Anyone else love Thursday's Child by Noel Straetfield as a child?

[ridingsixwhitehorses]

Was telling a friend abut how much I loved it. Wonder if it would bear up to reading as an adult.

[NannyR]

I've not read Thursdays child but Ballet Shoes is my comfort read, the book I read when I just want to sink into something familiar that doesn't need much concentration. I've reread it dozens of times since I was a child and still enjoy it each time.

[AngelBlue12]

I adore Noel Streatfield

[MrsJoeyMaynard]

Was that the one where (3?) children run away from a horrible orphanage and end up travelling on a barge? I'm sure I read it but I can't remember it very well.

I think White Boots and The Circus is Coming were my favourite Noel Streatfield books.

[ComeLuckyApril]

Yes, and I found as an adult that there is a sequel, Far To Go.

[CMOTDibbler]

Now I'll have to go and read it! I love Noel Streatfield

[Witchend]

I loved that and Far to Go.

In fact me and dsis wrote a play for it which we acted out with our dolls.

It's one of those that you feel there were more stories to be got out of Margaret Thursday (although probably not with matron)

[ShiroiKoibito]

oh i loved it - (trawling my memory) they went under bridges with the barge, and 'walked it through' by lying down on the boat, pushing against the inside of the bridge with their feet

was it Maggie? the oldest girl, and i think she walked sometimes with her boots tied together over her neck, just hanging?

[ridingsixwhitehorses]

Oh I did not know about Far to go. I am going to buy both now second hand on Amazon for dd for me even though we're a long way off chapter books.
Also lived ballet shoes and white boots.
And The Little Gymnast by Sheila Haigh

[lalalonglegs]

Oooh yes, I remember the walking the barges through and the big old horse that pulled the barge along the tow path. I thought Margaret was super, so feisty and determined so I found the other Noel Streatfeild books desperately disappointing after Thursday's Child and Far to Go, especially the ghastly Gemma books.

[LaurieMarlow]

I loved it. But my full name is Margaret and I was born on a Thursday, so it was like it was written for me.

I'm a total Noel streatfield junkie anyhow. But that one was special.

[morningtoncrescent62]

Yes, I loved it. There was also a children's TV dramatisation back in the 70s which I remember eagerly waiting for each week. I've re-read it as an adult, and yes, I do think it stands up to re-reading, like many of NS's books. There are some bits of silliness in the plot (too many co-incidences) which grate on an adult re-read, but lots of lovely period detail about life on the barges and in theatrical circles.

[SaltyGoodness]

Oh my goodness loved them all! Am collecting them all for DD to hopefully read one day.

I re-read Ballet Shoes not long ago, and loved how the Fossil children have stuck with me over the years, the commonsense no-fussing parenting, the seriousness with which Streatfeild treats children's little concerns, the ability of the children to internalise very grown-up concerns about family finances etc...

[Pamaga]

She was my favourite author. I loved Ballet Shoes, Wintle's Wonders, the Painted Garden, Party Frock, the Circus is Coming. I strongly identified with some of her sheroes because they had thoughts and feelings similar to my own while growing up. I loved the showbiz, stage school settings of many. The Circus is Coming improved my geography because i used an atlas to trace the journey across country made by the circus.

[CrowyMcCrowFace]

Gosh yes, loved it.

(& hello Laurie to a fellow Forest-er too!).

[eddiemairswife]

I loved reading her books, and I remember listening one of them serialised in 'Children's Hour' on the wireless(!!). It was about an impoverished vicar's family, but I can't remember the title.

[stealthsquiggle]

I loved her books, and now DD does.

...and apparently so does Jacqueline Wilson - according to the latest magazine which DD managed to persuade me to buy. There is even a competition where the prize is a bundle of NS books, which DD very nobly decided not to enter since she already has all but one of them

..off to order Thursdays Child as I am pretty sure we don't have that one yet.

[stealthsquiggle]

OMG the edition of Thursday's Child I had is now £247+ on Amazon

..I must press my parents harder about the whereabouts of my books.

[ApocalypseSlough]

lala ghastly Gemma. If I recall correctly there was a strong whiff of 'now what do the young 'uns like nowadays' about that one- lots of clunky 'with it' references.
She was most comfortable writing about posh families with servants.
eddiemairswife A Vicarage Childhood, I think- autobiographical.
She was utterly magical- I really regret never writing and telling her so, I'm sure she got lots of fan letters but I was shocked when she died as I'd always assumed she was long gone.

[stealthsquiggle]

Apocalypse - I did meet her, and shattered lots of childhood illusions in the process. She was a very grumpy elderly lady who had clearly been pressured into meeting fans/signing books but was not at all happy about it.

Good point, actually. At least one of my yet-to-be-found childhood copies of these books is signed....

[SorrelForbes]

A NS thread?!

I love Thursday's Child and enjoyed Far To Go but it's not quite as good, IMHO.

[ApocalypseSlough]

Stealth aha, I don't think she had children did she? Jacqueline Wilson seems genuinely interested in them, Blyton favoured fans over her real ones...
I loved The Painted Garden- I think she'd been to Hollywood, and it's a real American period piece.

[morningtoncrescent62]

I re-read Ballet Shoes not long ago, and loved how the Fossil children have stuck with me over the years

Have you read her original book, The Wicharts which is the more - ahem - adult version? It's a wonderful companion to Ballet Shoes I think, and adds to it rather than detracts from it. The three girls are daughters of successive mistresses rather than being mysteriously found on expeditions, and the theatrical detail is even more wonderful.

[ElinoristhenewEnid]

my first Noel Streatfield book was 'The House in Cornwall' - it was a green dragon Armada book - considered grown up for children aged 12 years or older. I still have my copy - it is relatively rare now. Great story!

Thursday's child is great as well and I have the dvd of the 1970s TV series.

[ridingsixwhitehorses]

I am going to seek out that DVD!

I adore ballet shoes too. Reread it as an adult and still wonderful.

Wanted to call ds Horatio after boy in Thursday's Child (loved nickname Horry) but dh vetoed. Probably for best. Can see Horry becomes Horrid or Horny quite easily!

[ElinoristhenewEnid]

Riding - here is the link to amazon - it is made in Germany but you have the option of the original soundtrack or the dubbed german soundtrack.

www.amazon.co.uk/Margreth-Thursday-Das-Mädchen-das/dp/B00B3RN0Z6?tag=mumsnet&ascsubtag=mnforum-21

Come Back Lucy another of my favourite 70s children's series has a similar DVD