Meet-up at Spade Oak/Old Thatch, Sun 18th May 2014

[MJE]

We could centre a meeting in Bourne End again and include a tour of Peterswood, taking in the parts identified to have been the inspiration for the books. We could startiat the Spade Oak, identify the properties which could have been the Hilton's House in Haycock Lane (Colmoorholme Lane), and then tour along the river towards the station and complete the circle, ending up at The Spade Oak for lunch followed by another visit to Old Thatch.

     I wasn't aware that so many details (as against the town generally) had been identifying as inspiring places in the books. Is this documented anywhere, with reasons why the links have been made - or is really little more than informal rumours or beliefs that circulate generally?

Regards, Michael.

[pete9012S]

Have you read through this thread at all Michael? It contains a few thoughts and suggestions of possible locations used in the books.
Of course its only tongue in cheek and supposition and I know some don't find it of interest,but others like myself are enthralled by Duncan's research and map work!


Looking For Fatty & co. in Peterswood/Bourne End

http://www.enidblytonsociety.co.uk/foru ... f=4&t=2009" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Green Hedges wrote

A few days ago I went to Bourne End to see if I could locate Fatty's house. Perhaps I did, you can judge for yourself. Anyone interested can follow my journey using Google Earth, the facility that allows you to zero-in on any part of the planet. Yes, we live in a brave new global Peterswood! The website link is:

http://maps.google.co.uk" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

If you put in to the search line: 'Coldmoorholme Lane, Bourne End, Bucks' that will get the appropriate map on screen. You then navigate north-south-east-west with one tool, and zoom-in and -out with another. It's simple to use. The mode to be in is 'satellite' not 'map' or 'terrain'.

But first you might want to follow this narrative to see if you're interested...

Enid lived from 1929 to 1938 in a house called Old Thatch, which is on Coldmoorholme Lane just north of a kink about a third of the way up the Lane from the river. It's beside a big pub called The Spade Oak. If you put either of these addresses into the search then an arrow will point them out.

In the first Mystery, the 'burning cottage' to the west of Peterswood is an outhouse at Mr Hick's cottage, on Haycock Lane. This is effectively the house that Dick Hughes lived in in the garden of Old Thatch. (To get Hick from Dick Hughes is not hard - place the first letter of name two on all letters except the first of name one!) Beside Mr Hick's house there is a hotel and it is here that Fatty lives with his parents in the first book. I hope you are with me so far.

For the ensuing Mysteries it didn't make sense for the Trottevilles to be living in temporary accomadation, so Enid moved them to White House in Peterswood, 'not far from' the houses of the Hiltons and the Daykins. Any clues as to where that was? Well, yes, there are.

[Anita Bensoussane]

Actual properties haven't been identified and we'll never know whether Enid Blyton had particular buildings in mind for the Daykin residence etc., though, as Pete says, some have found it fun to speculate. I think there are inconsistencies in Blyton's descriptions of Peterswood anyway and she was probably only vaguely basing the place on Bourne End - giving Peterswood a flavour of Bourne End but not sticking too closely to the real layout. In the books Peterswood is located in the county of Buckinghamshire and we're told where it is in relation to Marlow, Taplow, Maidenhead and Burnham Beeches. The details fit Bourne End, where Enid Blyton lived from 1929-1938 (though she had moved to Beaconsfield by the time she began writing the Find-Outers series). Old Thatch is in Coldmoorholme Lane, which resembles Haycock Lane in that it has an inn and leads down to the river, railway and fields. It's possible to walk along the river-path between Bourne End and Marlow - just as in the books it's possible to walk along the river-path between Peterswood and Marlow. There's a village called Sheepridge in the Find-Outers series, and in Bourne End there's a lane called Sheepridge Lane which starts not far from Old Thatch.

