A trip down memory lane through books.
Perhaps not exactly Family History, but certainly part of my history.
We have always had books in the house (not massive numbers, but a collection of books either read or for information).
These books were kept in a book case, and I would frequently look through them, picking out the ones with pictures or interesting covers.
Titles such as ‘ The Hermitage’, I have no idea why we would have had it. The Hermitage is a major art gallery in St Petersburg, although vaguely interested, neither of my parents are artists, show much interest in art, or have visited St Petersburg, but I liked to look through the pictures, eventually becoming familiar with some world renowned paintings.
This hard back book had a black glossy sleeve with one of the paintings on the front.
The Kodak guide to photography on the other hand was a yellow, plastic coated guidebook, containg lots of ‘boring’ examples of black and white photos, with some more interesting color pictures in the back, including a boy leaping into the air, as he jumped on his bed, for an action shot.
Others, such as the Complete Works of Shakespeare, presented to my mother at school, were of no interest, neither were ‘The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich‘, or a David Niven novel. Many books had been acquired through an early membership of a book club.
We also had two A6 hardback ‘Readers Digest’, Atlas of Britain and Atlas of the World, these days, often found in second hand book shops and full of lots of fascinating (but now perhaps outdated) information, including climate, habitats, world religions, evolution and space.
Perhaps 15 years later, my parents rejoined the bookclub, purchasing a number of much more interesting and modern hardback books, such as ‘The Complete Book of Self Sufficency‘ by John Seymour, (see page 58 Damgate Street), which I have recently purchased myself as an updated version, or the Anglo Saxon Chronicles, which I have borrowed and not returned!
As my father clears through his book collection, the old titles come to the fore.
Through the years other books were added, such as local guide books, and foreign language dictionaries, the I-Spy books of birds, flowers and trees. But mainly, our books were borrowed from and returned to the local library.
My first experience of a public library and the ability to borrow up to four books at a time, was the newly built library at Barton Le Clay. I think it replaced an older one in the village. I thought it was marvellous, and it had a new ‘wood/ varnish’ smell about it and carpet, this must have been around 1972.
Of course, by this time I had learnt to read by myself. I can remember beginning to learn aged five. My first school ‘Reader’ was part of the ‘Through the Rainbow’ series at Colerne school in Wiltshire. Our ‘words’ to learn, were kept in individual tins, mine being a tobacco tin provided by the school!
I found a copy of my first reading book on Amazon. Unfortunately, it didn’t quite live up to my memories of it.
It is interesting to recall, that Nana, did not have a bookshelf in her bungalow, although I believe she certainly borrowed library books.
My Grandparents did, and I now have their bookcase and bureau. The books there were mainly boring motor and mechanical, but I think there was one interesting one, although I don’t recall what it was now.
Both of my Grandparents visited their local library, located in an old large house in Hillsborough Park, and I recall going there with them too. I expect their individual reading habits were very different, although I do recall Grandma saying she liked murder mysteries. She also liked to read magazines, such as ‘Woman’s weekly‘, and craft magazines, which I would read through on visits too.
‘Family Circle‘ was a magazine Mum had, and later (on RAF camps), magazine circles were set up, and quite a selection of woman’s magazines did the rounds, but perhaps the favourite book I would look through belonging to Mum, was Marguerite Patons ‘Cookery in Colour,’ definitely a cook book of its time!
I particularly liked the pages describing the different fish and cuts of meat, and there are several well used family recipes within the pages.
This recipe for ice-cream made with evaporated milk was a favourite, served with home made chocolate sauce.
Apparently my first special book I received, following birth or Christening, and courtesy of the book club, was a hard back ‘Hans Christian Andersen, Fairy Tales‘.
I still have it, and loved the front cover, a colourful picture surrounded by a pink border. Unfortunately, I couldn’t get on with the pages of print, interspersed with line drawings, and the occasional picture. The language was very outdated, and it took me years to be able to read through much more than one or two of the stories. The pictures were unusual, especially this one (left), which intrigued me, as ‘death flew out of the window’.
However, now on to the interesting bit. We children had a collection of our own books (although nothing like the number children have today).
They were mainly Ladybird – favourite tales or general information related and a few ‘Peter and Jane’ books, or such as ‘Shopping with mother’, ‘The Party’.
The Green Umbrella was another favourite, forever reminding me of childhood day trips to the beach in Malta. Luckily we never got carried away in a green umbrella!
