My Dad's grand parents came to farm in North Wales from Lancashire in the 1970's - so my grandad (born 1890) was only first generation Welsh. So his children - my dad and his brother, in the early 1940's, weren't 'allowed' to learn Welsh!IceMaiden wrote: I wonder why your dad was not allowed to learn Welsh at school?
What Enid Blyton book are you reading right NOW!
- Rob Houghton
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Re: What Enid Blyton book are you reading right NOW!
'Oh voice of Spring of Youth
hearts mad delight,
Sing on, sing on, and when the sun is gone
I'll warm me with your echoes
through the night.'
(E. Blyton, Sunday Times, 1951)
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hearts mad delight,
Sing on, sing on, and when the sun is gone
I'll warm me with your echoes
through the night.'
(E. Blyton, Sunday Times, 1951)
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- Anita Bensoussane
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Re: What Enid Blyton book are you reading right NOW!
I remember learning about the Welsh Not in school. How dreadful that people weren't allowed to speak their own language in their own country!
Growing up in North Wales in the 1970s-80s, we all had Welsh lessons at school. I thoroughly enjoyed learning the language and was excited to know that it had evolved from the ancient Celtic language (Old Brittonic) that was once spoken across the whole of Britain.
Double "l" in Welsh sounds a bit like saying "thl" fast, but you don't actually say "thl." You put the tip of your tongue to the roof of your mouth behind your top front teeth and say "l," but at the same time expelling air rapidly from behind your tongue.
You're right that places like Aberdaron or Nefyn might fit the bill, IceMaiden, though Enid Blyton's locations come largely from her imagination anyway. I'd love to know whether Enid went to Wales, and which areas she visited if so.
Growing up in North Wales in the 1970s-80s, we all had Welsh lessons at school. I thoroughly enjoyed learning the language and was excited to know that it had evolved from the ancient Celtic language (Old Brittonic) that was once spoken across the whole of Britain.
Double "l" in Welsh sounds a bit like saying "thl" fast, but you don't actually say "thl." You put the tip of your tongue to the roof of your mouth behind your top front teeth and say "l," but at the same time expelling air rapidly from behind your tongue.
You're right that places like Aberdaron or Nefyn might fit the bill, IceMaiden, though Enid Blyton's locations come largely from her imagination anyway. I'd love to know whether Enid went to Wales, and which areas she visited if so.
"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.
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"There is no bond like the bond of having read and liked the same books."
- E. Nesbit, The Wonderful Garden.
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- Lucky Star
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Re: What Enid Blyton book are you reading right NOW!
I just nearly had a coughing fit attempting to follow those instructions. Probably best if I just stick to English look you.Anita Bensoussane wrote:
Double "l" in Welsh sounds a bit like saying "thl" fast, but you don't actually say "thl." You put the tip of your tongue to the roof of your mouth behind your top front teeth and say "l," but at the same time expelling air rapidly from behind your tongue.
"What a lot of trouble one avoids if one refuses to have anything to do with the common herd. To have no job, to devote ones life to literature, is the most wonderful thing in the world. - Cicero
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- Anita Bensoussane
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Re: What Enid Blyton book are you reading right NOW!
Sorry about that!
"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.
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"There is no bond like the bond of having read and liked the same books."
- E. Nesbit, The Wonderful Garden.
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- Lenoir
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Re: What Enid Blyton book are you reading right NOW!
I had a sudden urge to read "The Mystery of the Strange Messages" yesterday. I read a few more chapters today after work. It always seems somewhat different from the usual style to me, but eventually settles down to more or less "normal". It was a book that the teacher read to us at school and I didn't get a copy until much later. Maybe that's also why I view it in a different light.
I see some things in common with Secret Room - with it being winter, seeing the house agents, and investigating a house.
It reminds of Hidden House as well with Ern staying with his uncle again and getting into trouble.
And I thought it was a bit odd that Mr Goon calls Ern "Ernie" a few times.
I see some things in common with Secret Room - with it being winter, seeing the house agents, and investigating a house.
It reminds of Hidden House as well with Ern staying with his uncle again and getting into trouble.
And I thought it was a bit odd that Mr Goon calls Ern "Ernie" a few times.
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Re: What Enid Blyton book are you reading right NOW!
I always took "Ernie" to be Goon trying to sound friendly - and not really succeeding.
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- Rob Houghton
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Re: What Enid Blyton book are you reading right NOW!
Me too!Daisy wrote:I always took "Ernie" to be Goon trying to sound friendly - and not really succeeding.
I have always considered Strange Messages to be the best plotted Find Outer book. That doesn't necessarily mean its my favourite (Pantomime Cat has that honour) but the plot of Strange Messages is the strongest in the whole series, I think.
'Oh voice of Spring of Youth
hearts mad delight,
Sing on, sing on, and when the sun is gone
I'll warm me with your echoes
through the night.'
(E. Blyton, Sunday Times, 1951)
Society Member
hearts mad delight,
Sing on, sing on, and when the sun is gone
I'll warm me with your echoes
through the night.'
