Books, Mud and Compost. And Horses.

Diana Pullein-Thompson, last of the Pullein-Thompson sisters, died this week*. Diana wrote the first pony book I ever read: Riding with the Lyntons. It was a distinctively mud-coloured book, with one of Mary Gernat's characteristically lively illustrations on the front. I had developed a passion for ponies at a young age, but hadn't realised there were books that were pony, pony, pony all the way. My early reading efforts were centred on Enid Blyton's Famous Five, Secret Seven and Adventure of.... series, and on Hugh Lofting's Dr Dolittle books. As I read my way obsessively through these, I somehow managed to miss the fact that pony books existed, until I found Riding with the Lyntons lurking, all alone amid the Famous Fives, in our local toy shop. My  pocket money stretched to this (the equivalent of 12 1/2 p today) and I took it straight home and read it right the way through. I was utterly entranced. Here was a girl who didn't have a pony (I didn't),...