The Enid Blyton Society

I see that a list has been compiled of the 50 greatest Londoners of all time. Three are some surprising entries but guess who is at number 17? That's right. Enid Blyton. I was quite chuffed to see here in there. Normally she seems to be perennially ignored in these type of lists.

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Wow - it's great to see Enid's name on the list!

It is indeed very nice to see Enid Blyton's name in the list! And I quite agree she is one of the greatest Londoners!

A very interesting list, John. I'm also pleased to see Enid at number 17.

That is fantastic! I'm a little sorry to see only 11 of the top 50 are women, but at least Enid is among them. (And I notice that there are three British queens there, but no kings, so maybe that does balance out the gender equality side of things a bit. )

Interesting that it says -

Top 10 Signs of a True Londoner
1. Being born in London
2. Knowing the tube lines by heart
3. Being comfortable in crowds
4. Knowing all the places to avoid for crowds and tourists
5. Missing London when you are away from the city
6. Embracing changing situations, thriving in the chaos around you
7. Knowing London Underground etiquette
8. Knowing all the best secret hotspots and restaurants in your area
9. Standing on the correct side of escalators
10. Being happy to live in a smaller place without a garden


Not many of those fit Enid!

Great that she's at number 17 though.

Quite interesting that Charlie Chaplin is on there...as that's something that is contested by quite a few people (Including his son!) who believe he was born in a gypsy caravan in Smethwick.

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Robert Houghton wrote:Interesting that it says -

Top 10 Signs of a True Londoner
1. Being born in London
2. Knowing the tube lines by heart
3. Being comfortable in crowds
4. Knowing all the places to avoid for crowds and tourists
5. Missing London when you are away from the city
6. Embracing changing situations, thriving in the chaos around you
7. Knowing London Underground etiquette
8. Knowing all the best secret hotspots and restaurants in your area
9. Standing on the correct side of escalators
10. Being happy to live in a smaller place without a garden


Not many of those fit Enid!

Hw do you know Enid didn't stand on the correct side of escalators??

According to someone I was talking to the other day, a true Londoner never refers to the Underground as 'The Tube'.

Really? Then how come even Transport for London prints the Underground map with the heading "Tube map"??

Surely it's the opposite?! I always call it 'the underground' - and I've been to London only twice in my life!

Rather a strange list, I would say.

Charles Dickens is a notable absence. He was a longtime London resident who really celebrated London in his books, and people were always impressed with his "cabdriver's knowledge" of London streets and neighborhoods.

While on the other hand, quite a few people on the list I don't consider "Londoners".

I don't think being born in London should be a "top sign of a true Londoner". Someone who is born in London but spends their entire life somewhere else isn't going to be considered a "true Londoner". While someone who moves to London and lives there a long time and fully embraces London life and identity is much more of a "true Londoner".

KEVP

I suppose it's grand that Enid has been recognised as one of the greatest Londoners of all time but I've never really understood what these lists are meant to achieve. Whether she came first or last I still regard her as a brilliant children's author.

KEVP wrote: Charles Dickens is a notable absence. He was a longtime London resident who really celebrated London in his books, and people were always impressed with his "cabdriver's knowledge" of London streets and neighborhoods.

Perhaps because the good people of the Medway area already claim him as their own! I live not far from Rochester and every second business there, it seems, is named after a Dickens character or story. Everything from A Taste of Two Cities to Tiny Tim's Tea House.

Every Londoner I know calls it the Tube.

I would agree with that - it's outsiders who call it 'the underground'.

Being from Birmingham, I don't necessarily think it's a good thing that Enid is on a list of 'Greatest Londoners' - I'd rather see her as someone who was a Berkshire resident than a Londoner. She wasn't your 'typical' Londoner - whatever that might be!