Happy New Year everyone! I thought I would share this photo, taken at the Stratford International stop of the Docklands Light Railway. Most cycle racks are pretty dull and utilitarian, although there are a few more interesting ones around including these which caught my eye the other week. As well as being distinctive, they also provide plenty of points for double locking bikes of all shapes and sizes (the Brompton is often too low slung to be locked in more than one place on some standard cycle racks) so are great for cycle security too. January is not the best month for cycling so I hope all of you still on bicycles keep warm, dry and safely away from bike thieves, high winds and falling branches.

The book was published in 1935 and as well as bizarre and magical happenings, is full of curious language (“I haven’t a tosser to my kick” exclaims Kay, the protagonist. “Now, Kay, you mustn’t use slang in the holidays” admonishes his guardian) and traditional foodstuffs like muffins and possets. I’ve made lemon posset as a dessert before (cream, sugar, lemons) but have never drunk a traditional posset. But after watching/reading The Box of Delights I really really want to.

After various ‘scrobblings’ (kidnappings), which all hinge around the baddies’ quest for the eponymous Box, young Kay begins to despair of the police taking action. But although the local inspector is not quite the bloodhound of the law that he thinks he is, he does offer Kay some sound advice:

‘”You get that good guardian of yours to see you take a strong posset every night. But you young folks in this generation, you don’t know what a posset is. Well, a posset” said the Inspector, “is a jorum of hot milk and in that hot milk you put a hegg and you put a spoonful of treacle and you put a grating of nutmeg and you stir ‘em up well and you get into bed and then you take ‘em down hot. And a posset like that, taken overnight, it will make a new man of you.”‘

Kay gets Ellen, the maid, to make him one and finds it does do him a world of good. And when feisty scrobble-victim Maria returns to the bosom of the family a little later, she firmly turns down the offer of a cocoa in favour of a posset:

‘”I”m not going to drink any poison like cocoa, thank you” Maria said, “When one’s had a nervous strain such as I have, one wants a posset with three fresh eggs in it and a spoonful of sherry”‘

NB Maria is about seven.

If the rest of today goes according to plan (there is stuffing to make and some final presents to wrap), we’ll be going to Midnight Mass tonight and I think a posset with a tot of rum will be just the ticket when we get home. I will report back in due course. In the meantime, here is the opening credit sequence for The Box of Delights, with a sinister and atmospheric take on ‘The Coventry Carol’ and ‘The First Nowell’.

Merry Christmas!

Anne and I popped down to Rye yesterday for a pre-Christmas break. As some readers may know, Rye was the inspiration for Smuggler’s Top, the setting of the fourth Famous Five adventure. It’s a lovely cobbled town, built on a hill and once the home of smugglers as well as many literary types including Henry James, Radclyffe Hall and E F Benson.

We stayed in the cosy and splendidly decorated Jeake’s House. It was built by an astrologically-minded Samuel Jeakes and a plaque in the wall records the position of the stars at the time the foundation stone of the building was laid in 1689. After various travails across the centuries, Jeake’s house was bought by the American poet Conrad Aiken in the 1920s, and in the 1980s taken over by Jenny Hadfield who has turned it into a very nice place to stay. The bedrooms are now named after Aiken and various literary and artistic luminaries who visited or lived in Rye. We were in the snug and ceiling-beamed ‘T S Eliot’ room but you can also bed down with Radclyffe Hall and Malcolm Lowry amongst others.

It’s ideal for a winter’s stay as there are plenty of communal spaces in which to relax including the parlour (pictured above) and the theatrical-looking bar which is well-stocked with board games, newspapers and alcohol (just write down what you have and it’s charged to your room). Breakfast was in part of the house which was formerly a Quaker chapel. Anne had the full English; I had my current favourite morning repast – a boiled egg with Marmite soldiers.

