Friday, July 3, 2020

See Enid Blyton's Inspiration, Seckford Hall Hotel In Suffolk (and her Plaque in Southwark)


Seckford Hall in Brighton inspired Enid Blyton, I read whilst researching alliteration, which made me look up Famous Five and Secret Seven and Enid Blyton.

Enid Blyton led a busy life. She wrote up to 50 books a year. By my calculation, that means one every week with a fortnight off for a holiday.

Wiki says: She is the world's fourth most-translated author, behind Agatha ChristieJules Verne and William Shakespeare with her books being translated into 90 languages.

BOOKS BY ENID BLYTON
You may recall
Secret Seven
Famous Five
Noddy and Big Ears

ABOUT AUTHOR ENID BLYTON
What about the author?

She lived from 1897 to 1968, had two husbands, and two children, and reached the age of 71. By the end of her life she had written more than 600 books. Her daughter has attended the Enid Blyton Day. The link to it seems to be broken.

PLACES TO VISIT
My first thought was, let's start in London. But would I ever want to visit Southwark. Where is it. The syllable south tells you it is south of the river.

Wiki provided a handy reminder, much more interesting than I remembered, full of places I have already visited, such as The Shard, highly recommended for its views over London with handy explanations on the glass. Expensive but worth it. We went there for a birthday. (You must book.)

The London Borough of Southwark (/ˈsʌðək/ (About this soundlisten))[2][3] in south London forms part of Inner London and is connected by bridges across the River Thames to the City of London.

The part of the South Bank within the borough is home to London Bridge terminus station and the attractions of The ShardTate ModernShakespeare's Globe and Borough Market that are the largest of the venues in Southwark to draw domestic and international tourism. Dulwich is home to the Dulwich Picture Gallery and the Imperial War Museum is in Elephant and Castle.


Travel & Armchair Travel To See Enid Blyton Sites
1 Plaque in Ondine Street, East Dulwich, London Borough of Southwark, London, England, UK
2 Plaque
Her homes included Old Thatch in Buckinghamshire, (a few miles from High Wycombe) where she lived for nine years (from 1929 to 1938) with her first husband who was Major Hugh Pollock, a book editor. The house had four bedrooms, dated from the 17th century and was a Grade II listed building. 

In 1938 she moved to another romantically and rurally named building, Green Hedges, in Beaconsfield. The name was chosen by her readers. She organized magazines and fan clubs which raised money for handicapped and underprivileged children and hospitals.

3 Seckford Hall Hotel & Spa

You can visit Seckford Hall hotel and Spa as an armchair  traveller. Their map of the u shape building in the grounds shows the words Enid Blyton sat here.

Useful Websites On Blyton and Seckford Hall
Wikipedia - Enid Blyton

Seckford Hall hotel and spa

Other Useful websites
https://www.enidblytonsociety.co.uk/shop.php
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_words_having_different_meanings_in_American_and_British_English
https://context.reverso.net/translation/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/polyglotcommunity
https://translate.google.com/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enid_Blyton

About the author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker.


  • I and my family have lived in the UK, Spain, the USA and Singapore. I am a travel writer and photographer and teacher of English A level and English as a foreign language.

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