George is a general favourite, I think; I always thought she was the most interesting by far. I see her as liking Nicola and Peter but thinking Lawrie a bit of a wimp. And Nicola will like her because she goes for original, unpredictable people.
The weird thing is that I don't particularly like ham - but this gave me a vision of a huge and gorgeous and (for other people) tempting ham! It also gave me memories and lack of memories - would we have been allowed to eat crumpets first while hot, or would it still have been bread and butter and ham first? No memory at all about this. Most likely is that we didn't have ham for tea when I was that age - very difficult to get in towns. That's the point, I've now realized, about Blyton food - it's country food and reflects bartering and swopping
But we're in Blyton land where food and how to eat it and the sheer quantity bears little resemblance to reality! There's always a ham on the groaning table in my memory of FF.
Lawrie's reaction of disbelief reflects the Marlow household where a cheese sandwich or a piece of cake is the more likely gap filler between lunch and supper. And a much more reasonable one!
Somewhere I've read something that suggests part of EB's success is to do with her descriptions of attractive food and drink, especially in the 40s, during or just after the war, when this kind of food would be in short supply. I wish I could remember the article because it also said something about how often they sleep. They would have little naps after a picnic lunch in the hot sun,for example, and there was a reason but I can't remember what it was.
I agree entirely that the reason for the groaning tables was that people hadn't got them! Yes, there was, a bit before my time, a theory that you shouldn't rush about after meals - our local infants' school used to spread mats out in the playground for the after-lunch nap - but all that had gone by the time that I started school
Afterthought - i was more thinking about "the rules" There's never any suggestion in Blyton land, is there, that some foods (although all are spread out on the table) should be eaten before others? I sem to remember one in Forest - during the tea-time theology discussion?
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Sounds as though George might be coming around to the Marlows having heard about the netball swapping. :-)
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It also gave me memories and lack of memories - would we have been allowed to eat crumpets first while hot, or would it still have been bread and butter and ham first?
No memory at all about this.
Most likely is that we didn't have ham for tea when I was that age - very difficult to get in towns. That's the point, I've now realized, about Blyton food - it's country food and reflects bartering and swopping
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Lawrie's reaction of disbelief reflects the Marlow household where a cheese sandwich or a piece of cake is the more likely gap filler between lunch and supper. And a much more reasonable one!
Somewhere I've read something that suggests part of EB's success is to do with her descriptions of attractive food and drink, especially in the 40s, during or just after the war, when this kind of food would be in short supply. I wish I could remember the article because it also said something about how often they sleep. They would have little naps after a picnic lunch in the hot sun,for example, and there was a reason but I can't remember what it was.
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Yes, there was, a bit before my time, a theory that you shouldn't rush about after meals - our local infants' school used to spread mats out in the playground for the after-lunch nap - but all that had gone by the time that I started school
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I sem to remember one in Forest - during the tea-time theology discussion?
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Yes, you're right - it's seven, not eight. I think I inadvertently counted Timmy.
I've never seen the Five Comic Strips but I shall track them down.
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