Top (cold and wet weather) things we did during our brief visited included: a drink by the Giant’s Fireplace in the legendary Mermaid Inn (hangout of smugglers in the 18th century); a trip to the Rye Art Gallery to see an excellent little exhibition on animator John Ryan (creator of Captain Pugwash and long-time resident of Rye); and a look around the Lion Street Store, a wonderful emporium of prints, jewellery, stationery and much more, showcasing work by makers and illustrators such as Emily Warren, James Brown, Nicholas John Frith and Alice Pattullo. A great place for last minute gifts for people with good (nay, excellent) taste.

It’s now officially Christmas Eve and I’m back in London, typing this in the glow of the Christmas tree lights. Tomorrow we collect our bird from the butchers – not a turkey from Kirrin farm, alas – and stock up on Brussels sprouts.

Good luck to everyone who still has presents to buy!

There were Christmas cards to draw and paint for their mothers and fathers and friends. There was the house to decorate. They went out with Mr Roland [their villainous tutor] to find sprays of holly, and came home laden’

- Five Go Adventuring Again

Armed with some secateurs, I also went out foraging for Christmas greenery this morning. I managed to gather a nice basketful of fir and lots of holly with bright red berries but, like the Kirrins, I too had no time to look for any secret passages…

For a small festive shindig today I made mince pies, using Dan’s almond pastry, plus some dairy and wheat-free walnut, cranberry and chocolate biscuits (for a vegan guest). Both were delicious, if I do say so myself (Dan takes all the credit, not me – I was just following his sterling advice).

Clementines or some other small orange citrus fruit are also essential foodstuffs at this time of year. My local greengrocers was selling boxes of clementines, leaves and all, for a mere £2.50 so I couldn’t resist a box of these too. It was a tiny bit of a challenge to get them home on my bike but I did manage it. Eating a couple of these made me feel a tad less guilty about wolfing huge quantities of biscuits and pies. Short and Sweet also contains a recipe for clementine and oat muffins so perhaps I’ll try these next…

I hope everyone is getting as excited about Christmas as I am! x

For Anne: 60s animal stamps from retro stationer Present and Correct or (for a time of less austerity) an adorable bunny tuck box to take back to Gaylands school.

For Julian: Also from Present and Correct, these stylish and useful map crayons for Julian who loves to boast about his excellent map reading skills and well-developed bump of locality. Or from Temple of Commerce, a corrective grammar sticker pack so he can put the grammatical world to rights.

For Aunt Fanny: a beautiful bedspread from vintage retailer Horrockses. These are based on original 40s and 50s patterns. I like this one which is called ‘Betty’.

For George: A dog lamp that will recall the hi-jinx of Five on a Secret Trail. Note that Pedlars actullay describe it as a ‘collar of shame’. So perhaps this is actually quite an insensitive present (and again not an austerity gift)…

For Timmy: Well, I confess I’m struggling a bit here. In previous years I’ve suggested a studded collar and a fake bunny for him to chase and there’s only so much variety you can introduce into doggy gifts. Perhaps George could get him this bone shaped biscuit cutter so that Joan the Cook could make some of her legendary biscuits just for him?

For Dick: Gourmand and gourmet Dick might like to enjoy his ice cream out of one of these gold ice cream bowls, also from Pedlars.

For Uncle Quentin: The Oxford Book of Modern Science Writing should keep Uncle Quentin quiet and out of the way on Christmas Day. Although I’ve blatantly taken this image from Amazon, I of course suggest that all bookish presents are purchased from your nearest non-chain book shop. I’ve already been to the wondrous Broadway Bookshop for some of my gifts…

For more suggestions, see ‘Christmas Gifts for the Kirrins‘ and ‘Christmas with the Famous Five: Gifts‘

On Thursday I went up to Norwich for the launch of the East Anglian Film Archive’s new website and digital archive. This contains 200 hours’ worth of films from the East of England region, from 1896 to the (almost) present, all available to watch online for free. It’s a fantastic achievement although sadly the launch comes at a time when the archive has had its staff and funding cut and has had to curb its operations for the foreseeable future.

