, until one of Enid's close friends died, and then "the job could wait no longer". Barbara was chosen because she was a sympathetic, mature and married woman.

Presumably that "closest friend" who died to which Gillian referred in the foreword was Dorothy Richards, since she does not appear in the acknowledgements of the Biography. What a shame that neither Dorothy nor Hugh Pollock could be interviewed in time! Just imagine the extra things we might have known... But imagine also what might have happened if Kenneth had outlived Enid (Imogen says he might have lived to be a hundred like his mother had he not been poisoned by his medication for osteoathritis!). He almost certainly would *not* have allowed the full story of Enid's life to be published, warts-and-all (so protective was he over his beloved wife's image), and would probably have eventually found and destroyed *all* her diaries. Think how much less we would have known then!

So, if Barbara was a 'mature' lady nearly 40 years ago, she must be rather elderly now?

[Anita Bensoussane]

...if Barbara was a 'mature' lady nearly 40 years ago, she must be rather elderly now?

Sadly, Barbara Stoney died on 6th March this year, Eljay, aged eighty-four.

Anita

[Eljay]

Oh my word, I can hardly believe it. How sad! I haven't looked at this board for a while and my subscription to the Journal has expired so I haven't had the latest edition. I never even met her - how I wish now that I had.

[Anita Bensoussane]

Yes, it is sad. Barbara Stoney was not only a mine of information about Enid Blyton but a lovely person, very warm and alert and interested in what people had to say. Journal 39 contains a tribute to Barbara written by Imogen Smallwood, as well as a few paragraphs written by Barbara herself not long before she died.

Anita

[Eljay]

Interesting - I will have to renew my subscription.

I find it sad that Imogen has written a tribute to Barbara, but not to her own sister. Presumably the two were never reconciled, even during Gillian's final illness. I can never understand why 'Christian' people, who are supposed to believe in forgiveness, fall out over the silliest things and then never speak to each other again! It's even worse when they happen to be members of the same family; blood is thicker than water, or should be.

[Ming]

Why exactly did Gillian and Imogen fall out?

[Enikyoga]

Why exactly did Gillian and Imogen fall out?

I do not much about the relationship between Gillian and Imogen since I never personally knew
or have known them aside from what I have read about them. Nonetheless, it is my belief that the
rift between the two sisters emerged after Imogen’s publication of her “tell all” book, A
Childhood At Green Hedges. Probably till the publication of this book, Gillian had not totally
fathomed Imogen’s true feelings about some of her issues with her mother and may have been
surprised , like all of us, when she as some people would put it, “spill the beans” about some of
her family’s secrets. This attitude is very much demonstrated in a key slogan associated with Las
Vegas, Nevada, USA, the “gambling capital of the world” as well as other “vices” whose watchword
is, “what happens in Las Vegas, stays in Vegas,” meaning that all these imperfections whatever
they are better not be known to the rest of the world or rather they should be left and buried in
Las Vegas. I felt that in one way, Gillian felt that Imogen ought not to have divulged the
shortcomings of her mother to the world, for in the Afterword of Imogen Smallwood’s book, A
Childhood At Green Hedges (pp.154-155), Gillian insinuated at this point when she said:


It is strange to see one’s childhood through the eyes of a sister: , events, people, events, emotions
charged with a different significance; reinterpreted. It is her story not mine so I must not
interpose my own memories except at one point in our childhood when I feel that the memories
of a ten year old are more accurate...I learned a great deal...especially about my mother....


So these statements suggest that Gillian may not have always agreed with what Imogen said
about their mother in this book. I strongly believe that the relationship between the two sisters
prior to the publication of this book was quite cordial (though it is difficult to know the gravity of
social situations in families using outside non-familial lenses). From some photos in Enid Blyton’s
autobiography, The Story of My Life, (1952?, pp 118), or Imogen Smallwood’s book, A
Childhood at Green Hedges, (p. 22), as well as other photos elsewhere, it appears the two sisters
got on well. Well one can always argue that the photos do not tell the whole story about any
given situation. I think it was in 2002 or somewhere whereby I guess in an interview of one of
the sisters by one of the leading newspapers in Britain, whether it was The Observer, Guardian or
The Telegraph or whatever (those people in Britain may know more about this issue), when the
two sisters agreed to go their own ways. However, I feel the rift at broke out in the open after the
publication of Imogen Smallwood’s A Childhood At Green Hedges in which she painted a less
glamorous picture of her mother and her sister, Gillian may have not been very pleased at this
gesture. At least that is my opinion.

