Hurrah for the circus

There are things you may have and do feel like revisiting such as books you had for an awful long time and today I'm writing about one.

 I think the first thing to said is this was written in 1939 when people did really look forward to seeing a circus with animals and the understanding of how captivity impacts their lives was less understood than today where it is rare to see such an old-fashioned circus because we are that more enlightened. 

This is the second of the three stories centred around Galliano's Circus looking circus life for children where it is Easter and they are all at Westsea although they are due to move on to Liverpool which I'd presume is some way off as it is probably Westsea is either around Somerset or Devon, areas popular for holidays in the UK.

The story is told through the eyes of Jimmy and Lotta circus children where much excitement is caused by the arrival of tigers to join the circus who are kept in a double locked cage.

Jimmy is very much in awe of the tigers and is determined to snuck into them and befriend them from what he sees as their ill treatment while being trained by Fric and his father which he does learning to control them by body language and words.

In some ways this is a high point of the book because in modern english he's being like a 'horse whisperer' gaining their trust and co-operation without the use of whips and shouting at them.

The friendship between Jimmy and Lotta is under threat of being torn about by Fric, the tiger keepers son and helping hand who is spiteful and not averse to telling lies  which given it is 1939 would be said to benefit from a smack.

Just as they are able to patch up their friendship, Jimmy's beloved dog, Lucky suddenly goes missing that leads to Lotta going out on a daring mission to rescue him who had been dyed after being sold for five pounds by Fric to a crooked, shady circus man called Mr. Cyrano to use. 

She does this by getting her curly hair cut, buying a shirt and pair of boy shorts and impersonates a  boy to confuse everyone so she's able to rescue Lucky.

As a reward Mr Galliano gets her a black pony that she calls Black Beauty after the Anna Sewell novel no doubt that she learns to ride and perform circus tricks with that are incorporated into their Liverpool show.

Just as everything seems to be going so well Lotta discovers Lal, her mother is ill in hospital in Europe where they've been performing with horses and dogs and The little girl's father, Laddo, may have to go away to another circus because he needs a partner in his act.

As is often the case in Enid Blyton's writing she leaves how this pans out until the next book but we are left pondering just what will happen to Lotta and if she might have to leave this circus and everybody including Jimmy for another.

It's very much a rip-roaring tale that I enjoyed re-reading from my original 1973 Deans hardback edition even if today much of the background to the plot simply would no longer be permitted. 

What Katy Did and Disabilities

I'm working on blog entries today as I'll be away for a couple of days so the the time I'd normally use will be taken up making arrangements and all that.

A favourite novel of mine is What Katy Did by the American authoress Susan Coolidge which was written in 1872 that I've had my current hardback copy from 1989 if I remember correctly although I sure had and read it during my childhood.

I wrote a little about the series in the early years of this blog but today we're going more into depth.

Lots of editions have been produced but I love the simple unaffected illustration on the front of this one because it's inviting but clearly is of the era showing Katy Carr outside the picket fence with the traditional timber framed house in the background.

I have been re-reading this because this is book that spoke very directly to me as a disabled child where generally speaking we were not inked in the world that children saw so it was this book and the English (they'd never say British) satirists Flanders And Swann that showed we had place people could accept.

Chunks of Katy, the twelve year old, struggling at 'self-improvement', having grandiose aims and rather dashing them badly not really a bad girl but carried away at times was and indeed is me all over: Mischievous boy in a dress, getting into trouble but remorseless upon being found out, it's just so familiar because it's not that you don't have a conscience, you do, but it kicks in too late!

The other thing is really from the second half of the novel, something truly awful happens to Katy very much by accident as she goes in the Swing that she was told not to go on by her Aunt Izzie  who just expected a child to just follow the instruction rather than saying it was unsafe.

The line comes out from the staple that was designed to secure it as she soars, so she falls at speed to the ground striking her spine. It leaves her unable to walk and more or less confined to her upstairs bedroom  for a long period whereupon she is visited by her family.

Re-reading that moved me because it's similar to what happened to me just a couple years older than Katy where something went wrong with a swing and I hit the asphalt beneath with speed and at force. 

It didn't paralyze me although I was bruised but it left me drifting in and out of consciousness for about ten hours living permanently with significant brain damage where head struck the surface.

Part of the novel talks about how that experience affected her being in pain, feeling bitter and about how she adapts to becoming disabled when her beloved cousin Helen who also is disabled comes over explaining to her she needs to adapt, making the most of the situation she is in or risk losing the love and affection of her family though her own attitude.