(E. Blyton, Sunday Times, 1951)
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- Machupicchu14
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Re: What Enid Blyton book are you reading right NOW!
I have finished reading two of the Secret Seven books, (sorry I find it very difficult to memorise SS titles). I really liked them, but like I said before they are very short and you know the answer to the mystery from the start.. And well, most of the characters aren't very well developed, especially Pam and Barbara..
When I started reading the SS, I disliked Susie because as you know, she always meddled with the SS and stuff, but now the I've read more books, I really like her as a character, she has a strong personality, she's independent and very intelligent, so I think she's not that bad..
Sadly, the maximum time I spent reading a SS book is 30 minutes, so we'll have to wait until Saturday to get more books!!!!
When I started reading the SS, I disliked Susie because as you know, she always meddled with the SS and stuff, but now the I've read more books, I really like her as a character, she has a strong personality, she's independent and very intelligent, so I think she's not that bad..
Sadly, the maximum time I spent reading a SS book is 30 minutes, so we'll have to wait until Saturday to get more books!!!!
"All, everything that I understand, I understand only because I love."
(все, что я понимаю, я понимаю только потому, что люблю)
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You can call me Machupicchu14 or María Esther
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(все, что я понимаю, я понимаю только потому, что люблю)
Lev Tolstoy
You can call me Machupicchu14 or María Esther
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- Lenoir
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Re: What Enid Blyton book are you reading right NOW!
Yes, it's easy to get mixed up. "Go Ahead", "Good work", "Good Old"Machupicchu14 wrote:(sorry I find it very difficult to memorise SS titles).
I also like the character of Susie, and she can be quite funny. The Find Outers have Mr Goon as an adversary, and the Secret 7 have Susie. Both add more interest to the stories and plots.
- Rob Houghton
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Re: What Enid Blyton book are you reading right NOW!
I agree about titles. Its interesting, but the ones I enjoy most are also the slightly more memorable titles - Secret Seven Adventure, Secret Seven On The Trail, Secret Seven Mystery are all favourites. One of the few with a bit of a boring title that I rate really highly is Good Work Secret Seven.
'Oh voice of Spring of Youth
hearts mad delight,
Sing on, sing on, and when the sun is gone
I'll warm me with your echoes
through the night.'
(E. Blyton, Sunday Times, 1951)
Society Member
hearts mad delight,
Sing on, sing on, and when the sun is gone
I'll warm me with your echoes
through the night.'
(E. Blyton, Sunday Times, 1951)
Society Member
- John Pickup
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Re: What Enid Blyton book are you reading right NOW!
I've always thought that if you mixed up the dustwrappers on the Secret Seven books and then read them the titles wouldn't mislead you at all.
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- Rob Houghton
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Re: What Enid Blyton book are you reading right NOW!
That's perfectly true! Except maybe for the Secret Seven Fireworks wrapper...unless it was put on Good Work Secret Seven!
'Oh voice of Spring of Youth
hearts mad delight,
Sing on, sing on, and when the sun is gone
I'll warm me with your echoes
through the night.'
(E. Blyton, Sunday Times, 1951)
Society Member
hearts mad delight,
Sing on, sing on, and when the sun is gone
I'll warm me with your echoes
through the night.'
(E. Blyton, Sunday Times, 1951)
Society Member
- Darrell71
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Re: What Enid Blyton book are you reading right NOW!
I literally agree and relate to this so much that I'm feeling like you read my mindMachupicchu14 wrote: When I started reading the SS, I disliked Susie because as you know, she always meddled with the SS and stuff, but now the I've read more books, I really like her as a character, she has a strong personality, she's independent and very intelligent, so I think she's not that bad..
You can call me Sunskriti!
- IceMaiden
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Re: What Enid Blyton book are you reading right NOW!
I have just finished the Rat-A-Tat Mystery. I really enjoyed it, however there's something different about it from the four before it that I can't quite put my finger on, and it's not that Barney is no longer a travelling circus boy. Admittedly I've only read this one once before when I borrowed it from the library whereas I've read the others dozens of times because we had the other books at home but not Rat-A-Tat. Perhaps that's why it's doesn't seem the same, it's not as familiar, and the illustrations aren't the same either which I'm sure doesn't help, but I really think it's something beside that . Nevertheless it's a good read and it's nice to get a glimpse of the in-between bit from the end of the last book to the beginning of this one.
- Anita Bensoussane
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Re: What Enid Blyton book are you reading right NOW!
Interesting thoughts, IceMaiden. I wonder if the utter isolation has something to do with it feeling different. Normally the children visit places of interest, buy items at general stores, chat to villagers or hotel guests or fair folk, etc. There's often a strong feeling of community and history. For much of The Rat-a-Tat Mystery, however, they're cut off from the world with only Mrs. Tickle for company. If I remember correctly, none of the children except Snubby even have any contact with the villains.
"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
"There is no bond like the bond of having read and liked the same books."
- E. Nesbit, The Wonderful Garden.
Society Member