Here’s a quick pick of 5 Famous Five friendly films to try (but please explore further as there are some incredible films looking at slum housing in Ipswich, the art of paper marbling, lavender growing and much more)

1. Witness in Brass (pictured above) Two boys (quite Julian and Dick-esque) rub church brasses under the guidance of a friendly Essex vicar.

2. Old Shuck A spooky tale of Mr Leslie Goodwin’s sighting of Old Shuck, the Black Ghost Dog of North Norfolk. On a par with stories of ‘spook trains’ and the numerous other tales told by some of the old salts that populate Enid Blyton’s books.

3. Ted Ellis Learn about nature with the legendary Norfolk naturalist Ted Ellis. A good companion to Blyton’s Round the Year series of nature books.

4. The Flood The adventures of four children who get stranded in a Fens farmhouse by a dramatic flood.

5. The New Gypsies (Caravans). An Anglia news report from 1961 on the rising popularity of caravan holidays. The Five were well ahead of the game here (see Five Go off in a Caravan)

Oh, and because I can’t quite resist throwing in one for George, here’s one more, a curious BBC Look East piece from 1977, Dog Psychiatrist. Obviously no other canines are quite as smart as Timmy.

I’ve been turning my attention to John Buchan (the Richard Hannay stories) and George Macdonald Fraser (the Flashman Papers) of late so things have been a bit quiet in the world of Famous Five Style. However, this article sent to me via my bicycle insurance provider made me chuckle and I think has relevance for the Five who often run into scrapes on their bikes. It’s all about self-defence techniques for cyclists  and is taken from Pearson’s Magazine from 1901. It’s actually a little bit terrifying. Take this, for instance:

Nearly every cyclist carries a weapon on his machine which, under many circumstances, he may use with great effect: a strong, long, heavy metal pump offers as convenient a weapon as one could desire. Let the rider who is threatened by a foot-pad flourish his pump in his assailant’s face, and he will be surprised how quickly and precipitously the assailant jumps back. A formidable blow could be delivered in a man’s face with a heavy pump, especially when riding at speed.

There is some advice that may have been useful for Violet Hunter, the heroine of the Sherlock Holmes ‘Adventure of the Solitary Cyclist’:

A lady, say, is riding alone on a country road, when an approaching tramp suddenly assumes a hostile attitude, standing before her with legs apart and arms out-stretched, effectively barring the way. Let the lady put on a spurt, and ride, point blank, at her assailant, then swerve at the last moment. Certainly this requires nerve, but it is really simple, and marvellously effective. The tramp cannot overcome the instinct of self-protection which makes him jump to one side, when the cyclist, of course, at once swerves in the other direction

The author overlooks the possibility of the tramp and the daring lady cyclist both veering off in the same direction though, which could be quite nasty.

My favourite is the article’s final suggestion. Noting that ‘the last three or four methods of defence [...] described are hardly suitable for use by lady cyclists, unless particularly strong-minded and strong-armed!’ the author recommends a water pistol for use by the fairer sex. This would no doubt appeal to young Anne Kirrin who, as readers may remember, uses a similar method to repel irritating Wilfred in Five Have a Mystery to Solve.

The water squirt is guaranteed to stop an attack from the most vicious dog or man — and certainly the foot-pad who attempted to approach a lady cyclist, and was met with a douche of cold water, would receive a severe shock that would probably cause him to stand back long enough to allow his prey to escape.

Here’s the link to the full article, complete with more natty Victorian illustrations.

There is something quite magical and impressive about a steam engine. Being in the presence of one is a bit like being near a very large and powerful horse -  beautiful, awe-inspiring and a tiny bit intimidating. Edith Nesbitt captured this, of course, in The Railway Children, and there are several good train journeys in the Famous Five: the long and hot journey to Polwilly Halt in Five Go Down to the Sea stands out, and who could forget the sinister ‘spook’ trains of Five Go Off to Camp (pictured right)?

