Who killed The Famous Five? Page 7

Quote: dellas @ August 23 2012, 8:50 AM BST

RC you read Mallory Towers! Christ! what next 'The 4 Marys' the 'Bunty' and 'The Judy'? 'Scoolgirls Own' with Lettuce Leaf'?- Cripes! discussion needed right now in dorm 4secret wardrobe!- quick chums, Matron is due.

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A midnight feast, surely?

I don't think young Carpark is a great fan of the world of Blyton, hence his fondness for guns and kittens. But I read Malory Towers and St. Clares (much preferred the former). Very moving books - there would invariably be a new, stuck-up, problematic girl who would usually learn the error of her ways by the end, perhaps by engaging in unselfish heroics or honesty. Or she might be expelled. Impossible to read without weeping. And there was always a girl who was gifted in art or music but otherwise scatterbrained. And the French girls and French teachers weren't fond of physical activities.

I don't know about 'The 4 Marys', the 'Bunty', 'The Judy', 'Jill Pleasures Her Ponies' and 'Scoolgirls Own Lettuce Leaf' of which you speak. I don't mind a bit of Biggles, William and Billy Bunter. And The Eagle Annual. Always abhorred Beano and The Dandy.

Eagle cut aways of exciting technology of the 1950s are better than getting stoned.

Back when England ruled the jet age!

Quote: Kenneth @ August 23 2012, 10:23 AM BST

'Jill Pleasures Her Ponies'

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At last, a book I would enjoy reading.

Whilst going through a collection of donated kids books at work I found this classic on the history of the Pony Express.

"Pony Bob's Rough Ride."

Quote: Renegade Carpark @ August 23 2012, 11:39 AM BST

At last, a book I would enjoy reading.

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I'm afraid not. Even the Jill and her Ponies books have been butchered by the PC Brigade. Example: Jill's pony Black Boy has been renamed Danny Boy. Because - just because a pony is black - it's inexcusably racist to mention that he's black. Impressionable children might read such things and start thinking it's acceptable to refer to black horses as "black".

Kenneth there was always a 'spastic' girl with a club-foot who would remove her calliper, and by jove she could ride that horse!

Much to the other dorm mates distain, so they always had a plan to 'unseat' her usually by 'frightening' the horse as approaching jump! resulting in poor girl being ill.

Quote: dellas @ August 24 2012, 5:24 AM BST

Kenneth there was always a 'spastic' girl with a club-foot who would remove her calliper, and by jove she could ride that horse!

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It seems I had a deprived childhood, as I never read the Jill and Her Ponies books. But I will now track them down and read them, as they sound quite fun. Will have to avoid the PC reprints, in which two of the titles were bowlderised: Jill Enjoys her Ponies changed to Jill and the Runaway, while Pony Jobs for Jill has become Challenges for Jill. Extraordinarily dumb.

It seems really odd to me that you all read that kind of hoorah hockey sticks book when you were young. I pretty much universally read horror stories as a kid - I loved R.L. Stine.

I read all kinds of books when I was young. And still do.

Quote: Marc P @ August 24 2012, 11:11 AM BST

I read all kinds of books when I was young. And still do.

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Nobody likes a bragger, Marc.

R.L. Stine was amaaaazing. I believe he's writing/has just written a horror book for adults! Wee!

Quote: chipolata @ August 24 2012, 11:16 AM BST

Nobody likes a bragger, Marc.

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Yeah well some of them were really big books!

Quote: zooo @ August 24 2012, 11:47 AM BST

R.L. Stine was amaaaazing. I believe he's writing/has just written a horror book for adults! Wee!

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Blimey that is scary then!

Well I shall try not to.

I liked Einstein too, but couldn't compete with an injured young ballerina story.