[Eljay]

I think Imogen's book probably did have a great deal to do with the feud. Apparently Gillian even tried to take legal action to prevent the book being published!

But reading between the lines, I suspect they were not all that close even before that (although Gillian mentions "weekly contact" between the two of them in her afterward to Imogen's book) - probably because they had completely different personalities. (I'm familiar with this myself as my sister and I are very different in temperament, even though we have some common interests!) Imogen writes at one point in her book that Enid's last housekeeper, Doris Cox (presumably now deceased?) is (or was) closer to her children than any of their relatives: that seems to suggest that Gillian had a rather distant relationship with Imogen's children and, therefore, with Imogen herself.

I suspect that Gillian probably secretly agreed with Imogen's assessment of her mother. I read a 1999 interview with Gillian where she said: "A lot of what Imogen wrote in her book was very true." And in the book itself, Imogen writes that Gillian had once remarked to her that it was probably for the best that Enid had a miscarriage in middle age, given her (and Kenneth's) "attitude to children". Nevertheless, Gillian obviously felt that, whatever Imogen's thoughts, they should have remained private; that there was great impropriety in her making them public.

I really don't think you can gauge their relationship from the meticulously-staged photographes in 'The Story of My Life'! I think the picture of them looking at the doll's house on page 10 is rather telling. Gillian (ever the actress, like her mother) seems happy to put on this 'show' for the camera but Imogen looks totally unimpressed, as if she's thinking "Oh God, why is she (Enid) making me do this?" And I've seen another version of the picture on page 20 (in a television documentary about Enid) where everyone's looking rather miserable!

[Fiona1986]

The pictures in 'Story of my Life', I think, could say a lot about the family. Why was there the need to stage all of the family photos? (Made so obvious by the fact that they never change clothes!). Surely a well off family such as the Blytons/Walters would have their own photographs of their family?


Edited to shamefully correct my use of there instead of their!!!!!!!!!!

[Tony Summerfield]

The pictures in 'Story of my Life', I think, could say a lot about the family. Why was there the need to stage all of the family photos? (Made so obvious by the fact that they never change clothes!). Surely a well off family such as the Blytons/Walters would have there own photographs of their family?

Surprisingly they didn't actually own a camera and the only photos that you will ever see were publicity ones taken for various purposes.

[Moonraker]

I rather feel we should tread warily within this thread. Let us remember that Imogen is alive and kicking, and am I alone in feeling somewhat embarrassed at us self-proclaimed psychologists examing her family's realtionships? I hasten to add, I am not criticising anyone who has posted above, but just feel slightly uncomfortable at this ongoing discussion. Maybe I am being over sensitive!

I can never understand why 'Christian' people, who are supposed to believe in forgiveness, fall out over the silliest things and then never speak to each other again!

I fully agree! However, we can call ourselves whatever we please, but it doesn't make it a fact. I am certainly not directing this comment at anyone in particular, but I feel that we must remember "that many are called, but few are chosen." I am not a lover of American evangelism, but having said that, I think Benny Hinn's quote sums it up:

“It's quite simple. Jesus said, "By their fruits you will know them." And, uh, just watch the person's fruit. If they display a clean life, a Christian character, they show true Christianity, then they're really for real.” Benny Hinn

It always bemuses me to hear alleged criminals in the dock, stating their 'religion' to be, in most cases, Church of England. They probably never enter a church, but you can't blame the C of E for their crimes!

[Aurélien]

Makes one wonder - yes I know that I'm going off on a tangent *Thinking: And there's little doubt that Tony will think of other descriptive words on this one!* - but one wonders who might be quietly collecting pictures and recording off-the-cuff over-the-teacup interviews preparatory to posting:

• 'Tony S - Scans from a Dedicated Life'.....

Though I'm becoming known on these forums for my (slightly) whacky, even weird, sense of humour, people shouldn't assume that all my posts are intended as such light-hearted froth.

The inquisitive ‘Aurélien Arkadiusz’