Margaret Thatcher and Enid Blyton

[Belly]

I was reading an article about Lady Thatcher's dementia. She was described as having almost perfect recall in the past and a 'index card file mind' or something like that.

I thought it was interesting that a similarly bright woman with a similar mind also suffered fom dementia (Enid).

There were other parallels in the article, not two people I'd ever thought to compare previously!

[Anita Bensoussane]

Must admit I'd always thought there were similarities between the two - strong-minded, very driven, charismatic and high-achieving. Then there's their emphasis on self-repsonsibility, and their strong work ethic. Both seemed to have had a vision and felt from an early age that they could make a difference to society. Their families were musical and their fathers were self-educated and took an interest in their daughters' education. I also seem to recall reading that both Margaret Thatcher and Enid Blyton were born above a shop.

Anita

[Julie2owlsdene]

Yes, I agree quite a few similarities between Enid Blyton and Margaret Thatcher, never really made any comparison before.

Speaking of dementia, and slightly off topic, sorry, but in the 60's I vaguely remember reading something in the newspapers about Enid being bitten by a dog, due to her dementia. Have I got this right does anyone know. Can't remember much about it now.

[Ming]

Enid was indeed bitten by a dog (on her golf course I think) - the press made quite a lot of it, if I remember rightly! I don't think it was due to dementia though.

[Rob Houghton]

In the documentary 'Sunny stories', a link does seem to be made between the dog bite and Enid's dementia, with a scene in which Enid (played brilliantly by Maureen lipman) thinks she sees one of her dogs (I think its Bobs, but can't be sure), imagines its her dog and puts her hand out to stroke it and it bites her.

Don't know how true this scene is, though.

It often seems that very strong-minded characters who 'over-used' their brains throughout their lives, suffer from dementia. Enid, Mrs Thatcher,Ronald Regan, Rita Hayworth etc. they all used their brains a lot (writing, learning lines, being Prime Minister ) and its almost as if they wore their brains out with all the stuff they had stored inside them.

I know the feeling!!

[Petermax]

It often seems that very strong-minded characters who 'over-used' their brains throughout their lives, suffer from dementia. Enid, Mrs Thatcher,Ronald Regan, Rita Hayworth etc.

Add to that list Winston Churchill, a man who literally carried a very heavy weight for many years. Age finally caught up with him during the last few years of his life following a fantastic military and political career that spanned over six decades.

It would seem that brilliant academics, politicians and authors have so much more to lose from dementia, a condition can strike at any age.

[Enikyoga]

I do not think that Enid Blyton's dementia was caused by the dog bite. I think her dementia was inherited from her mother, who incidentally died the same year of that dog bite, that is 1950

[lizarfau]

I feel rather nervous after reading this because I have a near-photographic memory, I was closer to my dad than my mum, I'm fairly strong-minded and put a lot of emphasis on self-responsibility. I will just have to keep my fingers crossed that my not being high-achieving or workaholic will prevent me from getting this awful disease.

Seriously, it's not so long ago that experts were saying that continuing to use your brain throughout life warded off things like dementia and Alzheimer's. Obviously not true, if you add Terry Pratchett to the mix.

[dsr]

Malcolm Muggeridge had near-perfect recall as well, and he was sharp as a tack right up to death. Alzheimer's can strike anybody, brilliant or dimwitted or anything in between, and I don't think they've much idea yet what causes it.

I think the idea of exercising your brain is that more "normal" forms of old age dementia, ie. such things as loss of memory which are caused by ageing and affect more or less everybody to some degree, can be warded off by keeping active. Which seems like sense, though I don't know if it's been scientifically proven. It makes no difference against illnesses like Alzheimer's, though.

[Anita Bensoussane]

I do not think that Enid Blyton's dementia was caused by the dog bite. I think her dementia was inherited from her mother, who incidentally died the same year of that dog bite, that is 1950

No one is saying that Enid Blyton's dementia was caused by the dog bite! Rather, people are asking whether the confusion caused by dementia made her more vulnerable and prone to such incidents.

I've just checked Barbara Stoney's Biography and Stoney writes that Enid Blyton was badly bitten on the leg by a stray dog in 1952. That was several years before the onset of dementia so there doesn't appear to have been a link. She had to spend some time in St. Stephen's Hospital, and it was her husband Kenneth who repaired the injuries to her leg. I seem to recall reading somewhere that one of Enid Blyton's fans quipped that the dog wouldn't have bitten Enid if it had known that she was Queen Bee of the Busy Bees! And I'm sure I've also seen a photograph of Enid in a wheelchair recovering from the bite.

In the documentary 'Sunny stories', a link does seem to be made between the dog bite and Enid's dementia, with a scene in which Enid (played brilliantly by Maureen lipman) thinks she sees one of her dogs (I think its Bobs, but can't be sure), imagines its her dog and puts her hand out to stroke it and it bites her.

Don't know how true this scene is, though.

That scene does imply that Enid Blyton was bitten by the dog because she mistook it for the long-dead Bobs, and reached out to it, but I'd say that was a touch of poetic licence on the part of the producer, Ken Howard. It served to show how Enid Blyton became confused between past and present as the illness took hold. However, in reality Enid's mind was still sound at the time she was bitten.

Anita

[lizarfau]

Malcolm Muggeridge had near-perfect recall as well, and he was sharp as a tack right up to death.

Thanks, dsr. You've cheered me up!

[Belly]

Really interesting replies, I've really enjoyed reading them.

I didn't know Winston Churchill suffered from Dementia. I also didn't know Enid was bitten by a dog, must have been qutie serious if she was in a wheelchair?

I've known terribly clever people who have had dementia and it has crossed my mind whether it affects those with a higher IQ etc as someone suggested.

[Julie2owlsdene]

Thanks for looking up in Barbara's book about the dog bite Anita. Being on holiday at the moment in Dorset, my own copy is not at hand. I must have heard something else relating to that particular story back in the 60's, maybe it was something to do with Maureen Lipton playing the part of Enid.

[Anita Bensoussane]

Last night I watched my video of the Sunny Stories programme starring Maureen Lipman as Enid. I hadn't viewed it for a couple of years - it really is moving, and cleverly-filmed. One thing I hadn't really taken in before was Gillian Baverstock's comment that, towards the end of her life when dementia had taken hold, Enid Blyton would wander off and hitch lifts. That must have been very worrying for her family.

Anita

[Lucky Star]

Enid Blyton would wander off and hitch lifts. That must have been very worrying for her family.

Anita

Was'nt she trying to make her way home to Beckenham? I read in Barbara Stoney's book that she was convinced that she could go home to her parents and repeatedly asked her brother to take her there. Its so sad to see anyone come down with that terrible disease. It does seem to strike people with very high creativity and energy levels but I think that those cases are merely the ones we hear about; ie; famous people. There are many other unfortunate sufferers in nursing hiomes across the country.