h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Hi, I was sent over in this direction by Terri, who said to mention her name.

A wonderful wealth of information here. I remember the circus stories fondly, and have vivid memories of reading about the guy who tried to train some zebras for the circus, but didn't seem to have much luck. Ah, the joys of youth.

And banning Enid Blyton? Just not on, old thing. Whoever thought of that should be sat down with some ginger beer and forced to babysit Anne.

David

what were they called? I remember the first one, where the young lad's dad got the job as the elephant keeper. And the wild girl from the circus who became the boy's friend (was that Lotta?)

I'd love to try to get copies of them.

Any of these names ring a bell?

Mr Galliano's Circus
Jimmy & his famous dog Lucky
Lotta & her lovely Black Beauty (Well done Enid for plagiarism!)
Mr Wally & Sammy the clever chimpanzee
Lilliput & his monkeys
Lal & Laddo, Lotta's parents
Mr Volla & his 5 bears
Sticky Stanley the
Oona the acrobat

Those are the ones in "Circus days again" but of course EB uses the circus setting in many books; in the Rilloby Fair/Rubadub/Ratatat mysteries Barney is an itinerant circus worker. Then there is The Circus of Adventure, where Philip saves the day after the bears escape. And the Famous Five seem to be forever bumping into circus folk.

zdt

Mr Galliano's Circus, I believe. Lotta sounds about right. I remember a story about someone trying to ride a zebra.

Hang on, I'll just do the librarian thing...

There were four of them, originally published 1938-1948:

Mr. Galliano's Circus
Hurrah for the Circus!
Circus Days Again
Come to the Circus

She also wrote 'Circus of Adventure', but that was from a different series ('Island of Adventure' et al). Unfortunately, the circus series seems to be out of print at the moment (in the UK at least). I haven't got access to all my magic librarian tools, as I'm at home, but I can't find trace of them being in print.

Simpost!

Hiya David, long time, no squeak! Enid has brought us back together! How are you doing? Still librarianing?

zdt

Oh, yes, librarianing merrily away. Also singing (and even attempting to dance...) rather more than ever before. Not for profit, just for fun. How about you?

THANK YOU!

Mr. Galliano's Circus it was!

Aw, this is all taking me right back. It's a pity so many of the books I want to get for the Gruesome Twosome are out of print.

Not by Blyton, but the Green Smoke series (Rosemay Manning) were also fantastic. When I was a girl there were only 3 but she did a fourth. I managed (don't you just love the internet?) to get the first 3, and we have read the first one.

I can see I'm going to have to hit the online second hand bookshops again!

I managed to get "The Big Enid Blyton Book" online, from an Australian company, i think it was called "nannies web" or something similar.

Ho ho ho, the singing, dancing librarian eh?! Doesn't it cause problems at work when you burst into song & take a quick tango round the bookshelves?

I can just imagine the scene:

*Scholarly matron arrives at desk with Sylvia Plath's "The Bell Jar"
David glances at the title. A glint appears in his steely eye. He launches himself across the counter, lands at the feet of the terrified matron, whips out his air guitar & gives a blinding rendition of bothHell's Bells & Whisky in the Jar.

He bows & returns sedately to the counter.

zdt

apart from the fact that I can't possibly imagine someone wanting to read The Bell Jar...

Not one of the most entertaining books available here, no!

Can you imagine 'The Bell Jar - The Musical'?

you know... I'd have to go to see that!

Sponsored by Kleenex no doubt.....



zdt