Some have criticized the emphasis around her learning patience, learning to be cheerful, having hope, trying to keep things neat and getting on life as it as part of the "sainthood" attached to disabled people as if that's their only value.

To me it's to miss the point entirely which is life as a disabled person is harder, comes with disappointment, doesn't exempt you from general expectations and in my experience and a few others you just have to adapt to what is. It's a brutal truth.

It is certainly the case in the novel the idea Katy could of been looked after downstairs wasn't looked at nor is any kind of physical therapy (UK: physiotherapy) looked at which today we sure would because that was too new in the late nineteenth century.

We learn later on, Katy after Aunt Izzie dies, does begin to learn to walk again, taking on the running of the house which to me then was a sign at least you *could* have a life where you did contribute.

To me although criticized for what is seen by some as late nineteenth century (UK:Victorian) moral instruction, it's a enjoyable inspirational story whose values do align more with the 'real world' when it comes to offering the disabled reader some comfort and life lessons.

That's why I always loved it.

Birthday entry

The number of times a period of fifty-two weeks elapses in my life is considerable but in truth I'm never really older is in feeling simply because I am incapable of getting older that way and in lots of ways in real life more than perhaps for some through age-regression, I remain forever young.

This return trip saw me have a good number cards from family and relatives although because here in the UK because they had Mothering Sunday on the same day that meant not just more going on it meant both Mum and I being at a joint meal.

There's a down to earth local public house here within a few minutes walk that often has people we know in so we went for a joint meal where I opted for Vegetable soup, a Turkey Roast  and Chocolate Fudge Pudding with ice cream which was delicious.

I had a book in a series that is aimed at girls and enjoyable looking at past lives.

The latest part in the Hetty Feather historical adventure series that came out late last year in big book aka Hard Back form.
They arrived by courier less than half an hour before I was due to go out!!!
I had some money from my folks a brother and an aunt which can diverted to something appropriately little and some Amazon vouchers from my older brother that I'll need to look at how to get them to my account as techno stuff just loses me at times.

I had also like a good number of Middles and Littles  the Disney animated full length emotion movie Inside/Out on dvd and a few cds although I tend to get them through across the year whereas when I was younger they tended to be more things I had at birthdays and Christmas's
I'll conclude by thanking my friends for their birthday wishes.

The chilling little style of this Sissy Gurl

Well a few things I had planned to do are off so I might as well get today's blog done.

One of things I recall thinking about heaps was about everything that would happen after the last period of afternoon school finished. 

When I went to day school it was kind of easy in that you'd pair off with a few friends and call in at the neighbourhood store to select some sweets to share while you talked about the day and what you thought of Master x's lesson.

At boarding school we had it back in the dorm but because tea was early it was frowned on as it 'spoilt your tea' so you'd leave them for later or weekends.

I have always loved lollipops still walk around the curb licking them that speaks volumes about me I guess.

Actually I have a pinafore dress not a million miles like that of the girl on picture and used to read while sucking on a lollipop so perhaps one way to visualize me is think of that little at least in spirit if not in dress. 

Tammy will wear their dress from now on as a adult little and accepts his sissy gurl side.

The only thing that matters is having fun reading and sucking your lollipops.

Link:Lollipops

Amelia Jane

For most of this week I've been reading a mixture of Enid Blyton's Secrets series with the first two stories in their 1960's paperback editions as modern editions haven't so much edited as partially re-written the first chapters that are essential to understand why 4 children would runway in this period from their guardians.

Guilty secret time:

Okay, the eagle eyed will spot a modern no-no on the front cover of this, one of the original three story collections in the Amelia Jane stories.

Amelia is a home made ragdoll who lives in the toybox with the other twos of the children who own them with a teddy bear, sailor boy, wooden mouse and a clown as well as a 'golly' a black faced doll if you grew up in the 70's or before you may well have had in your toybox.

I have fond memories of my toy box I can assure you with dolls teddy bears and even a golly.

Amelia being home made hasn't been what we'd call socialized and so is gets very bored doing incredibly naughty damaging things, playing with matches, being very rude and spiteful, just like many young children, something that no doubt makes it very easy to identify with.

In some respects it's almost a moral tract showing action and consequence through the adult narration.

The other toys do with the help of the brownies (another no-no in modern editions) restore order. 

Amelia has to stand in the corner  and is smacked, just rather like I was at that age for doing pretty much the same things cos like any kid I was capable of 'naughty'.

'Golly' is a no-no too but anyone who has read these stories know he's a really sweet but strong character who will stand up for himself and isn't afraid to take the lead on bring Amelia back under control.

