Famous Five Wake Up Times!

[pete9012S]

Be honest- what time did you get up when off on your school holidays?

One thing that quite literally stunned my brother and I was the times the Famous Five woke up.
Or the exclamations from one of them if heaven forbid they ever slept in.
We couldn't believe that real children on their school holidays could ever evince so much consternation if they happened to oversleep.

I think the first occasion I recall was Julian saying something like "Dick,do you know what time it is? it's 8.15am.What on earth will Aunt Fanny think of us!"

Or something like that.
We always used to wonder if they thought 8.15am was an unearthly time to rise on their school holidays,what time did they usually get up!!




They didn't seem to feel as bad about an afternoon snooze - I seem to remember on a few occasions after a gargantuan feast otherwise known to us lesser mortals as lunch and about seventy miles of solid cycling they would all fall asleep and remain comatose for a good hour or two.

On one adventure or maybe two they arrive home very,very late and stumble into bed.
They wake up the next day at the most unearthly hour I can remember,was it around 11am....Julian also having forgotten to alert the police that they were safe etc.

Going to bed.On this I'm a bit more vague.But maybe this is the key to the Kirrins morning pre breakfast bathe etc etc.
I don't recall them turning in late at night.Although,if the adventure demanded it,they seemed more than capable of staying up as late as required with Sid the Kirrin worshipping paperboy playing fast card games.

Staying power.If the adventure demanded late night activity,they were quite happy to go through the motions of going to bed and also carry out their nocturnal activities - usually in most cases trying to ban George from going with them.

An opposite to this rule happened in their third adventure,when George tried to do a runner to her Island in the middle of the night,only to be convinced by Julian that it would be much better if they all did a midnight bunk,taking the contents of Aunt Fanny's secret food stash along too.

So I kind of get the impression they got up around 7am. Had lunch at 1pm. Evening meal at 6pm. So that leaves supper.What time was that? Given that I imagine they would be in bed sometime between 9pm-10-pm????

[Poppy]

I think the first occasion I recall was Julian saying something like "Dick,do you know what time it is? it's 8.15am.What on earth will Aunt Fanny think of us!"

Or something like that.
We always used to wonder if they thought 8.15am was an unearthly time to rise on their school holidays,what time did they usually get up!!

I sometimes consider this, too, whilst reading the Famous Books. Personally, I don't really like a lie-in, but 8.15am - 8.30am seems about the general time I would wake up and get up, school days and weekends. But I definitely don't think that it is an extraordinarily late time as the five did, in the passage you quoted.

I noticed whilst reading The Rat-a-Tat Mystery, recently, that it says Mrs Tickle got up at a quarter to seven, which seemed fairly early to me! And earlier in the book; it is said that the children go to bed at 9.00pm.

[MJE]

We always used to wonder if they thought 8.15am was an unearthly time to rise on their school holidays,what time did they usually get up!!

     To be honest, I don't remember exactly what time I got up during holidays or weekends.
     Rising time during school may have varied a bit according to where we lived, and therefore how long it would take to get to school. (In all places we lived in Adelaide and Melbourne, our father drove us to school on his way to work in the city.) School began something like 8.40 or 8.45 a.m., and the driving time might have been something like half an hour. My younger brother used to occasionally chant, according to what the time was, either "Ten to eight; we'll be late", or "Ten past eight; we are late" - which probably gave a fairly good idea of the time we had to leave home - i.e., ca. 8 a.m. Allowing for showering, breakfast, etc., I wouldn't be at all surprised if we got up well before 7 - maybe 6.30 or so - possibly even earlier when we lived in Stirling in the Adelaide hills, because the drive to school in Torrens Park was quite long. (Torrens Park is lower down, on the plain where Adelaide's suburbs are located.)
     Yes, I think getting-up time was probably a bit later on non-school days - but probably still before 8.15 a.m.
     I've become very nocturnal now, and find getting up in the morning quite difficult now - but it was different when I was a child. I think everything in childhood is more vivid and colourful and filled with wonder, and you are more likely to be eager to get up to get on with whatever took your interest at the time. For me, that would probably have been composing music or writing stories, or sometimes going for long walks in the then-semi-rural districts of the Adelaide hills (Belair, then Stirling). Sadly, when we moved to Melbourne, we were in a thoroughly suburban area, and while my practice of going for walks didn't cease immediately, I definitely found it less compelling.
     And I think, as a boy, getting up really early could even have a kind of wonder of its own, and everything is so fresh, as I think Anne Kirrin commented occasionally. And I recall a few occasions (although I didn't make a regular practice of it) when I got up while it was still dark, because I wanted to go out and into some wooded area that was still filled with moonlight, and drink in the atmosphere of it - I might even imagine that I was somehow involved in some mystery or adventure in that magical setting. And watching the sun rise could be quite magnificent at times, too.
     So, even for me, an incurable late riser now, I can see a positive side, an attraction, to the idea of getting up really early; and I think there is even now a part of me (perhaps a smaller part) that would like to be able to do this still with enjoyment instead of yawning and longing to return to bed.

