Posted by PeterH on January 06, 2007 at 15:26:04 from 86.137.75.242 user Peter_H.
In Reply to: Re: Commander Walker style upbringing posted by Mike Dennis on January 06, 2007 at 14:01:01:
I go along with Mike on this. Of course, arrangements by adults had to be made to provide the basic holiday scenario. This is because, well, it's an adult-type activity and in any case under British law minors cannot enter into contracts, ie rent accommodation or hire boats. This is surely a 'given' in most children's stories. The driver of the engine that hauled the Swallows' train north was, presumably, an adult. These points are so obvious they are barely worth making.
It's what happened when they got there that matters. During the holiday, the children were amazingly free to do what they like, and do it for the whole of the holiday. This last point is important. I recall my own holidays as a child with my parents. Although, with luck, I would have quite a few days in the fortnight free to do what I wanted, on the other days I was expected to be 'on parade'. 'We're going to see the so-and-so's today - they're staying just down the coast. Their children will be there, so you must come along.' There then followed a day of boredom. None of that for the Swallows ! I can't recall a single occasion when Mrs Walker said 'You can't be on the island today - we are all going on a visit . . .' On the contrary, the children had day after day to themselves, with the occasional monitoring visit by Mrs W.
It was not so for the Amazons when the G.A. was visiting, and it is this sudden deprivation of freedom which seems so calamitous in SD and PM. You tend not to notice the immense freedom that the children have until it is taken away.