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Re: The mystery of the odd anagram
Posted: 24 Jul 2015, 09:48
by Anita Bensoussane
pete9012S wrote:I don't think the for sale particulars make any mention of the cellar at Old Thatch?
At the last meet-up of forumites at Old Thatch, Tony asked Jacky Hawthorne about the cellar. She said that if we kept an eye out we'd be able to see the door leading to it. We found it not far from the door with the lion's head knocker – the cellar door is low and white, with black hinges. But I seem to recall hearing/reading somewhere that it's more of a cubby-hole than a cellar.
Re: The mystery of the odd anagram
Posted: 24 Jul 2015, 10:01
by pete9012S
Thanks Anita. I enjoyed re-reading this post by Duncan also:
Below is how Old Thatch looks now, courtesy of the Google mapping project. Structurally, the house may have changed, but the side of the house that the sun is shining on in Google’ s photo is the same south-facing wall that Enid was photographed typing in front of in the 1930s. Although it looks from the photo below as if Enid was working quite close to the road, Coldmoorholme Lane would have been very quiet back in the 1930s. Besides, she is cut off from the sound and vision of road-users by sheltering green hedges.
http://www.enidblyton.me.uk/styled-8/index.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Re: The mystery of the odd anagram
Posted: 24 Jul 2015, 11:22
by Courtenay
I do remember reading Duncan's interpretation of Theophilus Goon on his blog some time ago and finding it intriguing, if perhaps a bit of a long bow to draw. Earlier this year, I encountered his book
Looking for Enid - it was being sold at the Blyton exhibition in Canterbury - and had a good look through it, but... well, I won't give my exact opinion of it here, seeing the author posts here from time to time, but let's just say it wasn't something that I would want to read, let alone rely on as a factual and scholarly resource.
Re: The mystery of the odd anagram
Posted: 24 Jul 2015, 11:34
by Daisy
I have a copy of the book Courtenay and know exactly what you mean!
Re: The mystery of the odd anagram
Posted: 24 Jul 2015, 11:41
by Rob Houghton
I agree. I'm happy to have a nice hardback copy because its an unusual and interesting book - but reading it leaves me with the feeling of having just woken from a rather disturbing nightmare.
Re: The mystery of the odd anagram
Posted: 24 Jul 2015, 11:45
by Tony Summerfield
I read a review of the book which said that it tells you much more about the author than it does about Enid Blyton - I think that says it all!
Re: The mystery of the odd anagram
Posted: 24 Jul 2015, 11:52
by Daisy
That is a good description Tony! I won my copy from Duncan when he launched it and gave away a few copies in response to people answering an easy question on the forum.
Re: The mystery of the odd anagram
Posted: 24 Jul 2015, 12:36
by Courtenay
Robert Houghton wrote:I agree. I'm happy to have a nice hardback copy because its an unusual and interesting book - but reading it leaves me with the feeling of having just woken from a rather disturbing nightmare.
Tony Summerfield wrote:I read a review of the book which said that it tells you much more about the author than it does about Enid Blyton - I think that says it all!
Ah, er, yes... what I've read of it leaves me thinking much the same thing.
Re: The mystery of the odd anagram
Posted: 24 Jul 2015, 13:30
by Poppy
I bought the book
Looking for Enid a few years ago and I was a bit disappointed. I was intrigued by the story (a bit of fan-fiction featuring the Five-Find-Outers and Enid herself) which ran through the book though, but that turned out to be a bit strange, too in the end, in my opinion... It was an interesting idea, but yes, I got a bit bored after a while, and afterwards regretted spending £9 on a brand new copy in a bookshop.
Re: The mystery of the odd anagram
Posted: 24 Jul 2015, 13:35
by Rob Houghton
It's got a nice cover though.
Re: The mystery of the odd anagram
Posted: 24 Jul 2015, 13:36
by Poppy
Yes, I do like the cover.
Re: The mystery of the odd anagram
Posted: 24 Jul 2015, 13:38
by Courtenay
I'm sure you're thinking of the Famous Five cover (with the legendary telescope gaffe), but the new edition - which they had at Canterbury - has a much duller cover:
I now have a second hand copy of Barbara Stoney's biography, which I think I'll stick with!
Re: The mystery of the odd anagram
Posted: 24 Jul 2015, 13:43
by Daisy
The book I received from Duncan, which he signed as "Green Hedges" , is a paperback exactly as the one you have posted, Courtenay. It was published in 2008, the year after the hardback.
Re: The mystery of the odd anagram
Posted: 24 Jul 2015, 13:49
by Rob Houghton
Courtenay wrote:I'm sure you're thinking of the Famous Five cover (with the legendary telescope gaffe), but the new edition - which they had at Canterbury - has a much duller cover:
I now have a second hand copy of Barbara Stoney's biography, which I think I'll stick with!
I was indeed thinking of the original cover, and agree that the new cover is a bit ordinary.
I would much rather have Barbara Stoney's biography too - I have both the 'old' version and also the new edition from 2006. Having read 'The Enid Blyton Story' by Bob Mullan, A Childhood At Green Hedges by Imogen Smallwood, The Blyton Phenomenon by Sheila Ray and Finding Enid by Duncan McLaren, I can safely say that the only one that didn't leave a nasty taste in my mouth was the original and the best!
Re: The mystery of the odd anagram
Posted: 24 Jul 2015, 13:57
by Courtenay
Yes, I'm thinking of getting the new edition of Barbara Stoney if I enjoy the old one. I like a biography that doesn't gloss over the subject's personal flaws, but at least tries to understand them empathetically and work out why that person thought and acted as they did at that time - rather than just doing a character assassination or spinning all sorts of bizarre theories (and even outright fantasies), which it sounds like some of the other biographers have done.