Colm O'Regan: Enid Blyton may be outdated, but my kids are into the adventure
Enid Blyton – or Gnid Blitten as I used to pronounce it when I couldn't make out the cursive.
The famous signature that's on the front of about 600 different books is back on a couple of charity shop Famous Five books that are in the house.
The signature of a woman who has been given a fair bit of fairly fair criticism over the last 60 years.
Time has not been kind to attitudes toward the Famous Five.
For decades, they have got a lot of criticism for sexism, racism, classism, outdated stereotypes, and repetitive plots.
Just like the Simpsons or Bosco or Rugrats or Glenroe's Dick Moran, none of the Famous Five seem to age.
Ian Mander, a contributor to an Enid Blyton fansite, has worked out that by last book 'Five Are Together Again', Julian should be 23, Dick and George 22 and Anne 21. Yet still Anne seems nervous about life in general.
But with all that, I'm still reading them to the children. Maybe it's nostalgia, recapturing how I felt. But also, they're still great for an escape.
To a land of cycleable rural roads, cream buns and nothing resembling responsibilities.
The first rule of many books for children is Kill the Parents so that the children can do some adventuring. But the Famous Five is not just escapism for children. It's also for parents.
Aunt Fanny and Uncle Quentin's approach to childcare is refreshing in that they don't seem to do much of it at all.
They, along with the childrens' parents, send the children off to boarding school, and then during the holidays, don't mind them at all.
Often, the plot hinges on Aunt Fanny and Uncle Quentin allowing four preteen children to head off into the countryside by themselves.
Gráinne Seoige digs into a Famous Five book in 2005. Pic: Fennells
In Five Get Into Trouble, Uncle Quentin mixes up the date of Easter and attends a conference during the holidays despite all the children coming to visit.
The solution? The children will just go cycling and camping for a week.
Aunt Fanny is worried, but Quentin just says, 'Oh, Fanny, if Julian can't look after the others, he must be a pretty feeble specimen.' A reminder: Julian is 12.
Dick gets kidnapped in this book. I'm not judging Quentin and Fanny, but you'd have to say the two facts are linked.
The Famous Five are not exactly strong on DEI programmes.
Anyone who is different: Roma, circus folk, foreigners, the working class, are all given short shrift and are really only welcomed into the circle of trust when they've saved their lives.
And that's with some of the worst stuff edited out over the years.
There is a lack of garda vetting. Both Jo, an orphan with a jailed thief for a father, and Nobby, an orphan with a thief for an uncle, are handed over to other families after the aforementioned blood relatives are jailed without a single bit of paperwork.
And yet despite all this, my children like the books.
They know the Famous Five, apart from Timmy (who has the best radar of any of them), are sometimes unpleasant children. And the attitudes were different then. But that's fine.
Enid Blyton mightn't have noticed that her heroes can sometimes be little shitebags but sometimes very generous with doling out sandwiches. That level of nuance is good for children now.
They can appreciate a flawed main character and how the past was a cold place if you were different.
Their favourite bits are not always the characters anyway.
It's the idyllic countryside, barrelling out the door to go adventuring, the wearing of ragged old shorts and patched up jumpers, placid horses, secret passageways in wood panelling, and swimming in clean rivers.
