Follyfoot

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I don't know whether Follyfoot was ever repeated: for me it's a creature of the 1970s, which happened on weekend teatimes. I watched Follyfoot of course, because it had horses in it, but I never liked it, or the books, as much as Monica Dickens' World's End series.

It was the hopelessness of some of the story lines, I think, that got me. It depressed me, and I like a bit of fight with my stories. Dora in particular I found difficult, though I suppose the desperate fight the Farm had to stay afloat, and its awful cases were at least realistic.

When I was doing the Monica Dickens page for the website, I came across this site: whose owners obviously didn't suffer from my dislike! So, if you are at all interested in Follyfoot, this really is the site for you.

I always thought the World's End series would make a good television series. It was one of my absolute favourites as a child. I cherished my Piccolo paperbacks, and I still have them (have not yet managed to upgrade them to beautiful firsts). The difference between the two series for me was that however awful life at World's End got (and things did get extremely sticky at times) things usually worked out, even if it wasn't as you expected, or even wanted. I loved Carrie and Lester, and her horse John, and the way she would ride him amongst the stars at night. And I liked the cast of adult characters; more or less concerned, and the frightful aunt tiptoeing amongst the animals trying not to touch them.

Comments

haffyfan said…
I loved watching Follyfoot on Tv but find the books quite hard to get into for some reason. The website is ace, I came across it a while back when I was looking to buy the DVD's.
Have not read Worlds End yet so look forward to them on your recommendations...I loved the Messenger series about Rose, they had me hooked back in the Summer.
27 November 2007 at 18:57
Jane Badger said…
I haven't read the Messenger series, though I do in fact have the first one! Must add it to my vast, tottering, to-be-read pile....
28 November 2007 at 16:54
pullein-thompson-archive said…
I love Follyfoot - I have every single episode.

I actually belong to the Follyfoot forum on the website, though I post infrequently.

Follyfoot was repeated in the late 1980s, my mother tells me that I used to watch the episodes. But I dont remember watching them.

Ironically I remember watching a episode of Flambards (made by Yorkshire TV a couple of years later), even though I was younger when Flambards was repeated.
30 November 2007 at 21:02
Mutterings and Meanderings said…
Ah, I love the Follyfoot books - but unfortunately was just that bit too young to remember it on TV (although I have vivid memories of Black Beauty and The White Horses)
3 December 2007 at 21:41
Juliet said…
I adored Follyfoot and just recently came across my original Piccolo copies - what a Proustian moment that was. I was suddenly back there eating buttered crumpets in front of the telly, listening to that heavenly theme tune and eagerly awaiting my first glimpse of Steve (sigh . . .). Thanks for link to the Follyfoot website, now bookmarked!
29 April 2008 at 21:17
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