The smell, sound and sensation of being pulled along by a steam engine is a world away from the depressingly bland trains of today and the fixtures and fittings of old carriages are, in short, just lovely. Wood! Yes! So much warmer and nicer than horrid plastic. Here is a picture of the excellent striped carpet and checkered seating fabric on board.

Dereham station is beautifully kitted out too. There are displays of old maps, original station clocks, signs and objects from the glory days of the railways, and a shop where you can buy old British Rail mugs (my granny bought me a green one). There is also a great little tea room that is nicely done without being overly twee. You can get a decent cafetiere of coffee, plus a decent range of snacks, hot meals and home-made cakes, all at reasonable prices.

Steam trains only run during the summer, I think, but there are a number of diesel ‘specials’ coming up, first for Halloween (a ‘spook train’ perhaps?) and then in the run up to, and aftermath of, Christmas when there will be carol and mince pie specials. A full event listing and timetable can be found here.

Does anyone else have any good steam train recommendations?

Spies are very much in vogue at the moment. I’m eagerly anticipating the new film adaptation of John le Carré’s Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, and have just finished a weekend viewing marathon of the original 1979 television series with the great Alec Guinness as George Smiley, who’s brought out of retirement to track down a mole who has penetrated the highest levels of ‘the Circus’, the British Secret Intelligence Service. The plot of the recent BBC series, The Hour, also hinged on the unmasking of Soviet agents working within the Secret Service and (heaven forbid!) the British Broadcasting Corporation, so there is definitely something in the air.

Spies, stolen secrets, kidnappings and defections abound in Blyton’s books. The Famous Five personally take on quite a few of these cases, although their methods are a little different to George Smiley’s. And while betrayal and corruption leave their mark on the characters in le Carré’s novels, the Five are able to quickly deal and move on – often with the aid of a good meal, as Julian’s above comment suggests. Apparently there’s nothing like tinned peaches and home-made custard to get rid of the nasty taste left in the mouth by the deception, violence, and moral ambiguity of spying.

The Famous Five books are (as we know) very much of their time. After the disappearance of two of the ‘Cambridge’ spies, KGB double agents Guy Burgess and Donald Maclean in 1951, there was extreme paranoia about Soviet penetration of the British Secret Service. Blyton’s treatment of spies and traitors offers a narrative of reassurance. The upright and oh-so-British Famous Five are always clear where their loyalties lie and everything always comes right in the end.

In Five Go to Billycock Hill (1957) the children are distraught about the disappearance of their friend Toby’s airman cousin, Jeff. He appears to have gone AWOL with a top RAF aeroplane, prompting Dick to make the rather extreme comment: “If he flew away in that plane, he was a traitor to his country. And traitors deserve to die” ( this has been cut from recent, updated, versions of the book). Happily, Jeff’s innocence is proved with the help of the Five and Toby’s little brother and his pet ‘pigling’.

Likewise, Terry-Kane, a scientist chum of Uncle Quentin’s, suspected of making off with some state scientific secrets, is exonerated in Five Have a Wonderful Time. Characters that the Five or their friends and families like are therefore proved to be OK – an escapist antidote to the disbelief that surrounded the notion that Cambridge educated men like Burgess, Maclean, and later Harold Philby, Anthony Blunt and (possibly) John Cairncross [the Infamous Five!], could be agents of a foreign power. Clearly spies and subterfuge are recurring elements of many of Blyton’s books but Five Have a Wonderful Time was published in 1952, the year after the Burgess and Maclean scandal, and Billycock Hill in 1957, the year after they resurfaced in Moscow. It’s therefore highly likely that these incidents were in Blyton’s mind when she was planning and writing these particular books – and promoting a very different set of ideological and moral values to those of Burgess, Blunt et al.