Enid and the changing world

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Paul Austin
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Enid and the changing world

Post by Paul Austin »

Enid criticises early fifties music/fifties culture in one of her books when she criticises jukebox music. It reminds me of Elinor Brent-Dyer - her attempt at featuring the beatnik culture comes across as the tone of a disapproving old woman, even though the characters she was using are meant to be young and would be a lot more accepting of beatniks than EBD herself.

It makes you wonder how Enid would have handled the changes of the swinging sixties?
"History is the parts of the past that the present finds useful" - Anon
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Daisy
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Re: Enid and the changing world

Post by Daisy »

We will never know! But is it always right to assume the opinion an author puts into a character's mouth is always his/her own? I think we should be careful.
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pete9012S
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Re: Enid and the changing world

Post by pete9012S »


Famous Five 1957


‘Blow!’ said George. ‘The weather might have lasted for just one week! Whatever shall we do if it pours? Sit in our tents all day, I suppose!’
‘Cheer up - we could go and see the caves,’ said Dick. ‘I know what we’ll do now! We’ll get out our portable radio and turn it on. If there’s some decent music, it will sound glorious up here!’
‘All right. But for goodness’ sake have it on softly,’ said Anne. ‘I loathe people who take radios out into the country with them, and switch them on loudly, so that it spoils the peace and quiet for everyone else. I could go and kick their radios to pieces!’
‘Gracious, Anne - you do sound fierce!’ said George, looking at her cousin in surprise.
‘You don’t know our quiet sister Anne quite as well as we do, George,’ said Julian, with a twinkle in his eyes. ‘She can be really fierce if she thinks anyone is spoiling things for others. I had to stop her once from going up to scold people at a picnic - they actually had a gramophone going full-pelt,
in spite of the angry looks from people all round. I do believe she meant to take off the gramophone record and break it over somebody’s head!’
‘Oh, Julian! How can you say such a thing!’ said Anne. ‘I did feel like it - but I didn’t do it.’
‘All right, young Anne!’ said Julian affectionately, and patted her head. Both he and Dick thought the world of their quiet, kind little sister and looked after her well. She smiled at them.
‘Well - let’s have some music, then,’ she said. ‘There’s the Pastoral Symphony on sometime this evening, I know, because I made a note of it. It would sound beautiful out here in this lovely countryside with that view spreading for miles in front of us. But softly, please.’
Julian fetched the little radio set and took it out of its waterproof case. He switched on, and a voice came loudly from the set. Julian lowered the volume to make it softer. ‘It’s the seven o’clock news,’ he said. ‘We’ll hear it, shall we?’
But it was almost the end of the news, and the voice soon stopped to give way to an announcer. Yes - it was going to be the Pastoral Symphony now. Soon the first notes came softly from the little radio, and it seemed to set the countryside around to music. The four settled down in the heather to listen, lying half-propped up to watch the changing colours of the view in front of them as the sun sank lower.
Why not listen along with the Five? At low volume mind!! :D :D

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dbfa86bTD34" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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Julie2owlsdene
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Re: Enid and the changing world

Post by Julie2owlsdene »

I'm wondering why you're always changing your avatar, Paul. And why is it always young girls! :roll:

8)
Julian gave an exclamation and nudged George.
"See that? It's the black Bentley again. KMF 102!"

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Re: Enid and the changing world

Post by Courtenay »

Julie2owlsdene wrote:I'm wondering why you're always changing your avatar, Paul. And why is it always young girls! :roll:
Er, same here. I must admit I find that mildly creepy. :? And you do seem to be rather frequently miffed that Enid (surprise, surprise) held some opinions and attitudes that were quite commonplace and understandable for someone of her generation and her era, and that these come through at times in what she wrote. Oddly enough, this would be true of just about all of us - if only we could see how "old fashioned" our attitudes and opinions will look more than 50 years from now... :roll:

If this spoils Enid Blyton's books for you, that's fine. It doesn't for me, or for any other Blyton fans I know. Personally, I grew up in the '80s and '90s loving classical music - particularly Beethoven - and am delighted that Enid gave the Five* such good taste!! :mrgreen: Thanks for the lovely YouTube rendition, Pete.

* Or the Four, maybe, since we're not told what Timmy thought of it...
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Paul Austin
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Re: Enid and the changing world

Post by Paul Austin »

Here's something i just recorded.
Just an hello on audio:

http://www.geocities.ws/paulbmaustin/Enidb.wma" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
"History is the parts of the past that the present finds useful" - Anon
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pete9012S
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Re: Enid and the changing world

Post by pete9012S »

Thanks for sharing Paul.
Maybe we should all do an audio hello so we can hear what we sound like? :D
Here's me catching a breath after doing my daily five sit ups this morning before work...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jrPZ0hDeXcY" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
" A kind heart always brings its own reward," said Mrs. Lee.
- The Christmas Tree Aeroplane -

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Paul Austin
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Re: Enid and the changing world

Post by Paul Austin »

Thanks Pete.
"History is the parts of the past that the present finds useful" - Anon
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Deej
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Re: Enid and the changing world

Post by Deej »

Julie2owlsdene wrote:I'm wondering why you're always changing your avatar, Paul. And why is it always young girls! :roll:

8)
It's Twinnings Earl Grey Tea now! :?
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Re: Enid and the changing world

Post by Courtenay »

I noticed that - good taste. At least it's not Twinings Lady Grey. :P
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Deej
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Re: Enid and the changing world

Post by Deej »

Courtenay wrote:I noticed that - good taste. At least it's not Twinings Lady Grey. :P
:lol:
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pete9012S
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Re: Enid and the changing world

Post by pete9012S »

Talking of Earl Grey...

Image

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituar ... -Grey.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
" A kind heart always brings its own reward," said Mrs. Lee.
- The Christmas Tree Aeroplane -

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Re: Enid and the changing world

Post by Courtenay »

Ah, Paul, you've gone Aussie again... Bushells. Earl Grey too highbrow for you? :mrgreen:

(Maybe this thread should be retitled Paul and the Changing Avatar??)
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Re: Avatars

Post by Moonraker »

Maybe this should be on the Why Did You Choose Your Avatar thread, but I will continue here. I rather like it when people don't change their avatars. To my knowledge, Ming and Anita have never changed their avatars - yes, I know there are others, but I list two to illustrate my point. Paul has undoubtedly changed his the most - it seems a new one appears almost on a daily basis.

I am not making any criticisms, although like others, I question his choice on many of them. I see the avatar before I read the name, and the avatar instantly tells me who it is. It is a logo of the person.

Yes, I hear you cry, I have changed mine several times, although most have a common theme - a moon and a rake! My current one is a sketch by Julie. I will probably go back to one of my old moon/rake avatars in due course!
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Re: Enid and the changing world

Post by Francis »

I always like your avatars, Nigel - particularly your new one.
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