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Photo of Enid Blyton
in Swanage. The picture shows
her meeting a young fan at the
Grosvenor Hotel. |
In July 2002 it was my great privilege to drive Gillian Baverstock around the county as we made a film together for the BBC. She first visited Corfe Castle with her mother in 1940, travelling by steam train from Swanage.
Come and find the "Window in the Wall" by the bakery. Here Gillian Baverstock unveils the first Ginger Pop model of Five on a Treasure Island
“Viv
drove me round much of
Dorset
on a beautiful summer’s day.
We saw the Purbeck Hills,
Studland
Bay
,
Corfe
Castle
, Hartland Moor, and a beautiful drive over to Stourton
Caundle. That
countryside was part of my Mother and her imagination.
Viv’s book explores through words and
pictures something of what it meant to be her.”
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 Welcome!
Ginger
Pop is run by me, Vivienne Endecott, a life long Enid Blyton fan who
has lived in Dorset since 1968. The
first book I ever read for myself was Mr
Galliano’s Circus, which Santa left for me when I was 7, and I
then read as many Blyton books as I could get hold of.
I would buy a paperback every Saturday morning and flop down onto
the settee until it was finished. Many
of my friends were also great fans, and we were constantly swapping
books between us.
It
was only as an adult that I found out that Enid Blyton holidayed near to
where I live in the Isle of Purbeck in Dorset, for three times a year
for over twenty years. I
then re-read my books, and started to link some local landmarks to
places in the stories, particularly the Famous
Five series. There is
plenty to stimulate the imagination here in Purbeck including several
castles, lots of sandy beaches, steep cliffs that were used by
smugglers, and even a sea-filled school swimming pool.
Poole Harbour is full of islands and was once a major port for
Flying Boats.
The
books that I read were the Armada paperbacks, brought out in the late
1960s. Some effort had been
made to update the pictures (though not the text at that stage), and the
children were often shown to be wearing flared jeans and tank tops.
Ginger Pop now takes the view that it is impossible to really
understand Blyton without first understanding what life was like when
the books were written. Several
of her classic series were started in the depths of the Second World
War, when many of her young readers were evacuees.
She continued her prolific output throughout the 1950s, when few
families had a car, TV or a telephone, but children had the freedom to
be out by themselves from breakfast to teatime.
I
now enjoy sharing my knowledge with other Blyton fans through my shop
and my book, The
Dorset Days of Enid Blyton.
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hold a degree in Environmental Management from The University of York,
and an Adult Education teaching certificate.
I enjoy working in the countryside with Dorset Countryside
Volunteers (lots of mud and big bonfires!), Morris Dancing, and am
a member of East Dorset Speakers Club. I have a sleeping disorder
related to ME, and tend not to do anything late morning when I need to
take a rest. |
Ginger Beer delivery day
(it's not all for us!)
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Some
useful links:
The
best guide to everywhere in Purbeck is at www.isleofpurbeck.com
once you’ve scrolled down a bit.
We
are immensely proud that our wonderful coastline has been awarded
World
Heritage
Coast
status by UNESCO. Find
out more at www.jurassiccoast.com
Adult
Blyton fans should consider joining the Enid Blyton Society.
The annual Day has attracted some first rate speakers and the little
magazine is packed full of articles and guidance for collectors.
Visit: www.enidblytonsociety.co.uk
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Ginger
Pop