Tuesday, March 18, 2008
England here we come!
At the end of last week, I booked flights to England. My wife, daughter and I are set to arrive in England on May 6th, and we'll be there about two and a half weeks, returning on May 23rd. Yay! This naturally means that I'll be heading over to Twyford on May 10th to attend Enid Blyton Day. Yay again! I've only been once, in 2006. Luckily I got to meet Gillian Baverstock (one of Enid Blyton's daughters) before she passed away in 2007.
Adding to the excitement (for me anyway) is that fact that we've booked to stay a week with my parents in a castellated mansion, in the heart of the Cotswolds. I would say castle, but that brings to mind... well, a castle. This place is more of a mansion than a castle, but it happens to have castellations (made up variation of the word) to the roof, giving it that castle-like appearance. I would have liked to book the tower room, but that wasn't available; shame, because the thought of staying in a real tower, in a real castle, is a smashing thrill — but never mind, we're staying in a very nice apartment (two bedrooms, two bathrooms, and a living room) in a mansion. But hey, I can still imagine, can't I?
I think I'll search for secret passages though. I'm sure there's probably some smuggling going on, so I'll keep an eye on things and look out for flashing lights in the night, or the low drone and thump-thump of secret planes dropping mysterious packages on the moors. Hmm, perhaps at night I'll hear the stealthy footfalls of the deaf servant as he sneaks about the place... I wonder if there's a window seat? I'll look. Perhaps there are some catacombs below the building.
Back to Enid Blyton Day. I'll be taking plenty of pictures because I need to update the Society website as soon as I get back, and I expect I'll write something or other for both the Society website and this blog. So in that sense it'll be a "working holiday," and therefore I'll be billing Tony at the Society for my plane tickets. Tee hee!
I hope he doesn't set Barney on me when I arrive...
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Smashing, Keith! Don't forget to teach your family the little ditty sung by Peggy and co. on their way to Moon Castle, so you can all sing it at the tops of your voices en route to the Cotswolds:
"O Castle of the Moon,
We're coming to you soon,
This very afternoon,
O Castle of the Moon!"
"O Castle of the Moon,
We're coming to you soon,
This very afternoon,
O Castle of the Moon!"
Keep in mind essential items when packing -- rubber soled shoes and flashlights for nocturnal castle mansion investigations.
Expect Mother and Father Secret B. will adopt great panache and nonchalance towards the staff at The Intrepid Trio's covert and unflagging testing of every wooden panel, fireplace and other possibilities of the castle's interior!
Expect Mother and Father Secret B. will adopt great panache and nonchalance towards the staff at The Intrepid Trio's covert and unflagging testing of every wooden panel, fireplace and other possibilities of the castle's interior!
I am so jealous Keith! I wish I could be there -- I have seen some photos from previous Enid Blyton Days, and all those books that are for sale. I am hoping (and saving) for a trip to England in 2 years so I will definitely make sure it is when an Enid Blyton day is on. It would be great to meet other fans. I have been to England before but I didn't know that they even had an Enid Blyton day, but I did meet up with a few book dealers that I had dealt with over the years, I also meet Tony Summerfield and Norman Wright, that's when I found out about the EB day. I have also seen your collection of EB books on the website, you are doing very well. I have collected for some odd 30 years now and I don't think I will ever finish my collection, there are still an odd few I pick up, but most of the time I can't afford them -- more's the pity!! Anyway have a great time and maybe we might meet at a EB day sometime in the future.
Do be careful, Keith -- it would be dreadful if you were to get captured and locked into one of the dungeon rooms. You may well end up missing the Enid Blyton Day....
I'm jealous too, Keith, and am going to think again about the possibility of getting down to Twyford. I know you'll all think I'm just lazy, as it's in the same country as me, but long car journeys, by myself, are very off-putting.
"I'll be billing Tony at the Society for my plane tickets. Tee hee!"
Just in case you are wondering if I had read this, Keith, the answer is 'yes, I did'! I will have to send some long-distance pigeons across to you, unless you are coming by American bald eagle.
Just in case you are wondering if I had read this, Keith, the answer is 'yes, I did'! I will have to send some long-distance pigeons across to you, unless you are coming by American bald eagle.
Thanks everyone for your comments! I've memorized the "pome," Anita, and will shout it out all the way there. I wonder who Anonymous is? I expect he/she forgot to type a name, but in any case, all mentioned items are already packed, plus I usually go about with a length of rope tied about my waist in case of emergencies. Plus, Nigel, I know the old key-in-lock/paper-under-door trick, so if do get locked in a dungeon room, I should be able to escape as long as the villains leave the key in the lock. For this reason I've packed a sheet of paper too.
Jenny, I hope you make it back to England! And if so, May is always a very nice of the year anyway, so it's a good time to plan for... and therefore Enid Blyton Day naturally becomes a viable option!
Kay, I grew up in England and now regret many places I never visited while it was a mere couple of hours drive away. I can still visit those places, but have to cram it into a 2-3 week holiday (and in the case of EB Day I have to make sure I visit England in the right month!). So don't put it off -- just go! :-)
And Tony, I knew you'd read this, and had a chuckle myself as I wrote it. I never thought about coming across by American bald eagle though. Hmm...
Jenny, I hope you make it back to England! And if so, May is always a very nice of the year anyway, so it's a good time to plan for... and therefore Enid Blyton Day naturally becomes a viable option!