They didn't seem to feel as bad about an afternoon snooze - I seem to remember on a few occasions after a gargantuan feast otherwise known to us lesser mortals as lunch and about seventy miles of solid cycling they would all fall asleep and remain comatose for a good hour or two.

     And often a cheeky bird comes near them and sings a little song, or a beetle or a mouse runs over them, or something like that. (I actually like those whimsical little episodes Enid Blyton puts in like that.)

Going to bed.On this I'm a bit more vague.But maybe this is the key to the Kirrins morning pre breakfast bathe etc etc.

     Well, I think I must be cold-blooded or something, because the idea of an early-morning bathe even in summer, never mind early spring, just makes me shiver deep inside. I like the *idea* of it, but I'm afraid the reality is just far too cold for me. I don't remember the last time I bathed in the sea, a river, or any unheated water, but I'm sure I very quickly became cold and miserable. I think I would be able to swim with any comfort only in a heated swimming pool - which of course I'm sure the Famous Five would turn their noses up at. (As for people who surf in the middle of winter, as I believe truly dedicated surfers do - I don't know how anyone can bear to do that.)

So I kind of get the impression they got up around 7am. Had lunch at 1pm. Evening meal at 6pm. So that leaves supper.What time was that? Given that I imagine they would be in bed sometime between 9pm-10-pm????

     It sounds like a pretty typical day I lived as a boy - and I may have got up a bit later in holidays or weekends; but probably not a lot. This was the 1960s, and maybe things have changed since then, and children live differently.
     I used to wonder about supper, too: both what it consisted of, and what time it was eaten. My family never had supper: our main meal was dinner in the evening, not tea, so supper wasn't necessary, and never a practice we followed.

Regards, Michael.

[pete9012S]

In Five Run Away Together we encounter the Five's first out of hours snooze. It came after their huge physical effort in escaping from the horrid Sticks...

The children had been up half the night, and now they were full of good things, and were very sleepy. One by one they fell asleep on the warm sand. Timothy eyed them in astonishment. It wasn’t night-time! Yet here were all the children sleeping tightly. Well,a dog could always go to sleep too at any time! So Timothy threw himself down beside George, put his head right on her middle, and closed his eyes. The sun was high when the little company “awoke. Julian awoke first, then Dick, feeling very hot indeed, for the sun was blazing down. They sat up, yawning. “Goodness!” said Dick, looking at his arms. “The sun has caught me properly. I shall be terribly sore by tonight. Did we bring any cream, Julian?” “No. We never thought of it,” said Julian. “Cheer up! You’ll be burnt much more by the time this day ends. The sun’s going to be hot—there’s not a cloud in the sky!”

“Let’s go and see the wreck today if we can. I’d love to see if it’s still balanced on those rocks, as it was last year, when we explored it.” “Well, first we must make up our minds where we are going to sleep,” said Julian, firmly. “I don’t know if you realise it, but it’s about three o’clock in the afternoon! We slept for hours on the sand— tired out with our exciting night, I suppose. We really must find some safe place and put our things there at once, and make our beds.”

