The Enid Blyton Society

IceMaiden wrote: I wonder why your dad was not allowed to learn Welsh at school?

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!

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.

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.

I just nearly had a coughing fit attempting to follow those instructions. Probably best if I just stick to English look you.

Sorry about that!

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 always took "Ernie" to be Goon trying to sound friendly - and not really succeeding.

Daisy wrote:I always took "Ernie" to be Goon trying to sound friendly - and not really succeeding.

Me too!

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.

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!!!!

Machupicchu14 wrote:(sorry I find it very difficult to memorise SS titles).

Yes, it's easy to get mixed up. "Go Ahead", "Good work", "Good Old"
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.

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.

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.

That's perfectly true! Except maybe for the Secret Seven Fireworks wrapper...unless it was put on Good Work Secret Seven!

Machupicchu14 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..

I literally agree and relate to this so much that I'm feeling like you read my mind

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.

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.