That, at least, is timeless.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Irish Examiner
8 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
Colm O'Regan: Enid Blyton may be outdated, but my kids are into the adventure
Enid Blyton – or Gnid Blitten as I used to pronounce it when I couldn't make out the cursive. The famous signature that's on the front of about 600 different books is back on a couple of charity shop Famous Five books that are in the house. The signature of a woman who has been given a fair bit of fairly fair criticism over the last 60 years. Time has not been kind to attitudes toward the Famous Five. For decades, they have got a lot of criticism for sexism, racism, classism, outdated stereotypes, and repetitive plots. Just like the Simpsons or Bosco or Rugrats or Glenroe's Dick Moran, none of the Famous Five seem to age. Ian Mander, a contributor to an Enid Blyton fansite, has worked out that by last book 'Five Are Together Again', Julian should be 23, Dick and George 22 and Anne 21. Yet still Anne seems nervous about life in general. But with all that, I'm still reading them to the children. Maybe it's nostalgia, recapturing how I felt. But also, they're still great for an escape. To a land of cycleable rural roads, cream buns and nothing resembling responsibilities. The first rule of many books for children is Kill the Parents so that the children can do some adventuring. But the Famous Five is not just escapism for children. It's also for parents. Aunt Fanny and Uncle Quentin's approach to childcare is refreshing in that they don't seem to do much of it at all. They, along with the childrens' parents, send the children off to boarding school, and then during the holidays, don't mind them at all. Often, the plot hinges on Aunt Fanny and Uncle Quentin allowing four preteen children to head off into the countryside by themselves. Gráinne Seoige digs into a Famous Five book in 2005. Pic: Fennells In Five Get Into Trouble, Uncle Quentin mixes up the date of Easter and attends a conference during the holidays despite all the children coming to visit. The solution? The children will just go cycling and camping for a week. Aunt Fanny is worried, but Quentin just says, 'Oh, Fanny, if Julian can't look after the others, he must be a pretty feeble specimen.' A reminder: Julian is 12. Dick gets kidnapped in this book. I'm not judging Quentin and Fanny, but you'd have to say the two facts are linked. The Famous Five are not exactly strong on DEI programmes. Anyone who is different: Roma, circus folk, foreigners, the working class, are all given short shrift and are really only welcomed into the circle of trust when they've saved their lives. And that's with some of the worst stuff edited out over the years. There is a lack of garda vetting. Both Jo, an orphan with a jailed thief for a father, and Nobby, an orphan with a thief for an uncle, are handed over to other families after the aforementioned blood relatives are jailed without a single bit of paperwork. And yet despite all this, my children like the books. They know the Famous Five, apart from Timmy (who has the best radar of any of them), are sometimes unpleasant children. And the attitudes were different then. But that's fine. Enid Blyton mightn't have noticed that her heroes can sometimes be little shitebags but sometimes very generous with doling out sandwiches. That level of nuance is good for children now. They can appreciate a flawed main character and how the past was a cold place if you were different. Their favourite bits are not always the characters anyway. It's the idyllic countryside, barrelling out the door to go adventuring, the wearing of ragged old shorts and patched up jumpers, placid horses, secret passageways in wood panelling, and swimming in clean rivers. That, at least, is timeless.
The Irish Sun
21 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
I tried the new viral Dubai chocolate ice cream served at a top London attraction – it was a huge disappointment
NEARLY every food brand has hopped on the Dubai chocolate trend - and I tried out the most recent one that has gone viral online. Made up of a concoction of pistachio cream mixed with shredded filo pastry, all coated in a silky chocolate case - it's no surprise this choccie bar has taken the world by storm. 4 I went to Borough Market to try out the new viral ice cream Credit: Alamy Chocaholics across the globe are so enamoured by it that Dubai's Duty Free sold an eye-watering $22million (£16million) of the bars in just the first three months of 2025. And now, the viral creation has landed in London's Borough Market, served in ice cream form. After clocking the gelato treat on social media - several chocolate-y scoops dripping in lashings of pistachio sauce and served in a pistachio-rimmed cone - I couldn't resist giving it a try. Afterall, we are in the midst of a Read more on Dubai The treat hails from a small cafe, Gelateria 3Bis, at the edge of the market, which also sells flakey pastries and baked goods. I was pleasantly surprised to find no queue on a Tuesday lunchtime in 25C sunshine, but perhaps I should have taken that as a sign