Posted by Peter H on August 20, 2007 at 22:36:30 from 86.144.112.166 user Peter_H.
In Reply to: Re: 'Toff' ruled out (was Amazons Toffs? posted by Prue Eckett on August 20, 2007 at 20:19:06:
Generally these were the local gentry and large landowners and those who addressed them in that manner were tenant farmers and their families, many of whom were or had been in service (look at how Mrs Dixon speaks to Nancy & Peggy).
Yes, I must admit that Prue's analysis is quite plausible, and it would certainly account for the 'Miss Nancy' 'Miss Peggy' form of address. So maybe Mrs Blackett was a rich landowner receiving the local rents.
Well, all this may be perceptive but I'm afraid it brings me no joy, in fact it makes me rather sad. To tell you the truth, I sometimes wonder if I might have been better off avoiding all this adult interest and examination of AR's work - TARS, TarBoard, the lot. It has meant that some of the old joys of reading Ransome have been extinguished one by one. Oh for the days, long ago, when I read the books for pure enjoyment and thought that all the lake folk were just being friendly to each other! Mrs Blackett was just a nice woman who lived in a house, and had a brother and two daughters - the Amazons. That was enough for me then.
Does anyone else feel this way?