Kay, I grew up in England and now regret many places I never visited while it was a mere couple of hours drive away. I can still visit those places, but have to cram it into a 2-3 week holiday (and in the case of EB Day I have to make sure I visit England in the right month!). So don't put it off -- just go! :-)
And Tony, I knew you'd read this, and had a chuckle myself as I wrote it. I never thought about coming across by American bald eagle though. Hmm...
I think Tony and Nigel should arrange a little adventure for Keith while he's in England, complete with mysterious messages and perhaps being locked in a dungeon for a while... That would be a spiffing wheeze!
Hehe! I'm not sure about a dungeon, Liz, but I'm pretty certain I'll end up in the dog house if I keep going on about Enid Blyton to my long-suffering wife! :-)
Keith, it sounds like you're all set up to make the most of your return visit to blighty. The sun is 'resting' at the moment, (nationally we're all snow flurries and arctic freezes this Easter), but come May it'll have had a bit of a lie down and be out and beaming upon your arrival.
You were spot on re. "Anonymous "(hangs head) -- forgot to type name.
Jane
You were spot on re. "Anonymous "(hangs head) -- forgot to type name.
Jane
Good for you, Keith! I have a lump in my throat now... I'm jealous! :-)
I felt like a big multivitamin was pushed into my throat when I heard of you going to Enid Blyton Day! I have wished and wished and wished to have a chance to attend one, but somehow I never got the luck. I am very jealous of you, but am happy for you too. Well, have a nice trip!
Lucky you,
Mimsy Kirana
Lucky you,
Mimsy Kirana
Hey -- Ming and Mimsy, help yourselves to a large handful of toffees (holds out bag). Far nicer than a "lump" or a "big multivitamin." Perhaps you can celebrate the Enid Blyton Day in a small way by treating yourselves to a new book on 10th May, or something like that. You never know -- you might even "fall into adventure" just when you're least expecting it!
I's so jealous Keith! I'm going to be missing EB Day AGAIN :-( Anyway, have fun and make sure you carry some food in your pockets 'cuz you never know when you might be locked up by a smuggler!! And carry chalk when you're exploring secret underground passages.. that might just be useful! Hmmm... can't think of any useful things you need to carry with you but I'm sure there are a million more... Good luck and take as many pictures as you can.
Nah, I could do with a bag of toffees! A handful of toffees is apparently not enough for me, my big stomach needs more than those which could be finished in less than fifteen minutes. I would keep your suggestion in mind about treating myself a new book on that day. My Famous Five collection still has three before being a complete set, and maybe my mother will be kind enough to allow me purchasing the other three. I have always looked for a chance where an adventure fell to me when I am expecting it at the least, but somehow what I found is -- being to my Aunty's the whole summer with all my cousins and crowding the room, hiking to Gunung Dato' (Dato' Mountain), going to Pulau Langkawi (Langkawi Island) with my class without the presence of my parents -- and nothing else. There is more, but my comment will be a little adventure paperback if I wrote them all. It is a long time since you commented my post, Anita, where have you been? You are not active in Talk About Blyton! either.
Love,
Mimsy.
Love,
Mimsy.
I've been too busy *reading* Enid Blyton to *talk* about her! ;-) Besides, these incredibly sticky toffees make it difficult to say anything other than "Ooble ooble ug." Here, please feel free to finish the rest of the bag! But make sure you give a piece to Moonface if you see him and he'll probably let you go down the slippery-slip. Hiking to a mountain and visiting islands and aunties and cousins sounds quite Blytonesque!
Hope you manage to complete your Famous Five collection!
Anita
Hope you manage to complete your Famous Five collection!
Anita
You just teasing us aren't you. No-one has asked, but as I'm brave I will.
Quote "castellated mansion, in the heart of the Cotswolds."
So a picture and it's the Cotswolds... but what is the name etc.
Thanks for playing ;-)
Quote "castellated mansion, in the heart of the Cotswolds."
So a picture and it's the Cotswolds... but what is the name etc.
Thanks for playing ;-)
Lots of great suggestions for what to take with me, thanks everyone! :-)
Anonymous (April 2), your note made me chuckle. Am I so untrustworthy that everything I say is a prank? LOL! No, I'm not teasing, that really is the place I'm staying at in May. And if the second Anonymous note was also from you, then yes, you guessed the correct place. I'm staying in one of the apartments at the front. The reason I didn't print the name of the place was... well, I don't know, I just felt uncomfortable about it for some reason. You never who's reading, and I didn't want my legions of fans turning up and -- okay, I'll shut up now.
I'll confirm the name of the place after I get back though.
Anonymous (April 2), your note made me chuckle. Am I so untrustworthy that everything I say is a prank? LOL! No, I'm not teasing, that really is the place I'm staying at in May. And if the second Anonymous note was also from you, then yes, you guessed the correct place. I'm staying in one of the apartments at the front. The reason I didn't print the name of the place was... well, I don't know, I just felt uncomfortable about it for some reason. You never who's reading, and I didn't want my legions of fans turning up and -- okay, I'll shut up now.
I'll confirm the name of the place after I get back though.
Keith, you are so lucky. I went to London in 2005 and that's where I started my Blyton craze. Pity. I could have met Gillian. :(
You know they needed a special licence to add castellations to fortify a Manor house. Better ask if they still have it -- or get that room discount instead!
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