Posted by Peter Hyland on August 17, 2004 at 14:42:45 from 81.135.123.179 user Peter_H.
There have recently been lively arguments on Tarboard as to whether the Swallows could have survived today. Another slant on this has been provided in the Times newspaper (UK). On Aug 9, there was an article criticising some modern children because they could not apparently do simple things for themselves, like tying shoe laces. Quote: 'You have only to read Enid Blyton, Swallows and Amazons or The Children who lived in a Barn to be amazed by the competence gap between [these] children, who can look after themselves without an adult, and our own molly-coddled little darlings.'
Today, a reply is published from a ten-year old called 'George' (can a ten-year old be called 'George'?). Anyway, he says: 'I can ride my bike without stabilisers and tie my shoe laces. . .Swallows and Amazons is just a story. If my parents told me I could spend the summer with some friends on an island without adults I don't think many people would say it was a sensible thing for a child to be doing'.
Spirit of adventure 2004!