of things to come. Behind the counter were neat slices of apple and almond tart, slathered in a shiny glaze (£3.50); wedges of a crumbly looking walnut tart (also £3.50); and stacks of cannolis with thick ricotta filling oozing out of each case (£2). They certainly got my stomach gurgling. Most read in News Travel 'One Dubai chocolate please,' I say. I practically drooled as the lady leaned into the metal tub to scoop the chocolate-y mixture into my cone, waiting for the pistachio magic to happen. Foodies race to buy new Dubai chocolate Easter egg in popular supermarket - the 'filling is crazy' and it's selling FAST 4 The ice cream cost a huge £6.50 But then, nothing. That was it - and a rather naked-looking gelato was handed over to me. Where was my pistachio sauce? Where were the sprinkles I'd seen decadently splashed over the top? And, more importantly, where was the pistachio and filo filling that makes Dubai chocolate what it is? After shelling out a staggering £6.50, I walked away realising that this was a classic case of Insta vs reality trickery. Perhaps I had misordered, I thought. But it couldn't be that. I'd even mentioned that I'd seen it advertised on the cafe's Instagram. Unlike the sensation I'd seen on social media, my two-scoop treat was lacking in decadence. 4 The ice cream was delicious but not what I thought 4 It looked nothing like it I'd been asked if I wanted a 'special cone', not realising that the pistachio cone I'd seen wasn't part of this category – it had apparently been placed in a league of its own. The special cones cost an additional £1.50 and are essentially just a traditional waffle cone dipped in chocolate and then covered in some form of topping like hazelnut or sprinkles. I'm not sure why the pistachio hadn't been offered to me, but when I saw the price - over £2 - I was a little relieved. In terms of flavour, it hit the mark for a decent chocolate gelato: creamy, smooth and indulgent, but not too sweet. And after tucking in, I did notice the odd fleck of green accompanied by a few pastry shards, but these were minimal and the pistachio flavour did not come through at all. I didn't have time to ponder over how little filling was in there, though, as my scoops were melting rapidly. This is the sign of a well-made gelato, I am told, but this seemed a bit extreme. Barely a minute had passed and I was already frantically wiping the melt from my hands and arm. As for the cone, the chocolate rim added a little extra zing to the overall flavour. But I wouldn't be willing to shell out an additional £1.50 again. Perhaps I can't blame it all on the ice cream itself. Maybe the sauce costs extra and the sprinkles do too. But i couldn't see it advertised on the boards and the fact that staff didn't point it out to me when I ordered seems an oversight, not least to say, financially-daft. I reckon if I'd have had the full shebang I would have ended up forking out close to a tenner. So, Especially not for prices like this. Here are three other ways to enjoy the Dubai chocolate trend.
The Irish Sun
3 days ago
- The Irish Sun
Aston Villa to take on European giants Roma at 11,300-seater EFL stadium as bizarre friendly is announced
ASTON VILLA will take on Italian giants Roma in a pre-season friendly at a tiny EFL stadium. Advertisement 2 Aston Villa will play Roma in a pre-season 'home' friendly - but it won't take place at Villa Park Credit: Reuters But they will be eager to hit the ground running in August after missing out on Champions League qualification. And They then take on Hansa Rostock in Germany before travelling to America for games with Eintracht Frankfurt, St Louis City and Nashville. Villa will then return to England where they will host Advertisement READ MORE IN FOOTBALL But the match will not be taking place at their home stadium of Villa Park. Instead, Emery's team will face Roma at the home of rivals Walsall. The Bescot Stadium, where Villa are starting their pre-season, holds just 11,300 fans. There has been no explanation as to why the match will take place there. Advertisement Most read in Football Breaking Exclusive BEST FREE BETS AND BETTING SIGN UP OFFERS But it is likely that Villa will be making final preparations to their pitch and arena before the start of the new Premier League season on Friday August 16. Villa Park will host four concerts throughout the summer, which will require plenty of maintenance to set up and then dismantle. Jack Grealish has gone from eye-catching showman and heartthrob to miserable bench warmer - and I know who's to blame 2 Villa will host Roma at Walsall's Bescot Stadium Credit: Getty Advertisement Veteran rockers Guns N' Roses kick things off on June 23, with pop star Chris Brown performing three days later. Saturday July 5 then sees metal legends Black Sabbath play their final-ever show. And the last concert takes place on July 10 with a performance from Kendrick Lamar and SZA. Fans reacted with confusion to the announcement, with one saying: 'Tell them to use their own ground.' Advertisement Another declared: 'Absolute criminals.' One noted: 'State of it.' Another added: 'Villa using you for a training ground.'
