Britain's best-loved author 2008

[Anita Bensoussane]

It does sound highly unlikely as there would be golfers coming in and out and perhaps even peering over Enid's shoulder and asking questions. Distracting to say the least!

Anita

[Lucky Star]

I have just spoken to Barbara Stoney and she says that this is absolute rubbish as Enid never did any writing apart from letters, whilst she was in Dorset, nor would she ever have written them at the golf club in the manner suggested.

It sounds as though someone in Dorset is maybe trying to position the county as the premier Blyton location in anticipation of a surge of interest caused by the new books. Either that or its very casual and sloppy research.

[Moonraker]

It sounds as though someone in Dorset is maybe trying to position the county as the premier Blyton location........

Now, who would think of doing that?

Six Bad Days sounds intriguing - I'd like to read it!

It made me think of God. Maybe creating the Universe was hard work, or possibly He's just regretting it....?

[Viv of Ginger Pop]

I don't read every post on these Forums, and have just caught up with this thread. I would like to make a number of things clear.

In virtually every talk I have given over the last two years I explain the letter written by Blyton on the whereabouts of Kirrin. The same is on my website.

http://www.gingerpop.co.uk/homeworkhelp.htm" target="_blank

Not every journalist who writes an article about Blyton and Dorset speaks to me, and not all of them report me correctly. Some people have some very strange ideas of their own, such as the Brownsea Island boatman who in his commentary told everyone that the Secret Seven was based in Studland. Peterswood-on-Sea perhaps?

I have never said that I disapprove of continuation novels. I would just like to see the true author's name marked clearly on the front and spine, so that no-one is mislead. Enid went to Court when it was said that other people wrote her books; she found the accusation very hurtful.

Through Ginger Pop I strive to promote authentic Blyton to the best of my ability. It gives me an independent Voice to both the Society and Chorion, which helps promote healthy debate.

I haven't got Tony's extensive book collection or Anita's encyclopaedic story knowledge, but I am helping a new generation of readers to love the books, and previous generations to relive a precious part of their childhood. If climbing the grassy slopes of Corfe Castle helps to bring the books alive because it might be the castle in the books, I am happy to continue to do what I do.

Viv

[Tony Summerfield]

If climbing the grassy slopes of Corfe Castle helps to bring the books alive because it might be the castle in the books, I am happy to continue to do what I do.

Viv

I have no quarrel with this at all. I have always said that a good selling point for Corfe is that both the castle and village were used in the 1950s film, Five on a Treasure Island. This is a fact, as are the use of Brownsea as Whispering Island and Manor Farm as Finniston Farm. We know this as Enid said so.

She never mentioned the use of Corfe as Kirrin, but if people like to imagine the romantic notion that it might have influenced Enid's subconscious, fair enough, it is a nice possibility.

What I do object to is when romantic notions are turned into solid fact. As far as the media is concerned this has certainly happened with Corfe and whether you read the newspapers, the Purbeck website or even the National Trust blurb, the word 'might' is not used. Twelve years ago, Enid Blyton's name wasn't associated with Corfe in any way, despite the fact that the last Famous Five book had been published more than 30 years before that.

Speculation on what 'might' have influenced Enid can be fun, and I am sure that Bourne End formed a loose background to the Find-Outers books. However I would be shocked to see coach tours in five years time which pointed out The White House as being the inspiration behind the Mystery Series. We have already seen how imaginative ideas can be turned into undisputed fact!

[Aurélien]

Tony wrote:

What I do object to is when romantic notions are turned into solid fact.

Something that can happen in any historico-literary field, Tony. Most irritating. But such romantic misconceptions can, at least, be corrected, and sometimes those holding them will want to find out more and so move on to checking out these webpages. My own view is that misdirected enthusiasm is better than total indifference.