[pete9012S]

Next occasion is their 5th Adventure Five Go Off In A Caravan.

It's the end of a long tiring adventure and they are all bushed!

All the children slept very late the next morning. They were awakened by a loud knocking on Julian’s caravan. He woke up with a jump and yelled out: ‘Yes! Who is it?’ ‘It’s us,’ said a familiar voice, and the door opened. Farmer Mackie and his wife peeped in, looking rather anxious.

No mention of the time,but it must be long after they would usually be up and about!

In their 7th Adventure Five Go Of To Camp we read:

Mr Luffy slept very late the next morning and nobody liked to disturb him. The girls yelled with laughter when they heard how Dick had spoken to him the night before, thinking he was Timmy the dog.

[Farwa]

Yes, the wake-up time was 7:00 - 8:00 was too late of course, but 7:00 was not that early - after all, at their boarding school they must have had to get up at 6:00 to 6:30 at least, so getting up at 7:00 must have been pretty luxurious already!

Their bed-time was 9:30 to 10:00, to be sure - because in Five On Kirrin Island again, when they want to stay up till 10:30 to look out for the signals, their aunt thinks it's a little late, but they convince her by saying that they are allowed to go to bed at 10:00 at school too.

[pete9012S]

Their 8th Adventure Five Get Into Trouble sees the Five enjoy not one but two afternoon snoozes!

Dick, and settled down with his head on a cushion of moss. ‘All right, old bird — we’ll mind how we go — but we’re going to have a bit of a snooze now, so don’t play the band too loudly!’ ‘It would be a good idea to have a bit of a rest,’ said Julian, yawning. ‘We’ve done pretty well, so far. We don’t want to tire ourselves out the very first day. Get off my legs, Timmy — you’re frightfully heavy with all those sandwiches inside you.’

Once again the children snoozed in the afternoon sun, Richard too — and the little lambs skipped nearer and nearer. One actually leapt on to Julian as he slept, and he sat upright with a jerk. Timmy!’ he began, if you leap on me again like that I’ll …’ But it wasn’t Timmy, it was a lamb! Julian laughed to himself.

Their 9th Adventure - Five Fall Into Adventure it is Timmy who oversleeps - but at least he has an excuse!

Somebody gave him some meat or something with dope in - some kind of drug. And he ate it, and slept so soundly that he never heard a thing - and isn’t even awake yet.’ ‘Oh, Julian - will he be all right?’ asked George anxiously, stroking Timmy’s motionless body. ‘But how could he take any food from a stranger in the night?’

In their 10th Adventure; Five On A Hike Together.They're really pushing the boat out now!

It was dark in the cellar when the one candle went out. There was no daylight or sunshine to wake the children down in that dim little room, and they slept late. Julian woke up first. He found his bed suddenly very hard, and he turned over to find a comfortable place. The heather and bracken had been flattened with his weight, and the floor below was very hard indeed! The movement woke him up, and he lay blinking in the darkness. Where was he? He remembered at once and sat up. Dick woke too and yawned. ‘Dick! It’s half-past eight! !’ said Julian, looking at the luminous hands of his wrist-watch. ‘We’ve slept for hours and hours!’

The end of their 11th Adventure Five Have A Wonderful Time they are at it again - but it is the end of a strenuous late night escapade!

They all slept very late the next day. Jo was back long before they awoke, very anxious to tell them how they had captured Pottersham and the others, and how they had been marched off to the police-station, with her following all the way. But Mrs. Alfredo would not let her wake the four children up. However, they did awake at last, and got up eagerly, remembering all the exciting moments of the day before. Soon they were jumping down the steps of the two caravans, eager to hear the latest news. "Hallo, Father!" shouted George, seeing him not far off.

[MJE]

The children had been up half the night, and now they were full of good things, and were very sleepy.

Their 8th Adventure Five Get Into Trouble sees the Five enjoy not one but two afternoon snoozes!

'Get off my legs, Timmy — you’re frightfully heavy with all those sandwiches inside you.’

