Golliwogs/Gollies

[Ming]

As I've not a recent edition of this book, I am wondering how this has been edited.

My guess would be "black as coal"?

I've got two copies of this book. One is a very worn and battered H&S HB which is phrased as you say but the other is a PB from 1997 (with centenary cover). This one has been altered to:
"Down she came, as black as night with soot"

Does anyone else have copies from the years inbetween? I wonder when the change was made?

My one is 1991 Hodder edition, and it says "Down she came, as black as night with soot".

[Viv of Ginger Pop]

There was a story in the news earlier this week concerning a teacher who was leaving a north London school, and a video made in tribute to him by some of his pupils that was posted onto You Tube.

At the end of the film the boys chanted a Tottenham Hotspur football chant, which had they but known was racist against Jews - and the Jewish teacher then threatened legal action.

The Head Teacher made the comment that the boys just loved football, and had no idea that there were any racial connotations in the chant. Therefore they could not be guilty of racism.

A similar thing happened with Golly in the UK. British children did not see him as a negro minstral, simply a friendly toy they loved very much.

Best wishes

Viv

[Steve Alpe]

There was a story in the Daily Mail (it may have been The Sun) earlier this week about a shop being raided for selling Golliwogs.

[Lucky Star]

There was a story in the Daily Mail (it may have been The Sun) earlier this week about a shop being raided for selling Golliwogs.

Yes I saw that today in The Daily Mail, I think it was in The Times too. Thankfully the police took no further action but what a waste of time, effort and taxpayers money.

[Viv of Ginger Pop]

There was a story in the Daily Mail (it may have been The Sun) earlier this week about a shop being raided for selling Golliwogs.

Yes I saw that today in The Daily Mail, I think it was in The Times too. Thankfully the police took no further action but what a waste of time, effort and taxpayers money.

Thank goodness for that.

I've ordered a load of "Jolly Golly" figurines for the shop!

Viv

[Lenoir]

Do the radio stations still play Debussy's "Golliwog's cake walk"? And is it still acceptable to call it that?

[Moonraker]

Do the radio stations still play Debussy's "Golliwog's cake walk"? And is it still acceptable to call it that?

Now called the Ethnic Sustenance Journey.

1 Golliwog replaced for obvious reasons
2 Can't use cake due to new healthy eating laws
3 Can't use walk as less able-bodied people are unable to, however they can journey by wheel-chair or stair-lift, for example.

[Amelia Jane]

Now called the Ethnic Sustenance Journey.

Oh, for a rotfl smilie!

[Michelle is 'Chelle]

Fleet why were "corporal punishment and violent retribution" taken out - Darrel slapping Gwen in Malory Towers is important to the plot after all.

[Anita Bensoussane]

[Michelle is 'Chelle:] Fleet why were "corporal punishment and violent retribution" taken out - Darrel slapping Gwen in Malory Towers is important to the plot after all.

Yes, and Enid Blyton makes it clear that Darrell's actions were wrong. Darrell knows that she has behaved disgracefully and she feels ashamed of herself and apologises to Gwen and the others. Darrell is an admirable character in many ways but she sometimes makes mistakes, like anyone, and letting her anger get the better of her is one of her failings. She acknowledges that and battles hard to try to control her anger during the course of the series.

I'm currently reading Howard's End by E. M. Forster, in which a couple of characters go shopping and buy a golliwog as a present for a child. Does that make E. M. Forster's books racist? (It's a year 2000 edition.)

Anita

[Lucky Star]

I happened to pick up a copy of The Sun newspaper at work today and glance through it. I was amazed to see a picture of our own Viv in there under a headline which said "Golly race Row" There is no sign of it on their website, it is after all only a tiny paragraph. It reads in full;

Shopkeeper Viv Endecott is at the centre of a hate campaign for selling golly toys. Her shop in Corfe Castle, Dorset is a shrine to Enid Blyton who featured the black faced dolls in her books. But she's had threats and complaints of racism. Viv said "I'll keep selling them. No offence is intended".

Are you OK down there Viv? Hate campaign? Have people really nothing better to do? Do let us know how things are with you and the wonderful Ginger Pop shop.

[Viv of Ginger Pop]

* I have not been bombarded by complaints; 4 in 5 years
* The Complainers were not locals
* I have not called in the police
* I have never been to Asia
* The anonymous letter writer did not call me a Racist

I have been selling golliwog merchandise in the Ginger Pop Shop since it opened. Up to 4 months ago I'd only recieved one complaint, but at the begining of the summer an anonymous note was pushed under the door. It politely asked me to remove the golliwogs from my window. My landlord (the postmaster who knows everyone in the village) saw her - a white woman, aged around 30, and not from the area.

I did the only sensible thing - I put the note in the window, together with the bit from Spiteful Letters where Fatty explains to Bets what an anonymous letter is, and the type of person who might send such a missive.

There has been an amazing response. Local people who had never been in the shop came in to check that I hadn't been upset by the note. Window shoppers came in to buy a golly just out of sheer outrage. That my sales are up this summer is purely down to that note in the window! A further two more complaints have been recieved in recent months, bringing the total to four.

A few weeks ago a journalist saw the note in the window, and asked to do an interview. I had hoped that the article would be out at the start of 1/2 term, but the delay was him trying to find someone in Dorset who would take the contrary view. The Racial Council took a fortnight to respond - evidently it was not a high priority.

I checked through the article yesterday morning, but not all my corrections were used. None-the-less, the prize for most embellishments has gone to the Daily Telegraph. I have cut out their article, mounted it on card, annotated it, and put THAT in the window for all to enjoy.

The story has taken up the entire of page 3 of the Bournemouth Echo

http://www.thisisdorset.net/search/3806" target="_blank ... n_gollies/

BBC TV South Today saw it and happened to have a crew in the area, and phoned up asking for an interview. It took hours, with filming in the shop, the re-arranging of the shop window to replace the note and put in extra gollies (I had only arranged it at the end of last week with a display to mark the 40th anniversary of EB death) and customers being inteviewed as well. In the end they didn't use the piece since the editor decided that there wasn't enough of a row after all - and they hadn't found anyone to take the contrary view!

I have made my opinion about gollies known on other parts of these Forums. In our democracy other people are entitiled to hold other views. No personal or group insult is intended, rather I see golly as a symbol of a tolerant, integrated, and democratic society.

Viv

[Anita Bensoussane]

Typical of newspaper reporters to exaggerate every little detail! Your link isn't working, Viv, so I'm reposting a link to the Bournemouth Echo article:

http://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/3 ... n_gollies/" target="_blank

The article from The Sun is now online and there were also similar articles in yesterday's Times and Daily Mail newspapers.

Glad the gollies are selling well!

Anita

[Moonraker]

Golly! Glad you're okay Viv, and not imprisoned in the dungeons of Corfe Castle! I am impressed at how, once again, you have turned this rather nasty episode into a great publicity effort which has resulted in increased sales in your shop!

The comments on the Echo page made interesting reading!

[Julie2owlsdene]

Glad you're okay Viv. It's crazy how some people have nothing better to do than complain about an old toy like the GOLLYWOG, especially with other more important issues going on all around us.

I also think this country has gone over the top with the PC issues, and its really quite sad that so many British traditions have had to be removed. Long live the Gollywog and Blyton traditions.