Whilst we were in Malta, Grandma would from time to time send us from a series of books – A5 slimline hardbacks, with an eclectic mix of stories such as ‘Derek the Lonely Tortoise’, ‘The Little Swiss Miss’, ‘Peter the Poodle’, ‘Sally and the Colour Pixies’, however perhaps the first was ‘Katy and the Boo Boos’, a book which has long stayed in my memory as a favourite, but no longer have. I particularly think of Katie’s visit to London with the ‘Boo Boos’, on our return to the dank days of a London winter, after having been in Malta for three years.
We were certainly read to as children, but one day, when I was around the age of five or six, Dad came home with an all-time favourite and author.
‘Noddys Goes to Toyland‘ which became our night time read. This was over the years followed by several others in the series such as ‘Noddys Further Adventues in Toyland’ ‘Noddy and the Bumpy Dog’, Noddy and Tessie Bear’. I do not have the originals, but bought a set for my children. We also took them to Norwich Theatre Royal, for a delightful onstage version, following up with a video of the show, which became a firm favourite, but gave my son a nightmare, when he was convinced Goblins, came down in a helicopter to break in!
This leads me on to a much maligned, but may I say ‘favourite’ author. Having just joined a Facebook appreciation page to Enid Blyton, it has bought back many happy memories, and the impetus to write this page.
With hindsight, I will agree that many of the ‘observations’/ comments in her books were extremely politically incorrect.
She wrote over 700 books and short stories, giving children the opportunity to lose themselves in their imaginations, with stories of woodland folk – fairies, pixies and brownies, as well as learning about nature and woods. The more adventurous, could read about the exciting adventures of the Famous Five or Secret Seven, (I preferred the Famous Five, and probably read through all of their adventures eventually). There were short story collections, which weren’t my favourite, but looking back, I have a feeling most of them had Enid Blytons personal morals inside.
There were also one off adventure books, my favourite being ‘The Secret Island‘, bought for me by Mum, during a bought of illness at the age of nine whilst I was off school for a few days and not to be muddled with The Island of Adventures which I haven’t read. At first I didn’t really like the look of the book, but as soon as I started reading, I was hooked.
So implausible, if I remember a couple of siblings, help a friend in an unhappy home escape to an island, and live there for several months. I think the siblings returned home each evening, but somehow they managed to provide the friend with a cow, chickens, and various other food and necessities, by rowing out to a ‘secret’ island in the middle of a lake, without drawing too much attention to themselves. Perhaps this insilled in me a long term dream to escape to somewhere quiet, to become self sufficient! No longer on my ‘to-do’ list. I have however found myself greatly disappointed by the size of wild strawberries which at the time I wasn’t aware of, but have found or grown from time to time much later.
Her simple writing styles made the books accessible and exciting to children with varying abilities.
I have already described our first Enid Blyton, as Noddy. The next exciting book by her, also bought home by my Dad was ‘The Book Of Brownies’. Three naughty brownies get sent away in a magical basket, end up in another land, have various adventures which teach them how to be good, and they eventually return home, respectable members of society!
I believe the original book is still in the family.
The next set of Enid Blytons I read were from the library. A classic of those who know – The Magic Faraway Tree. I have to admit, I can’t exactly remember the stories, other than it was gripping, and enough to read the others in the series.
Next it was onto the Famous Five, and actual humans. I believe about 20 or 30 books of 3 siblings and their cousin and her dog, who stay with the cousins family, whilst on holiday from boarding school ( I have to ask, did they ever actually see their parents?).
Anyway they were out all day, with their picnics, which generally included ginger beer and hard boiled eggs, occasinally wild camping. Solving crimes, catching thieves and smugglers who apparently the local police were unable to apprehend.
I believe the Secret Seven were along the same lines, although a group of friends who formed a secret gang, with code words and secret writing. They probably solved crimes too, but stories were more along the ‘secret’ and codeword line. Having read the Famous Five, I didn’t really click with the Secet Seven.
By the age of 10, 11, 12, I had moved onto ‘The Twins at St Clare’s’. Twin girls sent to St Clares boarding school (probably to improve their behaviour), And the experiences, adventures, mischief and life lessons that only Enid Blyton characters can get up to.
I had never heard of the name Enid apart from as this author, infact thought it to be made-up, and for many years, presumed she was male.
This about ends my Enid Blyton reading matter until the next generations continue it!
Further reading matter…
My Naughty Little Sister
Roald Dahl
Judy Blume
Jean Plaidy
Eric von Daniken In the previously mentioned bookcase, were three paperbacks, which for some reason I chose to read, and was soon hooked on all that is unknown and unexplainable!
Angela Weatherill, July 2024