40 I NOVEMBER 8, 2020 THE SUNDAY TIMES OF MALTA 1HE SUNDAY TIMES OF MALTA NOVEMBER 8, 2020 I 41 LIFEANDWELLBEING HISTORY buried at Mtarfa cemetecy died in 1967. Blyton herseU died emotionally immature, unsta­ MARY~_ a year later in a Hampstead lllll'S­ ble and often malicious figure. FACTBOX ATTARD ing home on November 28, 1968. Imogen considered her mother to Blyton had displayed a streak be "arrogant, insecure, preten­ was 100, tells the story of the start of her career, Freelance of bitterness over the break-up tious, very skilled at putting diffi­ On Enid Blyton her marriage and the relationship of her husband writer and with Pollock and forbade her two cult or unpleasant things out of her ../ with his ex-wife Enid S lyton. photographer daughters to get in touch with mind, and without a trace of ma­ • In a 1982 survey of ' • In addition to writing, Ida constructed model their father, and quickly offi­ ternal instinct. As a child, I viewed 10,000 11-year-old houses, usually scale miniatures of Georgian or cially changed their surnames her as a rather strict authority. As children, Enid Slyton Tudor buildings. She was also an oil painter, who from Pollock to Waters. an adult, I pitied her." However, was voted their most was selected for inclusion in a national exhibition "My father was an honourable She persuaded Pollock to take Blyton's eldest daughter Gillian re­ favourite writer. In in 2004, at the age of 96. man - not the flawed, inconse­ the blame for the break-up membered her rather differently, her 40-year career • Ida published 125 romance novels under her quential one which was the through infidelity so as not to as "a fair and loving mother, and she published more name and several different pseudonyms: Joan M. deliberate misconception per­ ruin her reputation. Reluc­ a fascinating companion". than 600 books for Allen; Susan Barrie, Pamela Kent, Averill petuated by Enid. (Blyton)" - tantly, he accepted, on condition Blyton herself went through a children. Ives, Anita Charles, Barbara Rowan, Jane Beau­ Rosemary Pollock, daughter of that he would be able to keep in rough childhood, having her • Enid Blyton is fort, Rose Burghley, Mary Whistler and Marguerite Ida and Hugh Pollock touch with his daughters who father abandoning the family the world's fourth Bell. She has sold millions of copies over her 90- Hugh Pollock died on Novem­ he kept supporting financially. when she was quite young. As most-translated au­ year career and has been referred to as the ber 8, 1971. He was the ex-hus­ But Blyton broke this promise she grew up, she escaped her thor, behind Agatha "world's oldest novelist", who was still active at band of Enid Blyton, the famous whom was Winston Churchill. At and forbade her daughters to pain of this loss through the Christie, Jules Verne One of The Famous Five 105 and continued writing until her death. On her children's writer. And his tomb­ the time, Newnes were doing ever get in touch with him fantasy world of writing. and William Shake- books 105th birthday, she was appointed honorary vice­ stone lies peacefully flat on the Churchill's The World Crisis. This · again, which is what happened. It is said she was allergic to re­ speare, having her president of the Romantic Novelists' Association, ground against a wall in the Edward Alistair, was born in required Pollock to $itChurchill Meanwhile, at Dorking, Pol­ ality and she projected an image books being translated into 90 languages. From having been one of its founding members. serene Mtarfa Military Ceme­ 1915 and died in 1969. Pollock's in Cbartwell to discuss World War lock had recruited a novelist to her readers of being a loving 2000 to 2010, Slyton was listed as a Top Ten tery. It reads: "Hugh Alexander marriage to Marion ended when I. However, this proved too JJ.lUCh with the name of Ida Crowe to mother with a healthy family life author, selling almost eight million copies (worth Pollock, D.S.O., Lieut. Col. Royal she left for another man during for Pollock and the recollections his staff, with whom he ended of two obedient daughters and a £31.2 million) in the UK alone. Scots Fusiliers (29-7-88 - 6-11- the Great War. of the war triggered a nervous up having an affair, once he loving dog. In reality, she was • To date, she has sold more than 600 million 71), Beloved husband of Ida." Pollock had joined the Royal breakdown on him. Though he found himself free to do so. nothing of the sort and concen­ books and still sells about eight million copies After learning of the interest­ Scots Fusiliers during World continued to work, he started to They had first met in 1939. At trated on meeting her young · a year. ing connection with Blyton, I got War I and served with them at withdraw from public and family the time, Crowe was 21 while readers and organising reading • Along the years there were accusations of intrigued to dig some more on Gallipoli, Palestine and France. life and became a heavy and Pollock was 50. He married her parties for them to increase her racism, xenophobia and sexism in Blyton's books how is it that her husband He was awarded the DSO. When secret drinker. in London in October 1943, just popularity while her own two and a few libraries even banned them. ended up in Malta - and with an­ the war ended, he served with We know from his younger six days after the marriage of children were kept out of the way • Many of Blyton's books were adapted for other woman! This opened up a the Burma Rifles in India, daughter that when in 1938 the Blyton and Waters took place. and tended to by their nannies. stage, television and film, and even games and can of worms... a whole saga was Burma and Mesopotamia (mod­ family bought anew house at Bea­ After this, Pollock's where­ It also transpired through puzzles. unravelled and while peeling ern Iraq) after transferring to consfield, 25 miles from London, abouts could not be easily Crowe's memoirs that Blyton • A society was set up on everything connected more and more of it, I found my­ the Indian Army. Pollock seemed more depressed traced. But his daughter Gillian, often organised tennis parties at with Enid Blyton for