Enid Blyton’s book the Magic Faraway Tree has been rewritten by Jacqueline Wilson to airbrush alleged sexist elements and to make it supposedly fit for the 21st century but I’m forced to wonder, why on earth would you do a thing like that?
The book will still see Milo, Mia and Birdy head to the enchanted wood and meet Moon-Face, Silky the Fairy and the Saucepan Man although apparently it was previously updated in the 1990s to change the children’s names from Dick and Fanny to Rick and Frannie.
Now I rather doubt that Enid Blyton had thought of the innuendo of using Dick and Fanny as character names and I suspect they were used in complete innocence, indeed it wasn’t until years later that Johnny, the husband of the Famous TV chef Fanny Cradock uttered the immortal line, “may all your doughnuts turn out like fanny’s.”
Apparently in the new book comments from the magical creatures mentioning girls helping with domestic chores will see them educated on gender equality, along with new passages to stamp out children adventuring on their own without supervision and the writer has reportedly tried to make the parents similar to today’s, where they are anxious about what their youngsters are doing.
Has the world gone mad, if you wish to write a new book full of politically correct nonsense, then by all means do so but don’t change a perfectly decent and popular children’s classic, never forget the old adage, “if it ain’t broke, it don’t need fixing!”
I am a retired actor, although to be honest I only retired because I wasn't getting any work due to losing my agent when I became a full time carer to my mother who had dementia. and the option of becoming an unemployed actor/waiter at my age was ludicrous, especially as my waiting skills are non-existent.
Having said I’m retired, I don’t think there really is such a thing as a retired actor for I am still available for work, I just don’t have an agent or any connections with regards to obtaining any worthwhile work.
I have over the years done student films when there is nothing else available, always low paid (if at all) the only incentive was always the promised copy of the finished film for your show reel which nine times out of ten always failed to materialise.
I spent many years looking after my aged mother and shortly after her death I was lucky enough to run into an ex-girlfriend of many years ago and our romance blossomed once again, resulting in us getting married in 2013.
My move to the countryside inspired me to write The Diary of a Country Bumpkin which tells of my continuing dilemmas in dealing with the rigors of the countryside from the unexpectedly large number of pollens, fungal moulds and hay products waiting to attack the unsuspecting townie.
I enjoy writing, see my play Dulce Et Decorum Est Pro Patria Mori on The Wireless Theatre Company, The Plays Wot I Wrote and The Battle of Barking Creek both available on Amazon.co.uk and am very fond of classic cars so my ideal occupation would be acting in a film I had written set in the 1930s/40s, we live in hopes.
I am delighted to say that since venturing to the countryside where space is not quite the premium it is in town, I have due to the availability of two double garages acquired more classic cars to form a small collection the pride of which are a 1947 Bentley Mk VI and a 2000 Bentley Arnage.
My various blogs and websites are continually evolving and I’m sure that by following the appropriate links you will find something which will edify or amuse.
I have written a number of different books all available on Amazon, so don't be shy should you feel the urge to purchase. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Mr-Joe-Wells/e/B06XKWFQHT/ref=dp_byline_cont_book_1
My gast continues to be flabbered on a daily basis. If I were a swearing man I may be tempted to say what a load of ####******@@@@@@@s. And meanwhile children (and adults) are starving, disease goes untreated, whole ethnic groups are imprisoned or annihilated, and the obscenely rich offer platitudes.
Brilliant response! I am continually amazed by people who focus their outrage on the most myopic of topics when there are ACTUAL issues with which one might be concerned.
They have got there already with the film, The personal history of David Copperfield with Dev Patel playing the title character which seemed quite odd.
The Diary of a Country Bumpkin 
My gast continues to be flabbered on a daily basis. If I were a swearing man I may be tempted to say what a load of ####******@@@@@@@s. And meanwhile children (and adults) are starving, disease goes untreated, whole ethnic groups are imprisoned or annihilated, and the obscenely rich offer platitudes.
Brilliant response! I am continually amazed by people who focus their outrage on the most myopic of topics when there are ACTUAL issues with which one might be concerned.
Joe, can I repost this? It is symptomatic of a society in which the road to perdition has been paved with good intentions. Or something.
Yes you can repost.
I agree with Peter.
This is the same as the ridiculous attempt to rewrite history – what next… Charles Dickens?
They have got there already with the film, The personal history of David Copperfield with Dev Patel playing the title character which seemed quite odd.
Oh dear, I didn’t know that. What a misguided step to take.
Yep!