Posted in My thoughts and opinions

If I keep a book, it is usually becauseI have read it, and it has become a friend.

I'm not one for romances or scary thrillers. Mostly I like the classics and old children's books and a few modern books, like the #1 Ladies Detective Agency series by Alexander McCall Smith.

I have to tell you about one of my favourite children's books, and it is from the series, "The Family From One End Street" written by Eve Garnett. My treasured first edition was published in 1937.

Last night I was wanting something to read in bed that was light and easily picked up and entertaining. I don't get much time to read in bed at night, so when I get a few moments it is a rare treat. So I went into our library and picked out my old friend, Holiday At The Dew Drop Inn by Eve Garnett. It is the third book in the Family From One End Street series.

I love books that are innocent. No bad language, no insinuations to a less seemly side of life, and a book that transports me back to a world which was cleaner, healthier, friendly and sensible, and these books do that for me. They are essentially children's books, but I discovered them as an adult and love them. It is an English book, but if you know Milly Molly Mandy or the Miss Read books or the Just William books, or the Swallows and Amazons books, then the One End Street books are of the same genre.

It is about an English working-class family. Their father, Mr. Ruggles is a dustman. Their mother, Mrs. Ruggles is a washer-woman who's richest middle-class client is Mrs. Beasley who hands down her neice's cast off clothing to the little Ruggles, of whom there are seven. They live in a small tennement flat at the end of a street which I would say resembles that of Coronation Street (not that I watch that programme). The parents are proud of their children "all-growing-up-fine-and-strong-one-behind-the-other-like-steps-in-a-ladder-and-able-to-wear-each-others-clothes-right-down-to-the-baby, so that really it was only two sets, girl and boy, summer and winter, Mrs. Ruggles had to buy, except Boots. A great deal was heard about boots in the Ruggles household..... Nearly every week one of the little Ruggles could be seen running with a boot in either hand to the shop, or returning with a bulky parcel badly wrapped in old brown paper." (excerpt from the first book). The books follow the adventures of the family in their struggle for survival and their collective love of life. Every character in these books is charming!

The children are:

Lily-Rose

Kate

James and John (the twins)

Peg

Jo (junior)

William (the baby)

Kate, the second daughter is found to be 'bright' and wins a scholorship to go to the grammar school. The second and third books are mostly about Kate when she goes to spend her holidays in the countryside at the Dew Drop Inn (a thatched cottage), with Mr. and Mrs. Wildgoose. Holiday at the Dew Drop Inn is my favourite of the three books.

Here is a charming excerpt I read out last night to my husband. Sometimes there are just some sentences I have to read out loud.

"They were hardly out of the taxi before Mr. Wildgoose, in his shirt-sleeves, green baize apron, and one of his gayest pullovers, appeared in the porch and came towards them throwing up his arms in greeting.

Kate, who had prepared to shake hands, was a little disconcerted - no hand being available to shake. She had never kissed Mr. Wildgoose. Was she expected to? She rather hoped not, though she could not have said why, for she liked him very much! But Mr. Wildgoose solved the problem himself by clapping both hands on her shoulders and lightly kissing the top of her hat!

"Well! Here we are again!' he exclaimed, "but no less welcome."

Here is another excerpt from when Kate goes up to her old little bedroom. Mrs. Wildgoose is giving her the choice of the big bedroom or the little bedroom she had before.

"both beds is made up so it won't make no difference which you choose.'

'Oh, Mrs. Wildgoose, the little one! I'd like the little one, please!' said Kate.

So the little one it was - the dear little white-walled room with its deep-set window framed in thick thatch and through which the sprays of roses and honeysuckle were now almost climbing into the room itself. And outside the row of orangy-coloured cottages, and behind them the fields, the little wood, and the bare faraway hills. Everything - just as she had remembered it!

Kate stood gazing out, entranced, and it was some time before she became aware that insistent voices were calling from below.

'Tea! Tea! Come along down!'

You can still buy these books, and I found new editions by Penguin on www.amazon.com. I found mine in second-hand bookshops years ago.

For a little taste of old English life and sweetness, I recommend them whole-heartedly. They'll become your friends too, I guarantee!