Enid Blyton at Old Thatch

Enid Blyton at Old Thatch is not another analysis of why Britain's beloved storyteller's books still sell millions. Nor is it a critique of golliwogs and the supposedly hidden lives of Noddy and Big Ears. It is a celebration of the beautiful village of Bourne End along the banks of the Thames, 25 miles west of London, where the famous author lived in the 400-year-old house known as "Old Thatch." For Blyton, her home there was "a wonderful place to write stories in." Step back in time with Blyton's daughter, Gillian Baverstock, to a childhood she remembers fondly. Combining escapism with a touch of history and fantasy, this book is a great travel guide to one of England's most green and pleasant landscapes. Old Thatch is open to the public, and its owners, Jacky and David Hawthorne, have one of the best award-winning gardens in Britain. With Enid Blyton at Old Thatch, you can delight in the river pathways and leafy lanes, stately manors, snow-covered churches and country pubs that inspired Blyton herself.