Five on a Hike Together

[Debbie]

I would guess that Fanny would have had to do some studying at the same place as Quentin-otherwise how would they have ever met!
If she'd only ever stayed in Kirrin, then Quentin would have had to visit there and stay long enough for courtship, which seems unlikely.

(Don't think EB expected it to be dissected to such an extent though)

[Splodj]

I remember being quite shocked when younger at the the way the local police treated/mistreated The Famous Five!

It's Goon!

That is why in Invisible Thief the year before there is confusion about why Goon was absent - holiday or training. He was in Reebles.

(Previously I incorrectly said Pantomime Cat.)

[pete9012S]

Yes, the similarities and attitude are very akin to Goon's Splodj, I agree.

[Wolfgang]

Maybe both bobbies were in the same class when they started their career...

[Nair Snehalatha]

By 'cosy'- in 'Five on a hike together' I meant the breakfast -- the dining room at Three Shepherds (if I.remember right) -- the cosy room and cosy breakfast.Its true Two trees is very depressing-- but anyway I like the book.

[Anita Bensoussane]

I would guess that Fanny would have had to do some studying at the same place as Quentin-otherwise how would they have ever met!
If she'd only ever stayed in Kirrin, then Quentin would have had to visit there and stay long enough for courtship, which seems unlikely.

Good point!

(Don't think EB expected it to be dissected to such an extent though)

[pete9012S]

He says we’ve got to take very little with us - just night-things, tooth-brush, hair-brush and flannel and a rolled-up mac. And any biscuits or chocolate we can buy, Have you any money left?’
‘A bit,’ said George. ‘Not much. Enough to buy a few bars of chocolate, I think. Anyway, you’ve got all the biscuits your mother sent last week. We can take some of those.’
‘Yes. And the barley sugar one of my aunts sent,” said Anne.

So Anne had other Aunts. I assume this aunt had no children?

If the aunt was her father's sister she would be related to George too?

If Fanny and Anne's mother were sisters (see the books), then this aunt would also be related to George?

[Debbie]

It could also be family friend "Aunt". When I was little we called all my Mum's closer friends, and my Godmother, by the title "Aunt".

I'd assume if they were also George's Aunt then it would be more natural to say "The barley sugar Aunt Jane sent" unless, i suppose, George might have been jealous if she hadn't sent her some too. Although if George had a tendency to be jealous that way I'd expect her to immediately have come back with "which Aunt?"

[Splodj]

Also, grand-aunts and great-aunts are simply called aunts (in my family at least).

[Boodi 2]

When my son was young he called older (i.e. aged 50 and over) family friends "aunt/uncle". Despite the fact that they were merely friends and not related to us I felt that it was more polite for him to use such a "courtesy title" rather than just their first names, but perhaps I was too conservative and old fashioned!!!

[pete9012S]

Good points.

If it was a genuine aunt in the true meaning, Anne says it was 'one' of them, indicating she had at least more than one.

In Smuggler's Top didn't George's mother also have to go and help another sick aunt?

Smuggler's Top
The children found it very difficult to go to sleep after such an excitement, tired though they were. Anne felt worried. How could they all stay at Kirrin Cottage now? It wouldn't be fair on Aunt Fanny. But they couldn't go home because her father and mother were both away and the house was shut up for a month.

Smuggler's Top
MRS. LENOIR came back after a time. She smiled at George.
'That was your father,' she said. 'He is coming tomorrow, but not your mother. They went to your aunt's, and your mother says she thinks she must stay and help her, because your aunt is not very well. But your father would like to come, because he wants to discuss his latest experiments with Mr. Lenoir,

[IceMaiden]

It could also be family friend "Aunt". When I was little we called all my Mum's closer friends, and my Godmother, by the title "Aunt".

I'd assume if they were also George's Aunt then it would be more natural to say "The barley sugar Aunt Jane sent" unless, i suppose, George might have been jealous if she hadn't sent her some too. Although if George had a tendency to be jealous that way I'd expect her to immediately have come back with "which Aunt?"

Yep same here. My related aunts refer to people who were family friends as "auntie" and I do the same. I always refer to my aunts as 'auntie' same way all my elderly customers are 'mr' or 'mrs' whoever. It just seems polite but on top of that, unless I know them really well, I would never address someone older/elderly by their first name unless they asked and even then it'd feel mighty awkward. I think having 'aunt' or 'auntie' in front of it makes it easier.

[pete9012S]

I agree IceMaiden.
I was brought up the same.

In the text, when the Five meet long standing family friend Mrs Layman, she is strictly a Mrs and not an Aunty!

‘Oh - we’ll be in to tea all right,’ said Julian, giving Dick a sharp little kick under the table, as he saw his mother’s disappointed face. ‘Mrs Layman’s a nice old thing - she was always giving us little treats when we were little.’
‘And she never forgets our birthdays,’ said Anne.

‘Looks like a good tea today,’ said Dick. ‘I hope the old lady - what’s her name now - Layman - who’s coming to tea today, has a good appetite. I wonder what she’s going to tell us about.’

‘This is Mrs Layman, children,’ said Julian’s mother. ‘Sit down, Mrs Layman. We’re delighted to have you.’

[Nair Snehalatha]

I guess it doesnt matter whether you address the person as Mrs so and so -- or address them as Aunty or Uncle-- as long as you're polite

[Katharine]

When my son was young he called older (i.e. aged 50 and over) family friends "aunt/uncle". Despite the fact that they were merely friends and not related to us I felt that it was more polite for him to use such a "courtesy title" rather than just their first names, but perhaps I was too conservative and old fashioned!!!

In family it wasn't even as old as that - anyone who was a similar age to my parents was called 'aunt' or 'uncle'. I did gradually drop that when I became an adult myself, depending on who there were - one lady I ended up working with, so it would have seemed a little strange to call her 'auntie' in the office. My 'real' aunts and uncles are still addressed as such though, and I agree with Splodj in that we didn't differentiate between 'greats' and 'ordinary' aunts and uncles.

The only exception to that rule is an aunt who is only a couple of years older than I am, so I have never called her auntie.

In general, I think any other adult was either addressed by their title, or in the case of school friends, it was 'so and so's mum/dad'. I can't recall any adult who I would have referred to by their first name. I really struggled when I first went out to work and was expected to call people who were old enough to be my parents/grandparents by their first names.

Similarly, I always hated it when my own children's friends just called me Katharine - it sounded so rude for a 5 year old to turn round and address me that way, but it was the way their parents referred to me, so obviously they just copied them. Even my niece originally just called me 'Katharine', but I did politely get that changed, and even though she's now almost an adult, I would still expect her to refer to me as Auntie Katharine.

In a similar vein, I've managed to avoid referring to my in-laws by their first names for well over 30 years.