Gillian Baverstock: Difference between revisions
No edit summary |
|||
| Line 41: | Line 41: | ||
Gillian Mary Pollock was born on 15 July 1931 in [[Buckinghamshire]], [[England]], she was the elder daughter of Enid Mary Blyton (1897-1968), the famous children's novelist, and her first husband the Major Hugh Alexander Pollock (1888-1971), a war veteran. On 27 October 1935, her younger sister [[Imogen Mary Smallwood]] was born. When she was 12 and her sister 8, their parents divorced. Her mother remarried the surgeon [[Kenneth Fraser Darrell Waters]] (1892-1967), and her father married the writer [[Ida Crowe]], with whom he had a daughter, [[Rosemary Pollock]]. After the divorce and the new marriages, her mother decided that the best thing for her daughters, was not to have contact with their father, whom they had not seen much during the war. Her mother even changed her daughters' surname to Darrell Waters. Years later Gillian tried to contact her father, whom she was never to see again, but she did start a relationship with her half-sister, the writer [[Rosemary Pollock]]. |
Gillian Mary Pollock was born on 15 July 1931 in [[Buckinghamshire]], [[England]], she was the elder daughter of Enid Mary Blyton (1897-1968), the famous children's novelist, and her first husband the Major Hugh Alexander Pollock (1888-1971), a war veteran. On 27 October 1935, her younger sister [[Imogen Mary Smallwood]] was born. When she was 12 and her sister 8, their parents divorced. Her mother remarried the surgeon [[Kenneth Fraser Darrell Waters]] (1892-1967), and her father married the writer [[Ida Crowe]], with whom he had a daughter, [[Rosemary Pollock]]. After the divorce and the new marriages, her mother decided that the best thing for her daughters, was not to have contact with their father, whom they had not seen much during the war. Her mother even changed her daughters' surname to Darrell Waters. Years later Gillian tried to contact her father, whom she was never to see again, but she did start a relationship with her half-sister, the writer [[Rosemary Pollock]]. |
||
In 1957, Gillian married [[Donald Baverstock]], a [[BBC]] producer and executive, at [[St James's Church, Piccadilly]]; they had four children: Glyn (b. 1961, d. 1983), Sian (b. 1962, d. 2006), Sara, and Owain. As a widow, she lived in [[Ilkley]], [[England]]; she was survived by two of her four children |
In 1957, Gillian married [[Donald Baverstock]], a [[BBC]] producer and executive, at [[St James's Church, Piccadilly]]; they had four children: Glyn (b. 1961, d. 1983), Sian (b. 1962, d. 2006), Sara, and Owain. As a widow, she lived in [[Ilkley]], [[England]]; she was survived by two of her four children and 5 grandchildren; Glyn, Dominic, Zoe, Alec and Georgina |
||
===First jobs=== |
===First jobs=== |
||
Revision as of 13:40, 11 October 2009
Gillian Mary Darrell Waters Baverstock | |
|---|---|
| Pen name | Gillian Baverstock |
| Occupation | Writer |
| Nationality | British |
| Spouse | Donald Baverstock |
| Children | 4 |
| Relatives | Enid Blyton (mother), Hugh Pollock (father), Imogen Mary Smallwood (sister), Rosemary Pollock (half-sister) |
Gillian Baverstock, née Gillian Mary Pollock (15 July 1931, Buckinghamshire, England – 24 June 2007, Yorkshire, England) was a British author and elder daughter of English novelist Enid Blyton and her first husband, Hugh Pollock. She wrote and spoke to audiences and the media extensively about her mother as well as her own childhood and life.
Biography
Personal life
Gillian Mary Pollock was born on 15 July 1931 in Buckinghamshire, England, she was the elder daughter of Enid Mary Blyton (1897-1968), the famous children's novelist, and her first husband the Major Hugh Alexander Pollock (1888-1971), a war veteran. On 27 October 1935, her younger sister Imogen Mary Smallwood was born. When she was 12 and her sister 8, their parents divorced. Her mother remarried the surgeon Kenneth Fraser Darrell Waters (1892-1967), and her father married the writer Ida Crowe, with whom he had a daughter, Rosemary Pollock. After the divorce and the new marriages, her mother decided that the best thing for her daughters, was not to have contact with their father, whom they had not seen much during the war. Her mother even changed her daughters' surname to Darrell Waters. Years later Gillian tried to contact her father, whom she was never to see again, but she did start a relationship with her half-sister, the writer Rosemary Pollock.
In 1957, Gillian married Donald Baverstock, a BBC producer and executive, at St James's Church, Piccadilly; they had four children: Glyn (b. 1961, d. 1983), Sian (b. 1962, d. 2006), Sara, and Owain. As a widow, she lived in Ilkley, England; she was survived by two of her four children and 5 grandchildren; Glyn, Dominic, Zoe, Alec and Georgina
First jobs
Baverstock worked as a primary school teacher at Moorfield School, Ilkley, and wrote and spoke to audiences and the media extensively about her mother as well as her own childhood and life. She was estranged from her younger sister, Imogen Smallwood.
Quill Publications, Ltd.
In 1999, Baverstock founded Quill Publications Ltd., with comic writer Tim Quinn, to produce twelve editions of the children's comic book Blue Moon. She wrote a series of stories which were based on popular fairy tales like Sleeping Beauty and Little Red Riding Hood. The comic is no longer in production.
In 2005, Baverstock defended her mother's book The Mystery That Never Was after claims that it contained racist overtones[1].
Appearances
- The Edinburgh Book Festival, Growing Up with Enid Blyton, 26 August 2006.[2]
- Oxford Literary Festival, Enid Blyton, 25 March 2007.[3]
Bibliography
- Enid Blyton (Tell Me About S.) (Evans Brothers, 1997) ISBN 0237517515
- Memories of Enid Blyton (Telling Tales S.) (Mammoth, 2000) ISBN 0749742755
References and notes
- ^ Publisher rejected Blyton tale for being 'xenophobic' by Chris Hastings (Arts Correspondent) in the Daily Telegraph, 19 November, 2005 (accessed 25 August 2007)
- ^ "Growing Up with Enid Blyton", Audio recording and transcript (Accessed 20 May 2009)
- ^ Oxford Literary Festival 2007 (Accessed 10 May 2007) A critical response to her appearance is at http://www.dailyinfo.co.uk/reviews/feature/1765/Sunday-Times-Oxford-Literary-Fest