I picked the three girls from one of my favourite books from childhood – 'Ballet Shoes' (1936) by Noel Streatfeild. The girls are called Pauline, Petrova and Posy. My copy of the book (and I still have it... complete with homemade library stamp on the inside) looks like this:
I read this book several times when I was a child and I watched the series that was on BBC TV in 1975. I loved this story for many reasons:
- the girls are all abandoned babies (no tiresome family to deal with, no daft Mummy, no annoying Daddy),
- they are rescued by an eccentric academic with a big rattly house (who then wanders off abroad and leaves his niece, staff and, when times are harder, boarders/lodgers to deal with the children... and who wouldn't if they could, eh?),
- lots of the story is set in theatres (all the girls get to go to stage school thanks to one of the lodgers – the eldest girl is a good actress, the youngest a gifted ballet dancer),
- it's full of excellent details... about their outfits for stage school (knickerbockers with everything!), about their food (lots of hot buttered toast and crumpets), about their walks around London,
- it isn't all stereotypes (the middle one of the girls wants to be a mechanic/racing driver and hates all the theatre and dancing)
- and finally, my favourites are two of the lodgers who are older lady doctors (Jakes and Smith...serious academic types... they arrive together... one specialises in literature and one in mathematics... could this be lesbians in kids literature? Oh, I do hope so.).
Anyway, here's my 'Ballet Shoes' poem:
(temporarily removed - sorry!)
RF 2010
And now you, Bus trippers!
Jinksy is in the Hundred Acre Wood - here
Jeanne Iris has seen another side to Cinderella - here
Peter Goulding is up and running here and then all washed up here
The Bug is off to the Alps - here
NanU is building houses out of the strangest things - here
Jessica Maybury is thinking about carrots - here
Helen is off with Wonka - here
Dave King is seeing red... and he likes it - here
Cinderella is in demand - Chris at Enchanted Oak is taking another look at her here
Niamh has some games to play - here
Titus has an amazing man - he's here
Karen's chosen someone from what they call the good book - here
Muse Swings takes another turn with Cinderella (she's a popular lass!) - here
Doctor FTSE is all mixed up - over here
It's all blowing in the wind for Swiss - here
Izzy is flying high - up here
And our founding member (Totalfeckineejit) is running for the bus (and the windmill) - here
Mrs Trellis mixes up her Cinders - here
Oh, one of my favourites... it's Mr Benn and Domestic Oubliette - here
And still they come... Erratic Thoughts is on the trail of Tom & Jerry - here
Argent is in a spin - here
Keep sending me your links and I'll add you to the list. The more the merrier...
x
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36 comments:
Lovely poem. I really dig it. Just off to seewhat's happened to mine - Blogger strikes again?
Excellent reaction, Dave. I did go looking for yours but didn't want to put the link till it was in place.
x
Got it now, Dave, so it's in the list.
x
Your poem is a delight .. raised one of three girls, I related to it on a deep level!
I listened to Ballet shoes on the BBC radio's Children's Hour, way back in the dark ages!I also remember a serial called the King of the Golden River, and another called David of the White Rock...I must have listened well! lol :)
Delightful, took me down memory lane!
What I forgot to say, Helen, is that they're not biological sisters and the 'fossil' in the title is the surname they choose as a collective name (because their guardian is a fossil-hunter).
Glad some of you know the story...it's not as well known as some kids' fiction.
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That's me Rachel. Back to check yours out in a while, got some homework to do...
Here:
http://titusthedog.blogspot.com/2010/09/poetry-bus-rachel-has-unleashed-beast.html
You're on the list, T. I should think I'll be in bed before your return!
x
Never would have got past a title like 'Ballet Shoes' But the poem is well formed!
Now you've got me wondering how many boys and men have read 'Ballet Shoes' in its whole history. Not many, I imagine!
x
Ballet, Rachel? What's that?