     Not sure if it's just an odd quirk for me to even notice - but sentences like these conjure up an image of the children or Timmy being almost like bags for holding food - not a very nice image to conjure up in my mind. I've never been overly fond of the common description, either, of food being washed down with lemonade or something.

Regards, Michael.

[Farwa]

But I love the parts in which the delicious lemonade and ginger-beer is mentioned! It's really part of the food descriptions.

[pete9012S]

Adventure number 12.Five Go Down To The Sea - Julian wakes really early - and then promptly falls back off to sleep!

it wasn’t long before Julian was sleeping as soundly as Dick. Neither of them stirred until a cock outside their window decided that it was time the whole world woke up, and crowed at the top of his voice. ‘Cock-a-doodle-DOO!’ The boys woke with a jump. The early sun streamed into the room, and Julian glanced at his watch. How early it was! And yet he could hear movements downstairs that told him Mrs Penruthlan was up and about, and so was her giant of a husband. He fell asleep again, and was awakened by a loud knock at his door, and Mrs Penruthlan’s voice. ‘It’s half past seven, and breakfast will be on the table for you at eight. Wake up!’

We are at the 13th Adventure Mystery Moor and it is Timmy -the hero and saviour again who cannot stay awake.But as before he has a valid excuse.He is wounded and needs medical attention!

‘And the gypsies took us prisoners’ yelled Anne. ‘But - but - how do Henry and William come into this?’ said poor Mrs Johnson, thinking she must really still be asleep. ‘And what’s the matter with Timmy?’ Timmy had suddenly flopped on the ground. The excitement was over, they were home, now he could put his poor aching head on his paws and sleep! George was off her horse immediately. ‘Timmy! Darling Timmy! Brave Timmy! Help me, William. I’ll take him upstairs to my room and see to that cut.’

14 Five Have Plenty Of Fun this time it is Joan of all people who cannot rouse herself!

Joan went to lie down too, thinking she would just have a rest, but not go to sleep. But in half a second she slept too. The sun rose higher in the sky. The milkman came whistling up the path and left four bottles of milk on the step. The gulls in the bay circled and soared and called loudly. But nobody stirred in Kirrin Cottage.

‘What’s happened? Where is everyone?’ said Aunt Fanny in amazement. ‘All the doors locked? But it’s ten o’clock in the morning. Where are the children?’ ‘I’ve got my key,’ said Uncle Quentin, and he put it into the front door lock. He opened the door and Sally leapt straight into Berta’s arms, licking her face from forehead to chin! Aunt Fanny went into the hall and called, ‘Anyone at home?’ No answer. Timmy heard her call, but as George did not stir, he didn’t either. He was not going to leave George for a minute, not even to go downstairs!

[pete9012S]

15.Five On A Secret Trail - An afternoon snooze for Anne & George and a lie too!

They lay on the heather out in the sun, talking, when they came back from the spring. Timmy wandered off by himself again. ‘It’s so peaceful here,’ said Anne. ‘Nobody near us for miles. Just the birds and the rabbits. This is what I like!’ ‘There’s hardly a sound,’ said George, yawning......

The girls shut their eyes, and slept. There wasn’t a sound now except the pop-pop-pop of gorse pads exploding in the sun and sending out their little black seeds. George woke up when Timmy came back. He sat down heavily on her feet and she woke up with a jump.

They did not wake till quite late - and even then something woke them, or they might have slept on for hours, tired out with their broken night and the fright they had had. They were awakened by something scuttling round them, making a very loud noise indeed. Then Timmy barked. The girls awoke and sat up, rather dazed. ‘Oh, it’s Jet!’ said Anne. ‘Jet, have you come to see if we’re all right, you dear, funny little one-eyed thing!’

16.Five Go To Billycock Hill I think this is the one I remember best and consulted my brother Mike for his opinion!

