Thoughts after re-reading A Childhood at Green Hedges

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Re: Thoughts after re-reading A Childhood at Green Hedges

Post by Courtenay »

I'm not sure even that will make the book make any more sense, Fiona. :wink:
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Re: Thoughts after re-reading A Childhood at Green Hedges

Post by pete9012S »

Image
Image

Just reading A Childhood At Green Hedges and came across the above on pages 67/68.
Did Enid use Dr Wiggins in her books?
If so it must have been after 1943.
Is there a large jolly man,perhaps with a slight name/size change as in Tupping/Tapping that could possible fit the bill?


Image

I thought at 1st of Mr Twiddle,but he appears in 1942.Is that too early??

Image


What about Mr Tumpy? He appears in 1949 and is described in the cave by Terry Gustafson thus:
Mr. Tumpy is a jolly and smiley Pickwickian man whose enjoyment of life is enhanced by two things – his pipe and his dog.
http://www.enidblytonsociety.co.uk/book ... is+Caravan" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Over to you.
Any other likely candidates? :D :D
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Re: Thoughts after re-reading A Childhood at Green Hedges

Post by Rob Houghton »

This passage perfectly illustrates why I can't give A Childhood At Green Hedges a reread. I find the style so intense and even depressing - very tightly-wound and angry. Every word of it is, to me, someone venting their frustrations, and I find that very uncomfortable to read.

Às for using the character of Dr Wiggins in a book, not really sure. There's no one that jumps out, except maybe smaller characters like the funny man in Rubadub Mystery or Eunice's father in Missing Man. I can't think of many chubby jolly types in Enid's books!

Perhaps its Big Ears or Mr Tubby Bear ;-)
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Re: Thoughts after re-reading A Childhood at Green Hedges

Post by Katharine »

To me that passage illustrates how someone can view a situation from different angles. Obviously I didn't know Kenneth and Imogen did, but on the face of it, I don't see his actions in performing the operation himself as being 'possessive stubbornness'. To me it makes perfect sense to want to do the operation himself, in the same way as I stayed at home to look after my children instead of paying someone else to. I felt I was perfectly capable of doing the job, so why would I want someone else to do it? Of course that might show a trait of 'possessive stubbornness' in my own personality, however if Kenneth was qualified to perform the operation himself, I can't see any reason for getting someone else to do it. If compliments have been paid since, then he seems to have been the best man for the job.

I can't think of any characters who might have been based on Dr. Wiggins, unless it was Mr. Pinkwhistle. Although I think he was short, but he was rounded and jolly, and went round 'mending' situations, which could loosely be the same as a doctor making people better. I'm sure I've seen a drawing of Mr. Pinkwhistle somewhere where he's carrying a black bag, similar to those a doctor used to have.
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Re: Thoughts after re-reading A Childhood at Green Hedges

Post by Rob Houghton »

Good idea! Mr Pink-Whistle is a very strong candidate. :-)

I agree about what you say regards viewing situations from different angles...and not being disrespectful to the author, whom I've been lucky enough to meet, often Imogen seemed to feel she was a victim, throughout her childhood. I found this unusual because I myself had a very happy childhood, and looking back I realize how lucky and blessed I was, whereas a childhood at Green Hedges was, for Imogen, something that was almost always negative and intimidating. I found it intriguing and disturbing that not one of her childhood memories was really positive.
'Oh voice of Spring of Youth
hearts mad delight,
Sing on, sing on, and when the sun is gone
I'll warm me with your echoes
through the night.'

(E. Blyton, Sunday Times, 1951)



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Re: Thoughts after re-reading A Childhood at Green Hedges

Post by Katharine »

Robert Houghton wrote:...and not being disrespectful to the author........ often Imogen seemed to feel she was a victim, throughout her childhood.... I found it intriguing and disturbing that not one of her childhood memories was really positive.
Yes I think that's how I felt. I hope I don't sound as if I'm judging Imogen, but when I read the book, I felt that many of her unhappy memories seemed to be just a normal part of childhood, and I couldn't really see why they had been portrayed in such a negative way For example, there's a bit where Imogen's Nanny had gone out and there was a thunderstorm, so Enid had gone in and tried to make light of the situation by describing the thunder as giants throwing furniture around. To me that was a very thoughtful and caring thing for Enid to do, she could so easily have ridiculed Imogen's fears, and yet I got the impression that Imogen didn't really appreciate what her mother had done. Or perhaps I just interpreted her telling of the event incorrectly.

Having read the book now, I do find it hard to understand why Enid has ended up with a reputation of being such a horrible mother. I felt the book was full of loving moments. As a mother myself, I hope that my own children will remember their childhood in a happier light, it's not been all sunshine and happiness, but hopefully the good bits will be remembered more than any unhappy parts.

