pete9012S wrote:I sometimes wonder if Enid wasn't deliberately vague/ambiguous about the exact locations and inspiration of her books.
Yes, this thought has certainly crossed my mind, although I never formed a definite belief one way or the other on this.
Thinking about taking up writing Blytonian adventures as I am (after decades of leaving this form of writing alone), I am certainly thinking about what *I* will do about this. I definitely have a tendency to invent a place from scratch without basing it (even loosely) on a real place (although I might use *elements* of real places if they fit the setting I want to create). I am even considering leaving the *country* indeterminate (except that it will be an English-speaking country), and I do tend to avoid making culturally or socially specific references. I am even trying to make the exact time a little indeterminate, too.
(It may be another matter whether over the length of a whole novel I will be able to succeed in leaving these things indeterminate. But that's currently my idea, at least until I find it impracticable.)
pete9012S wrote:Is it possible she wanted to enjoy her holidays in Dorset and also her home life in Bourne End without Graceland style pilgrimages being made to these places she herself loved/lived by hoards of tripper like folk??
I wonder whether she would have thought a lot about that. Surely that kind of Graceland-style pilgrimage to locations made famous in fiction was hardly an existing phenomenon at that time? Yes, I imagine she probably did receive letters asking about the places that inspired the stories - but would the possibility of being flooded with tourists have been easily forseeable at that time, to the extent that it would motivate Blyton to deliberately leave places vague in her stories?
pete9012S wrote:Even today,you only have to look at an excellent topic on these forums 'A map of Peterswood' to see how much interest and juicy debate and speculation there still is on this enthralling topic.
Not sure I've seen that - must look it up.
pete9012S wrote:... there are countless others who willingly travel right round the country and indeed the world to see where Enid lived,holidayed and possibly set her books!
Do people really do this? Did they do it during Enid Blyton's life?
Regards, Michael.