katyjay 5,090 Posted December 21, 2010 Report Share Posted December 21, 2010 Enid Blyton did the 'Adventure' books, I have Island, Castle and Valley of Adventure and there was also Sea, Mountain, River, Circus and Ship of Adventure. Same bunch of kids as the main characters if I remember rightly, but not called Calendar. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mick2me 3,033 Posted February 5, 2013 Author Report Share Posted February 5, 2013 Enid Blytons Famous Five Yes, Read many of those from the School Library. But Enid Blytons books were not available in Nottinghamshire's Libraries. Anyone know the reason why? Were her books banned for some reason? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
StephenFord 866 Posted February 5, 2013 Report Share Posted February 5, 2013 A lot of folk were very sniffy about Enid Blyton - "Predictable story line - goodies win every time after a brief suspense, clever kids get it right where bumbling adults get it wrong, baddies go to jail, and they all lived happily ever after" - add to that the fact that the kid characters were all from upper class families and went to boarding school, OK - all true with the benefit of hindsight, but they were all worth reading at the time, and EB was good at creating entertaining characters. There was also the "Mystery" series - "The Ring o' Bells Mystery", "The Rub-a-Dub Mystery", "The Rilloby Fair Mystery" etc. You could say that Enid Blyton produced a sort of "junior Agatha Christie" series - leaving out gratuitous violence and murder. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Commo 1,292 Posted February 5, 2013 Report Share Posted February 5, 2013 At about age 11, discovered James Bond, Hercule Poirot and Lord Emsworth et al, but before that like a lot of others immersed myself in Famous Five, Secret Seven, Jennings etc, and have started wth Jennings again having had an Omnibus edition for Christmas, and am enjoying them all over again. Joined the Central Library Childrens library around 1953, and remember that one of the first books borrowed was about "A Platypus Duck named Bill" though can't remember much of the plot. Another favourite at that time was the Little Black Sambo books,(can I safely say this?) though I bet they have now been banned for some time. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mick2me 3,033 Posted February 5, 2013 Author Report Share Posted February 5, 2013 I used to read about Moomintroll and the hattifatteners Quote Link to post Share on other sites
tomlinson 879 Posted February 5, 2013 Report Share Posted February 5, 2013 Read most of the books/authors already mentioned plus such writers as R.L.Stevenson, John Buchan and Hugh Lofting and I have a collection of old 'Romany' (Bramwell Evans of the BBC) books which I still enjoy reading. As far as I'm concerned, he was as influential then as is David Attenborough today. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Bubblewrap 3,815 Posted February 5, 2013 Report Share Posted February 5, 2013 The only "fiction" I read is the various party manifestos during election time. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mudgie49 401 Posted February 5, 2013 Report Share Posted February 5, 2013 Never read much 'fiction' at all, but one book that made an impression on me, at the age of 10/11 was 'The day of the Triffids'. After that I was an avid reader of history books, particually 'The war between the States 1861 - 65'. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
darkazana 1,736 Posted February 5, 2013 Report Share Posted February 5, 2013 First books I remember being hooked on were anything by Enid Blyton, think I probably read them all and still have copies of "Look Out Secret Seven" "The Adventures Of Pip" "The Magic Faraway Tree" and "Five On A Treasure Island". Read quite a few of the Childrens classics- Black Beauty, The Old Curiosity Shop, Tale of Two Cities, What Katie Did series, the Heidi books and also all the Lone Pine Club Adventures by Malcom Saville, gradually progressed onto Agatha Christie, Victoria Holt/Jean Plaidy then onwards and upwards. Read anything now. classics, biographies or good old quick read "Chick Lit" Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jackson 301 Posted February 5, 2013 Report Share Posted February 5, 2013 Hi Mick, regarding your post @ #28, where you ask if Enid Blyton books were banned....... During the 60's a member of public had asked at a Nottingham Library why no 'Noddy' books by Enid Blyton were to be found on the shelves of the Junior Library? Mr Tighe, Head Librarian, based at the Central Library, Shakespeare Street was approached by the Press over this issue and rather than order some 'Noddy' books merely to appease the situation, admitted that these books were not stocked because he thought them not challenging enough material for Junior readers. Of course the Press had a field day, accusing Mr Tighe of banning 'Noddy' books and our Chief Librarian's name, status and refusal to stock the well loved 'Noddy' books made the headlines of the National Press. Library staff were approached by the Press for their views on this; as a result, a message was sent around to all the Nottingham Libraries that the staff must in no way speak to the Press. The Press hoped to depict Mr Tighe as an ogre but as my boss, I knew him as very much a Gentleman, wanting only the best for Nottingham's Library Service. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mick2me 3,033 Posted February 5, 2013 Author Report Share Posted February 5, 2013 Thanks Christine, but what of Julian, Dick, Anne George and Timmy the dog? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
