Enid Blyton's St Clare's - would anyone like to critique a childhood 'hidden plot' theory?

[ScreamingValenta]

I don't know why I was reminded of this, but I'd be interested to know if anyone thinks it's plausible.

I was fascinated as a child, when Galliano's Circus made a brief appearance in the first book of the St Clare's series. I spun a theory that Lotta from the circus was the same person as Carlotta who joined St Clare's in the summer term following that book.

The reasons supporting this are:

Lotta, in the Galliano books, calls her parents Lal and Laddo by their first names - might this mean they were not her birth parents, but merely looking after her?

Carlotta describes her father as having been unable to find her for a long period after her mother died - someone in the circus must have been looking after her.

Both Carlotta and Lotta have a talent for horse-riding and gymnastics.

They both have wild, dark hair.

'Crossovers' in EB are quite rare - the only other one I can think of is when the twins from House at the Corner want to go to Whytleafe School (The Naughtiest Girl's school). Incidentally, I would love to know of any other crossovers people have spotted. I thought at the time it must be significant for Galliano's Circus to have appeared in the St Clare's series.

Quite flimsy, I know, but I liked to believe it as a child!

Does anyone else have an opinion? (Fully prepared for this to be a thread to which no one responds )

I loved the circus books! I would love it if your theory is true, I think realistically it was just EB's mind putting a particular style of character into more than one series but it would be nice if it were intentional.

I can't think of any other crossovers, o would have loved to have seen more, can you image Anne or George or Jo turning up at Malory Towers?! That would have made an interesting read!

That would have been brilliant! George would have got on well with Bill at MT, I should think - although perhaps they would have been too alike, considering Bill chummed up with the not-very-boyish Clarissa.

I always wanted Malory Towers to play St Clares at lacrosse. Speaking of similar characters, I think Isabel O'Sullivan and Felicity Rivers are incredibly alike, even down to having the same weak ankles.

I think EB had an idea of what "circus folk" look like, behave like and speak like. They often have outlandish names (eg Lal, Laddo, Nobby) and are ALWAYS dirty and not quite honest, similarly foreigners, the working class and gypsies.

I like your theory, I'm not convinced though.

Having said that, there was a chapter in St Clares when some of the girls sneaked out to see Galliano's circus and met Jimmy and Sammy the chimp.

I’m impressed by how much detail you can remember! I’ve read all those books as I loved Enid Blyton as a child, and whilst the names are familiar, I can’t remember much about them!

Yes, EB was certainly fond of stereotyping.

I read that the Galliano books were originally written as an adult novel, which was rejected - so EB re-wrote them for children. I would absolutely love to read the adult version. It's true that they feature many more adult characters than her other books - Jimmy and Lotta are the only child characters to feature throughout the series, with just one other boy in the second book and a pair of sisters in the third one, IIRC.

Yolandi Yes, that was the bit I was thinking of - the first form are banned from going to the circus because Miss Roberts thinks one of them has broken a window. The twins, plus Janet and Kathleen sneak out anyway. Then it's discovered it wasn't a first former who broke the window, and the class get to go after all, with a slap up tea into the bargain. The girls who sneaked off had already decided they would have to make excuses, so as not to get the treat twice, but in the event came down with heavy colds due to being out at night. Kathleen nearly gives the game away by talking to Miss Roberts about Sammy's antics!