Francis wrote:As to no protest - this was right at the height of anti-Blyton mania. It beggars belief that it was not saved or highlighted in the papers.
I always find it amazing that for many people 1973, when Green Hedges was pulled down, were 'anti-Blyton' because, as I've said before, where I lived near Birmingham there was no such backlash! Growing up in the 1970's, most of my friends read Enid Blyton, she was THE author to buy for Birthday presents (mainly due to the Dean versions which were relatively cheap, and the Famous Five annuals). She was trendy - there were Famous Five jigsaws, Famous Five TV programmes, Noddy TV programmes. The girls in my class swapped Famous Five books and brought them to school to discuss and swap. I first read 'The Valley of Adventure' in a school paperback...
So, I find it ultra amazing that no one complained when Green Hedges was pulled down! I think it had more to do with the way people viewed the importance of buildings in those days. It was the era of the concrete block of flats and making a quick buck by selling land, regardless of all the history that was being bulldozed. I think nowadays there would have been protests!