‘It’s a plane,’ said Julian, staring up at a small aeroplane flying over the hill. ‘It must be one from that airfield down there! I say - it’s five past nine! Five past nine - we’ve slept for nearly twelve hours!’ ‘Well, I’m going to sleep for some more,’ said Dick, snuggling down into his heathery bed again and shutting his eyes. ‘No, you’re not,’ said Julian, giving him a shove. ‘It’s too good a day to waste in any more sleep. Hey, you girls - are you awake?’ ‘Yes,’ called George, sitting up, rubbing her eyes. ‘That aeroplane wakened me. Anne’s awake, too - and you can see that Timmy is; he’s gone after a rabbit or something.’

The Five slept soundly and awoke the next morning to a dismal scene of rain and dark clouds. ‘How disappointing!’ said Dick, peering out of his tent. We ought to have listened to the weather forecast to see if it would clear today. What’s the time, Julian?’ ‘Just gone eight,’ said Julian. ‘My word, we are sleepy these days! Well, it’s not raining so very hard now - let’s see if the girls are awake, and put on our macs and go and wash at the spring.’

[pete9012S]

17.Five Get Into A Fix - The only excuse for this level of tardiness is that the Five had been ill over Christmas!

Chapter Four IN THE OLD FARMHOUSE The four children slept like logs all night long. If they coughed they didn’t know it! They lay in their beds, hardly moving - and only Timmy opened an eye occasionally, as he always did on the first night in a strange place.

Julian awoke first in the morning. He heard the sounds of the farm coming through the closed window. Shouts of one man to another - the lowing of cows - the barking of one dog after another, and then all together - and the peaceful sound of hens clucking and ducks quacking. It was nice to lie and hear it all, feeling warm and lazy. He looked at his watch. Good gracious, it was almost nine o’clock! Whatever would Mrs. Jones think of them? He leapt out of bed, and awoke Dick with the quick movement. “It’s almost nine!” said Julian, and went to the washstand.

“Anne - how do you feel? I feel really fine!” said George, pleased. “Do you know it’s nine o’clock? We’ve slept for more than twelve hours. No wonder we feel better!” “Yes. I certainly do too,” said Anne, with an enormous yawn. “Oh look, I’ve made Timmy yawn too! Timmy, did you sleep well?” “Woof!” said Timmy, and pawed impatiently at the door. “He wants his breakfast,” said George. “I wonder what there is. I feel rather like bacon and egg - goodness, I thought I’d never feel like eating that again. Brrrr - this water’s cold to wash in.”

18.Five On Finniston Farm and they seem to be making an effort to rise a bit earlier in this one,although Julian panics Dick! somewhat

He fell asleep once more and didn’t wake until the sun streamed into the barn, lighting up hundreds of tiny motes floating in the air. Julian looked at his watch. ‘Half past seven! And I meant to be up at seven. Dick! Wake up!’ Dick was so sound asleep that he didn’t wake even when Julian shook him. He merely rolled over and settled down again. Julian glanced across the barn, and saw that the twins’ camp-beds were empty. They had stacked their pillows and bed-clothes in neat piles, and disappeared silently out of the door. Without waking us! thought Julian, pulling on his socks. I wonder if I can wash at the big kitchen-sink. ‘Dick - will you wake up?’ he said loudly. ‘It might be TEN O’CLOCK for allyou care!’ Dick heard the two shouted words and sat up at once, looking aghast. ‘Ten o’clock? Oh no! Gosh, I must have slept all round the clock, Oh, I say - I didn’t mean to be late for breakfast. I…’ ‘Calm down,’ grinned Julian, brushing his hair. ‘I only said, “It might be ten o’clock for all you care!” Actually, it’s just gone half past seven.’ ‘Thank goodness for that,’ said Dick, lying back in bed. ‘Oh for ten minutes more!’

‘The girls haven’t had theirs,’ said Dick, looking at the places set in front of the chairs where George and Anne had sat the night before. ‘But the twins have. It looks as if everyone has, except us four, apparently! Ah - here’s Mrs Philpot. Sorry we’re late. We overslept, I’m afraid.’ ‘That’s all right!’ said Mrs Philpot, smiling. ‘I don’t expect my visitors to be up early. Anyone can sleep late on a holiday!’