Not to mention that the attention of grafitti artistes and souvenir-hunters will be suitably deflected, or should that be subtlely misdirected? *The aging ‘Aurélien Arkadiusz’ ducks nimbly for cover as Viv hurls fragments of what's left of Corfe Castle at him*

[Julie2owlsdene]

Just read your post, Tony, do you know anything about the illustrations of Kirrin Castle and Faynights Castle. They look as if the illustrator was actually copying a picture of the derelict Corfe Castle. I just wondered whether or not she had.

[Moonraker]

You read my mind, Julie. I am reading Five Have a Wonderful Time at the moment, and the description of Faynights seems to suit Corfe much better than Kirrin! The train journey from Kirrin (which I have always felt belongs in Cornwall) to the junction where they change to the branch line to Faynights Castle village (as with Corfe Castle, the village has the same name as the castle), could well be to Wareham, the once changing station for Corfe Castle on the Swanage branch. Another strong point in the Faynights/Corfe connection is that Faynights Castle isn't on an island!!! Mind you, as Faynights Castle doesn't have the notoriety of Kirrin Castle, it wouldn't be so much of a publicity weapon!

Seriously though, I do get a bit irritated by the thought that Enid Blyton's books and characters were based on reality. We even have a message posted that the Faraway Tree might have been a real tree in Enid's garden in Leura in the Blue Mountains of New South Wales in Australia where she once lived.

I am surprised that the Lulworth Castle publicity machine hasn't cottoned on to its striking similarity to Malory Towers...

[Julie2owlsdene]

I am surprised that the Lulworth Castle publicity machine hasn't cottoned on to its striking similarity to Malory Towers...

Don't speak to soon, Nigel, there's still time for that to be put forward

[Tony Summerfield]

I remember about ten years ago I was sent a letter and a photo from someone who was certain that Enid had based Malory Towers on her school in Cheshire (if my memory serves me right!). I believe I may have put it in a Journal at the time (my memory again!), but I pointed out that the endpapers from the Malory Towers books came from the illustrator, Stanley Lloyd's imagination, and not from Enid's at all. This is something that people tend to forget when they look at the illustrations in Enid's books.

[Tony Summerfield]

In my post from yesterday, I mentioned the Purbeck website. For those that haven't seen it I thought I would post a link to the article on Enid Blyton. As I pointed out the word 'might' is not used in the bit about Kirrin/Corfe. No prizes for guessing who 'might' have written this article!

[Moonraker]

How apt is this statement, to be found at the end of the article:

Whilst we endeavour to ensure the content of this site is correct, we cannot undertake that information you find here, is, or will remain accurate and complete.

Maybe The Land of Make-Believe was based on a Dorset location?

[Anita Bensoussane]

I was sent a letter and a photo from someone who was certain that Enid had based Malory Towers on her school in Cheshire (if my memory serves me right!). I believe I may have put it in a Journal at the time (my memory again!), but I pointed out that the endpapers from the Malory Towers books came from the illustrator, Stanley Lloyd's imagination, and not from Enid's at all. This is something that people tend to forget when they look at the illustrations in Enid's books.

The article appeared in Journal 15 (Summer 2001) and was by Kay Lord, writing about Lowther College in Abergele, North Wales.

Good point that people sometimes make assumptions based on the illustrations rather than the text.

Anita

[Anita Bensoussane]

In my post from yesterday, I mentioned the Purbeck website. For those that haven't seen it I thought I would post a link to the article on Enid Blyton. As I pointed out the word 'might' is not used in the bit about Kirrin/Corfe. No prizes for guessing who 'might' have written this article!

I've just read the article and, to be honest, it appears to have been written by someone for whom English is not a first language. There are a number of oddly-worded phrases like "They were quickly moving home to Chaffinch Road in Beckenham, Kent...", "She did also enjoy practical jokes" and "All of this involved meant a move downmarket to Elm Road." There are other examples too. Also, the claim that "It was not until 1937 that she managed a novel, which was The Adventures of the Wishing Chair" is inaccurate as The Enid Blyton Book of Brownies was published much earlier, in 1926.


But that suggests that the Corfe Castle/Kirrin Castle myth has indeed spread far and wide!

Anita

[Moonraker]

My guess would be our old friend Viv!