[Katharine]

This is a bit of a vague answer, but I'm sure I've read somewhere, possibly Barbara Stoney's biography, that there are references in some of Enid's FFO books, to real places around the area of Bourne End. When Enid's daughters read the books with this in mind, they realised that several of the descriptions of Peterswood matched the area of Bourne End when they were growing up.

[Julie2owlsdene]

I think like most authors, that Enid based Peterswood as a sort of Bourne End village, the river, the railway crossing, High St. etc, but I agree with Anita, she didn't stick to actually houses, or distances etc. much of it was her own imagination.

When I've been writing the continuation stories of the Find Outers, my Peterswood inside my head, is the village I live in, with the added river and railway crossing. Many authors use a real place, but only loosely I think, they don't normally put in an actual house, unless a building appeals to them. I don't really think we should take it that Enid used Bourne End, and stuck to every house, road, shop etc.

Going back to Sally's suggestion I'm always up for any kind of Bourne End visit, and Spade Oak, and I love it there too.

[Francis]

Sally wrote

I know this has been discussed off and on over the year, but if there is not an official day, I am sure we can organise something! We could centre a meeting in Bourne End again and include a tour of Peterswood, taking in the parts identified to have been the inspiration for the books. We could startiat the Spade Oak, identify the properties which could have been the Hilton's House in Haycock Lane (Colmoorholme Lane), and then tour along the river towards the station and complete the circle, ending up at The Spade Oak for lunch followed by another visit to Old Thatch. It's not original, I know, but if planned well it could be fun.

Another thoughts is that next year will be the 70th anniversary of the Adventure Series - but much more difficult to arrange as the adventures were so far flung!

What a wonderful idea - I would love to join in. We could have plenty of discussion on the 'Adventure' series in the Spade Oak. I do so love those books and Sally is so interesting and informative on them. (As are many of you). I would come along as a novice eager to learn more!

[John Pickup]

As someone who a year ago didn't know this society existed I would love to take part in a planned visit and meet some of you. I would have to book a couple of days holiday though so I would need some notice.

[pete9012S]

Going back to Sally's suggestion I'm always up for any kind of Bourne End visit, and Spade Oak, and I love it there too.

Yes, I'm up for a Bourne End meet up too..lets imagine we were there now and Nigel's buying! So what are you having?.....

Julie will no doubt plump for the soup of the day. Whilst I think I will have another of their excellent guest real ales.I had one last time.Can't remember the name of it,but i finished the Telegraph Crossword in record time after drinking it.

Did I get the answers right? Not sure, but after drinking a pint of that stuff I didn't really care!!!
No doubt Julie gets the same sort of high after eating her soup!!

So what will the rest of you have? Don't forget Nigel's paying,isn't that right Nige???

[Julie2owlsdene]

Yes, definately soup for me, Pete. Preferably carrot and corriander!

Oh and I mustn't forget the shandy!

[Carlotta King]

Ooh well if Nigel's buying then I'll have a lovely big steak and chips with mushroom and tomato, coleslaw on the side, and a nice glass of red wine ta very much

[Anita Bensoussane]

Ooh - a roast lamb dinner with mint sauce, treacle sponge with custard, and a glass of orange juice please!

[Poppy]

Mmmmm... a roast chicken dinner with roast potatoes and Yorkshires and a piece of toffee cheese cake for me, please! (Not sure of the menu - hope this is on it!)

[pete9012S]

Nigel said if anyone is interested he is happy to wear one of those backless aprons ...you know the type ..the ones that leave le derrière au natural???



When he gets hold of me I've had it!!!

[Carlotta King]

Yes I know the sort! Like that episode of Midsomer Murders - 'Destroying Angel', if anyone's seen it they'll know what I mean!

[Moonraker]

I thought I'd skip the Slayed Joke as I know Tony wants to try out his new magnifying glass. We thought we'd try to search out some Find-Outers' DNA to prove once and for all in which house each of them lived. Depending on our success or failure, time may well be limited in the inn down the lane.

However, I will set up a tab for you all. Would 50p a head suffice?