There was cold ham for breakfast, boiled eggs and fruit. The two boys tucked in, and looked round reprovingly when the two girls came, with Timmy behind them, still sleepy-eyed. ‘Overslept, I suppose?’ said Dick, pretending to be shocked. ‘Sit down. I’ll pour you some coffee.’

[John Pickup]

When I was a child I was never allowed to stay in bed unless I was ill. My mother would always turf me out no later than eight o' clock saying, "You don't want to be in bed on a lovely day like this" but when I looked out of the window it would be dull and miserable.
I've never been one to stay up late either. I suppose my getting up and going to bed habits echo those of the five. I'm partial to an afternoon nap as well.

[pete9012S]

19.Five Go To Demon's Rocks - No mention of the time here,so we must assume they all rose at a decent,respectable time!

Outside, the sea sighed and splashed and swirled, and the wind cried like the day-time gulls. But all was peace and quiet inside the old lighthouse. Not even Mischief the monkey stirrred in his sleep. It was fun to wake up in the morning, and hear the gulls screaming round; fun to have breakfast of eggs and bread-and-butter, and apples to crunch afterwards - fun to plan what to do that day. ‘I vote we do a bit of shopping and buy some more eggs, and fresh bread, and a bottle or two of creamy milk,’ said Anne.

20.Five Have A Mystery To Solve - an afternoon snooze for the Five here.Also they decide to sleep in the middle of an adventure on the Island!

OFF TO WHISPERING ISLAND The two boys, and Anne and George, slept soundly in the sun until just past three o’clock. Then a large fly buzzed around Anne’s head, and awoke her. She sat up and looked at her watch. ‘Gracious! It’s ten past three!’ she said, in surprise. ‘Wake up, Julian! Dick, stir yourself! Don’t you want to go and bathe?’ Yawning loudly the two boys sat up, and looked all round. George was still asleep. Wilfrid hadn’t yet come back.

They were all very tired. The boys pulled up armfuls of old dry bracken and spread it in a sheltered patch of grass, where bushes surrounded them, and sheltered them from the wind. It was not far from the cove where Wilfrid’s boat lay. They snuggled into the bracken. ‘Nice and cosy!’ said George, yawning. ‘Ohhh! I’ve never felt so sleepy in my life!’And in three seconds she was sound asleep! Wilfrid dropped off at once too, and Dick and Julian were soon giving little gentle snores. Anne was still awake. She felt nervous. ‘I’d dearly like to know if those men are safely underground!’ she thought. ‘I can’t imagine that they are very pleased at us getting away - they’ll know we’ll go to the mainland as soon as we can, and tell everyone what we have found! I should have thought they would try to stop us leaving. They must hnow we have a boat!’ She lay and worried, keeping her ears open for any strange sound. Timmy heard her tossing and turning and crept over to her very quietly, so as not to wake George. He lay down beside Anne, giving her a loving lick as if to say, ‘Now, you go to sleep, and I’ll keep watch!’ But still Anne didn’t fall asleep.

21.Five Are Together Again - George steals the show,is very tired,but still ,makes it down to breakfast!

George was glad to flop down on her rugs. Now that the excitement was all over, she felt too sleepy for words! She fell asleep at once - but Julian and Dick didn’t. They lay awake for some time, chuckling over George’s deeds of daring. What a cousin to have! When they were up at the house at breakfast next morning, Jeremy came up the garden and put his head in at the dining-room window. ‘I say!’ he said. ‘Mr Wooh’s not in his tent this morning! He’s disappeared! And poor old Charlie the Chimp is too miserable for words.’

So overall the Five aim to be early risers and get to bed around 9-10pm. They have the occasional nap in the middle of the day,which can sometimes last a couple of hours.
I suppose they need lots of sleep to help digest all that food,rest from adventurous activity and of course recharge those well used muscles used for cycling,walking,tree climbing,rowing etc etc...

[Courtenay]

Even though I tend to go to bed fairly late (unless I have an early shift at work the next day), I would never stay in bed after 8 am - even during weekends and holidays - unless I was completely exhausted or seriously ill! I can't stand wasting a day.