I guess the 'Golly' problem lies with parts of his depiction having prominent eyes and red lips being too close for some to 'blacked up' white actors who some see as promoting a negative stereotype of black people although Enid Blyton sure doesn't in her stories and in the UK at least 'Golly' or 'Gollywogg' was never frequently used as a racial insult.

Given that, shouldn't we judge a book by it's content and only take offence when a character is being portrayed in an offensive way?

Leave It To Jennings

Today I'm writing about another of my Jennings books.

Leave it To Jennings is the thirteenth book in the Jennings series and was written in 1963.

The plot revolves around Madame Olivera from the Inscrutable East (otherwise known as Miss Tubbs of the Linbury Post Office bacon counter) telling Jennings's fortune and predicting a journey over land and sea, an unexpected legacy and that he will succeed in an ambition close to his heart. 

However no one foresees the chaos during the term as the three predictions come true.

My copy is from 1964 with the original dust jacket in good condition.

Jennings follows a clue

The second story in this series came out in 1951 where Jennings feels inspired to take up the career as a detective with Darbishire as his assistant, trouble needless to say is just around the corner.

The twosome first of all detect the lights being on in the sanitarium when nobody is supposed to be in there which is the catalyst for them investigating it and the laundry room before noticing the school sports cups, to which competitions are due have disappeared!

They see a main of whom they believe to be a piano tuner leave the building with them and follow him, breaking school rules into the village going into a silversmith and jewellers oblivious to this being his occupation and that he was to engrave them for the school by permission!

In the meantime all this detective stuff is becoming something of a distraction  not just to Jennings and Darbishire but within their form leading to a number of mishaps not least being caught having defaced a textbook and not paying proper attention in class which results as did for many of our generation in a lecture and a caning from the Head.

While exploring the sanatorium they get caught by a mysterious person who locks them in a room and after escaping, investigate laundry as they lose a clue to only end up being driven  away as the school sports is taking place. In the end they found out who really stole the cups in time for presenting them.

It's a hilarious account of schoolboy life that could only exist pre internet and cellphone that I loved as a boy at boarding school.

My edition my edition is the 1967 Collins hardback which keeps this dust jacket

Judy Patrol Leader

The idea of leadership is one that interested me so characters in what I read around that topic always appealed to me.

This is quite an old book - my copy is from nineteen-seventy - and shows it but while not perhaps the best example of Girls fiction is one that does tackle that topic when Judy, who does to an all girls school becomes a leader of the Girl Guides section for the school and tells of her many adventures as Patrol Leader.

That's why although I grew up on more boy based stories I like this because the theme speaks to me and that there are lessons in it I can use.

Three terms at Uplands

The theme in a way of this post might as well be "You're always a gurl" no least for the things that remain from that period not least the story books I still have of which this 1970 copy is an original.

I don't know about you but there always was one child in the form who it always seemed  to be the one who in trouble, not that I was angelic, and this book is about a girl, Claire Johnstone, who is although as in my experience too there is real trouble-maker behind  it all, in this case Ethel, who just leaves poor old Claire to take the blame.

Claire is fortunate to get a scholarship to Uplands, a large boarding school who sees this a chance to start anew with a clean slate until she finds there is a another new girl -Ethel!

It isn't long before Claire is back in trouble again all because Ethel thinks the Juniors are getting a raw deal from the Prefects.

We had Head Girls and Boys but basically you had certain amount power over your fellow pupils as Prefect and extra duties which didn't always go down so well with folk.

Anyway, Ethel wants Pupil Power and the Juniors soon find themselves members of Ethel's Students Union, an action anywhere in a school I went of putting you on the wrong side of Adult Authority, rebelling.

The Head Girl at the Gables & What Katy Did

Part of this whole adult still  a child side of me involves reading  often things about or even from  my childhood so today I'm looking at some books I read back then.

It's a story about a girl called Lorraine who wasn't thought of being Head Girl material by all her peers at The Gables, their school being rather quiet and withdrawn, scarcely one of the schools personalities.

The Headmistress, Miss Kingsley has altogether different thoughts so she's appointed but from the get go, a hard struggle for Lorraine to win the girls over begins. 

She decides to organize a School Show, finding a new ally in artistically minded Claudia, taking command in a most surprising effective way.

She finds a newly discovered talent for painting as part of her school life which leads to the unmasking of a dangerous spy ring. 

The What Katy Did trilogy  by Susan Coolidge a I originally read but never owned as a child having more of Enid Blyton's novels but a good few years back I bought the 1989 World Distributors editions together with Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm.

I hope to read more.