Hi, Rachel. I hope you don't mind a swindling ticket holder. My poem fits/doesn't fit for reasons that will become obvious when you read it. Anyway, here I am:
http://keepingsecrets-karen.blogspot.com/2010/09/oh-martha.html
I've never heard of 'Ballet shoes' but then I wasn't born till 1948.
Poem has contemporary gritty reality to it and not a ballet shoe in sight.Huzzah! Coolio!
Good prompt too getting some interesting reactions out there.Thanks!
Now I want to read this book! I think I would enjoy it a lot, & these days a book aimed at adolescent girls sounds just about right :)
What a lovely book! I've not read it, but I will make a point to do so. I chose to write some motherly advice to Cinderella - I see her character was the choice of others as well. It will be a delight to see all of the posts! Here's my link:
http://muse-swings.blogspot.com/2010/09/poetry-bus-faery-tale.html
Whoa, confession-ville. I've never read it. Good thing: I want to now. Love the three girls' first names starting with the same letter. And Mum went to stage school.
You got me with the "finest city/to the death with pity" lines (brilliant!) and then that final one. Good stuff.
And a great prompt.
Are you in bed? I've been poring over graffiti and have now overstimulated myself...
Oooh! Peter's bar one! Peter's bar one!
Oh, what a good story! Was it published only in the UK, I wonder?
And now you're able to share it with your own child(ren)? That's really fine and wonderful.
Your Fossils piece is loads of fun, and I imagine you writing it with pleasure. Thanks for the prompt and I'm off to check out our fellows.
This is such a trip down memory lane for me. I loved 'Ballet Shoes' as a girl. I actually thought I still had a copy of it but I can't seem to find it. I am going to visit all the secondhand stores this week to see if I can get a copy.
Your poem is wonderful!!!
At least one or two of you know the book/story. I presume I got to it via the 70s TV show first (my book has the pic from that show...must be a tie-in...). They did remake it for TV in recent years with Victoria Wood and others but just as a one-off play rather than a series so it was all a bit rushed.
I should point out that ballet lessons and I were not well acquainted! I think I went once or twice but it wasn't a lasting relationship. I liked my freedom after school and our (one) daughter is much the same.
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The book is probably aimed at younger girls, Bug, but to be honest it can be read by any age (if you like this sort of thing). It's a lovely period piece too now.
x
I've never read or heard of your Ballet Shoes, but it sounds like the perfect childhood series. I've read that children prefer reading about orphans to any other character, supposedly because being abandoned is childhood's greatest fear, and reading about plucky, strong children who survive and thrive is comforting.
I certainly loved it. Our daughter would prefer it if it had dogs in too I think but apart from that she likes it.
x
not so much children's stories as the stories i was told as a child - this’ll be mine
Blakey! I'm on the Bus!
Love, Butler.
Love your poem - do wish I had had time to join in - I might do so later in the week - better late than never eh?
really like your poem rachel, that book sounds like a precursor to fame, thanks for driving
Loved your poem!
And here, I've finally hopped on
http://domesticoubliette.blogspot.com/2010/09/bus-time.html
Whenever you can make it, Weaver. I'll be here. And if you don't do Anne of GG I'll cry!
Thanks to the rest of you. And yes, Niamh, I do sometimes wonder if we should blame 'Ballet Shoes' for X Factor etc.
x
Superb poem Rachel!
It's always a delight to read your poems :)
Mine is up here
http://myintuitivemind.blogspot.com/2010/09/animated-bus-ride.html
Thanks ET. Your comments are always a delight too!
x
I'm running late again. Mine's here. I'll be round to visit everybody as soon as poss.
Rachel, I think I read that boomas a kid and your poem does it great justice. I really like the light-on-its-feet language, especially the last lines.
Excellent typo. And thanks.
x
Heh! Meant book, of course. Note to self: read through before hitting 'post'. The recording of mine is up now in my widget on the right.
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