I think I've said elsewhere, that I do feel sad that Imogen felt her childhood was so unhappy, as to me Enid's care as a mother was jumping out of the pages all over the place, but obviously Imogen didn't feel that way.
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Re: Thoughts after re-reading A Childhood at Green Hedges

Post by Moonraker »

It's years since I read Malory Towers, but wasn't Darryl's (sp?) father a surgeon? I thought he was based on a real surgeon, such as Wiggins.
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Re: Thoughts after re-reading A Childhood at Green Hedges

Post by Rob Houghton »

I often feel I shouldn't express my opinions about Imogen and her book, as I hate to seem disrespectful, but on the other hand Imogen did publish this book as a statement about her childhood, and as readers we are bound to judge her by what she wrote - that's to be expected.

I too felt that many of the things Imogen mentioned as being scary or unjust were normal parts of childhood, but they seemed to affect her in a big, often negative, way. I found it psychologically interesting. I wonder how many other children found their childhood that scary and threatening? Maybe I was lucky to not feel like that, but I presume that many people experience a childhood along similar lines to mine - quite sunny and exciting and full of fun, with just a few worries about school or swimming lessons or singing in a school concert etc. I guess I could have written about my swimming lessons from school, which did worry me for a while when I was about 10, as I felt I was in a higher group than I should have been. I could write about that time, looking back, suggesting that 'my mother forced me to go, and I went to school screaming with fear and shaking as sweat ran down my face.' :shock: when in reality I was just nervous, for a short time, of jumping in the deep end of the pool! :roll:
'Oh voice of Spring of Youth
hearts mad delight,
Sing on, sing on, and when the sun is gone
I'll warm me with your echoes
through the night.'

(E. Blyton, Sunday Times, 1951)



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Re: Thoughts after re-reading A Childhood at Green Hedges

Post by Anita Bensoussane »

Moonraker wrote:It's years since I read Malory Towers, but wasn't Darryl's (sp?) father a surgeon? I thought he was based on a real surgeon, such as Wiggins.
It's likely that Darrell Rivers' father was based on Kenneth Darrell Waters. We see Darrell's father carrying out an appendix operation, as Kenneth did on Gillian, and the names are similar.
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Re: Thoughts after re-reading A Childhood at Green Hedges

Post by Katharine »

Well put Robert. I too am cautious about what I put, as I don't want to offend Imogen or her family, but as you say, she did choose to write the book and hopefully she is happy for us to discuss it.

While I don't really understand much of how she felt, I do respect the fact that for her, much of her childhood wasn't a positive experience.
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Re: Thoughts after re-reading A Childhood at Green Hedges

Post by Moonraker »

Yes, on reflection I agree with you, Anita.
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Re: Thoughts after re-reading A Childhood at Green Hedges

Post by Katharine »

I think Imogen said that Kenneth used to sound his horn impatiently when he was waiting outside in the car, in the same way as Darrell's father does in Malory Towers.
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Re: Thoughts after re-reading A Childhood at Green Hedges

Post by pete9012S »

Katharine wrote:
I can't think of any characters who might have been based on Dr. Wiggins, unless it was Mr. Pinkwhistle. Although I think he was short, but he was rounded and jolly, and went round 'mending' situations, which could loosely be the same as a doctor making people better. I'm sure I've seen a drawing of Mr. Pinkwhistle somewhere where he's carrying a black bag, similar to those a doctor used to have.
Image

An excellent suggestion Katharine. The only things that may not fit is that Enid met in Kenneth in Devon in the spring of 1941and The Adventures of Mr. Pink-Whistle was also published in 1941?

Still chronologically just about feasible though! :D
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Re: Thoughts after re-reading A Childhood at Green Hedges

Post by Katharine »

Ooops, I never thought to check the dates. I've just checked in the bibliography, and the book was published in April 1941, and had 11 stories which had been serialised in Sunny Stories during May 1940 - January 1941. So that rules out Mr. Pink Whistle.
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Re: A few thoughts after re-reading A Childhood at GH

Post by floragord »

Boodi wrote:
Belly wrote:I was struck by the fact dinner with their mother was a privilege the girls enjoyed from aged 10 onwards, how society has changed!
Although it did not happen in my immediate family I do remember that I had an uncle and aunt who dined alone and their three children had a "nursery tea" with the maid at around 6 o'clock in the evening. I always found it most odd when I went to visit them, and the "nursery tea" was incredibly bland and boring, mainly consisting of slices of bread and butter.
I had tea with my Mother every day in early childhood but we had "nursery supper" before the adults ate at 8pm. I was sent away to school at a young age and a similar pattern ruled in the holidays, but we ate "en famille" from about age 12. Friends with nannies do much the same though weekends are more relaxed especially if there are guests, just personal preferences as always!
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