loppylugs 8,427 Posted February 7, 2013 Report Share Posted February 7, 2013 Always enjoyed Billy Bunter. I think frank Richards was the author. Very politically incorrect for today's readers, I'm sure but good innocent fun for an eleven year old. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
nottinghamite 8 Posted February 7, 2013 Report Share Posted February 7, 2013 I started off with Enid Blyton's Sunny Stories then the books Famous Five etc. Then I discovered Richmal Crompton's William, books there were dozens of them and I think I read them all. Later enjoyed such books as "Settlers in Canada", "Treasure Island" and I also liked Agatha Christie, I remember the first Poirot book I read " The Mysterious Affair At Styles". I was an avid reader until a couple of year ago when I sometimes used to get through a couple of book a week. For some reason I lost my interest in books and now don't read books at all. Dennis Quote Link to post Share on other sites
nottinghamite 8 Posted February 7, 2013 Report Share Posted February 7, 2013 Always enjoyed Billy Bunter. I think frank Richards was the author. Very politically incorrect for today's readers, I'm sure but good innocent fun for an eleven year old. Do you remember the T.V. series of Billy Bunter?. Gerald Campion played the part of Bunter. I think Billy Bunter was featured in a comic too. Gerald Campion is dead now by the way. Dennis Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Roosta 2 Posted February 7, 2013 Report Share Posted February 7, 2013 As a child in the 50s my favourite book was 'Ferdinand the Bull' by Munro Leaf. Banned in Spain, burned by the Nazis as propaganda, it's a lovely simple story that's just as relevant today as when it was written nearly 80 years ago. Still have a copy which I read regularly. As I got a bit older I went on to Enid Blyton, Biggles and Malcolm Savilles 'Lone Pine' books. Haven't stopped reading since! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mick2me 3,033 Posted February 7, 2013 Author Report Share Posted February 7, 2013 Do you remember the T.V. series of Billy Bunter?. Gerald Campion played the part of Bunter. Campion was an excellent Bunter who he portrayed as a real wretched character. I have not seen it, or heard that distinctive theme tune from then till today. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
.... 23 Posted February 7, 2013 Report Share Posted February 7, 2013 A little more senior aged, two books that stood out for me and that I really enjoyed at Redhill Comprehensive school were A Kestrel for a Knave by Barry Hines and Lord of the Flies by William Golding. I watched Kes again the other night the first time for a good few years and it was still terrific. Those books stick in my mind more than most. As the years rolled on at Redhill Comprehensive I decided I didn't like going there much and would take myself off out of school as was my want and invariably end up in a library somewhere. I started reading a diet of and including Oscar Wilde, Byron, Burns, Shelley and other various poets and keeping up with world events via the heavy newspapers such as The Daily Telegraph and The Guardian, at around fourteen years old. I wouldn't recommend not going to school to any youngster but that school seemed so poor to me at the time. Luckily it didn't seem to do me any harm in the long run. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
loppylugs 8,427 Posted February 7, 2013 Report Share Posted February 7, 2013 [url="http://youtube/DfuVQJdA-z8 There you go, Mick. Seems pretty silly now but funny back in the 50s in the early days of tv. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
loppylugs 8,427 Posted February 7, 2013 Report Share Posted February 7, 2013 Having problems with that link. Sorry about that. May be something to do with my iPad . Normally use my laptop. Old Bunter is there anyway. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mick2me 3,033 Posted February 7, 2013 Author Report Share Posted February 7, 2013 Its the same video I posted earlier? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jackson 301 Posted February 7, 2013 Report Share Posted February 7, 2013 I was lucky enough to stumble upon the residence: Rose Lawn, Kingsgate, Kent; this had once been the home of Charles Hamilton (pen name, Frank Richards) the writer of the Billy Bunter books. Quite an eccentric Mr Hamilton: he wore a skull cap and pottered around all of the day in his pyjamas whilst writing his books or studying the Classics. PS: the wonderful writer and wit: Frank Muir, wrote in his autobiography that as a child he would often catch sight of Mr Hamilton around Broadstairs - he added that it made his day to spot Billy Bunter's creator. Simple pleasures eh that mean so much? 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Fynger 841 Posted February 7, 2013 Report Share Posted February 7, 2013 Frank Muir....a very clever man. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Merthyr Imp 729 Posted February 7, 2013 Report Share Posted February 7, 2013 . I think Billy Bunter was featured in a comic too. Dennis Billy Bunter was in the 'Knockout' in my day (1960-ish). Have a look here (if it works): http://www.friardale.co.uk/Knockout/Knockout%20[1961-10-07]%20(comicsuk).pdf Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Compo 10,328 Posted February 7, 2013 Report Share Posted February 7, 2013 I started collecting the Famous Five series some years ago. I managed to gather all but one. A friend has that one but will not part with it despite not allowing her children to read it. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
loppylugs 8,427 Posted February 7, 2013 Report Share Posted February 7, 2013 What's up we it? Famous five seemed like pretty harmless stuff Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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