all her followers. Its website self with quite a story that will Having lost his wife to another than enthused about the change. in an interview she gave to the her home where everyone ended is www.enidblytonsociety.co.uk. be of interest to most baby man during this period, Pollock Bradford Telegraph and Argus up playing naked and sharing in Two of Ida Pollock's books boomers who were weaned on wished to make a new career "Blyton has emerged in May 1999, implied that Ida erotic fun. This was a common Blyton's books. away from Ayr. So he joined as an emotionally and Pollock had travelled practice in those days among the Who was not captivated in his Newnes publishing house in Lon­ widely, and in their later life more daring members of. the On Hugh Pollock teens on her adventures of The don in the book department as immature, unstable lived in Malta where he died, middle classes. Famous Five, The Secret Seven an editor. At that time Newnes probably in 1971. They had a Various writings also revealed • Hugh Pollock was married three times and had and the Noddy books! were Blyton's publishers. and often malicious daughter, Rosemary. that Blyton had lesbian tenden­ five children in all. The first wife was Marion Atkin­ In her 40-year career, Blyton In Barbara Stoney's biography figure" It transpired that he did in­ cies and had an affair with one son (m. 1913; div. 1924); his second was Enid Bly­ (1897-1968) published over 600 of Blyton we read a description deed die on November 8, 1971, at of her children's nannies. In her ton (m. 1924; div. 1943) and his third, Ida Crowe children's and juvenile books. of the debonair Scot as a "hand­ But when in 1939 war broke the David Bruce Royal Naval mid-60s, she started to develop (m. 1943 t ill Hugh's death in 1971). 'She was a phenomenon and was some, fair-haired man with out, Pollock joined the Home Hospital in Mtarfa (which later Alzheimer's and died on Novem­ • The location of Hugh Alexander Pollock's instrumental in encouraging striking blue eyes... was in his Guard. Here he was finding life was turned into a boy's second­ ber 28, 1968, aged 71 - three tombstone at Mtarfa Military Cemetery is Plot 3, children to read. Her books have middle-30s," and as possessing a purposeful again and the follow­ ary school and is currently un­ months after being moved to a row 3, no. 14-26. sold 400 million copies world­ "glamorous background ... air of ing year was appointed com­ occupied). He was buried in the nursing home - and a year after wide and were translated into quiet authority and sophisti­ .mander of the War Office nearby picturesque Mtarfa Mili­ her husband's death. Enid Blyton and her daughters nearly 70 languages. And are cated manner" which "charmed School for Instructors of the tary Cemetery. He was 83. As for Pollock, after going still selling... the 26-year-old, emotionally Home Guard at Dorking. Ida lived to be 105 and was through the traumas of two But what about Pollock? very immature Enid from the This post kept him away from quite a prolific writer herself. wars and three marriages, and Pollock was born on July 29, start, while her childlike naivety home for long stretches and war When she was 100 she published helping to launch the career of 1888, at Garfield Villa, Hawkhill, and zest for life drew the war­ service was once again to her memoirs, Starlight, recount­ one of Britain's most popular (now 27, Hawkhill Avenue) in the weary ex-soldier to her from the blame for the break-up of his ing how her husband Pollock writers, he found peace in his town of Ayr in Scotland. He was first meeting". Second marriage. was unfairly treated by Blyton. final resting place in Malta. educated at Ayr Aca~emy and The first mention of Pollock Blyton and Pollock were mar­ He was driven to bankruptcy joined his father's bookselling · in Blyton's diary was on January ried for 19 years but as her ca­ when the publishing house he and publishing business. For al­ 10, 1924. The relationship devel­ reer took off in the 1930s, and Blyton were in preferred to Acknowlegements Enid Blyton at work most a century the business of oped and they married in Au­ Pollock grew depressed and keep her and get rid of him, as The following were used as Stephen & Pollock, Booksellers gust 1924 in Bromley, Kent. He took to nightly drinking sessions she was a better financial asset. sources of information for this at 37, Sandgate, at the corner was to be her first husband. At in the cellar while she managed Pollock was inst.twnental in article: A Childhood at Green On Ida Pollock with Newmarket Street, was one first the union was successful to fit affairs in between writing. getting Blyton's writings off the Hedges by Imogen Smallwood • Ida Pollock, herself a of the most popular shops in Ayr. and they had two daughters, Blyton and Pollock divorced ground, beiJ1g in the publishing (one of Blyton's daughters); Bar­ prolific writer, lived to be In 1913, at the Hotel Dalblair, Imogen and Gillian. · in 1942, and the following year business, but after the divorce she bara Stoney's Enid Blyton: The 105. She was born on he married Marion, the Meanwhile, Blyton's writing she married a middle-aged tried to ruin him as best she could. Biography, London; Starlight - a April 12, 1908 and d ied youngest daughter of William continued to gain popularity surgeon, Kenneth Darrell Wa­ Since Blyton's death and the memoir by Ida Pollock; 'Hugh on December 3, 2013. Atkinson, a farmer. They had while Pollock continued with his ters. Waters was genuinely publication of her daughter Pollock: The First Mr Enid Bly­ • Her memoirs, Starlight, two sons. The eldest, William career at Newnes. By 1933 he was interested in her work and Imogen's 1989 autobiography, A ton', by Rob Close, in Ayrshire published in 2009 when she Cecil Alexander, died after two responsible for a number of shared many interests together, Childhood at Green Hedges, Notes 21, Autumn 2001; and Ida in her 90s David Bruce Hospital, Mtarfa, later a boys' secondary school. years in 1916. The younge1~ Newnes' notable authors, one of including gardening. Waters Blyton has emerged as an www.enidblytonsociety.co.uk.