The Children's Carol

[AR15]

The episode The Children's Carol (at least I'm 90% sure it was called that) from season 6 was very hard for me to enjoy as an English person. The children don't sound English at all they sound like they're doing a silly australian accent and the words they use aren't what we would say either, for example the girl always puts "Mam." at the end of every sentance when talking to an adult yet this isn't what we do in England, At least it wasn't in the '30s it's more kind of a slang term from the 1890s. Also I don't think that the children would have been sent to America had there mother still been alive as she would definantly have been notified of there survival as they would have of hers. I found the episode very disappointed especially when compared to the double episode where Mary Ellen gives birth from not long before which was very good!

[kjohn]

I havent seen this episode, but Mam as aterm for mother was in daily use right uop to the 1960's in parts of the UK. Children from orpahanges (and you shoudl udnerstand being in an orphanage didnt mean both natural parents were dead, it was just as probable that they couldnt support a child. I personally know of many 'orphans' who'se parents weere still alive. As for being sent overseas, in these circumstances it was possible if the welfare of the child deemed it. All possible and happened.

[Deleted]

I was thinking that the children were sent to stay with The Baldwins because both parents were thought to be dead.

[AR15]

Sept 24, 2009 7:15:01 GMT -5 kjohn said:

I havent seen this episode, but Mam as aterm for mother was in daily use right uop to the 1960's in parts of the UK. Children from orpahanges (and you shoudl udnerstand being in an orphanage didnt mean both natural parents were dead, it was just as probable that they couldnt support a child. I personally know of many 'orphans' who'se parents weere still alive. As for being sent overseas, in these circumstances it was possible if the welfare of the child deemed it. All possible and happened.

I stand corrected heh.

[kazk]

Interesting that you say the young girl in particular has an Australian accent, because she is Australian. Sally Boyden, who played Tess, was a performer in a well known show at the time out here. She headed over to the US and this was one of the pieces she did. Sally lives in London now I think, and is a songwriter.

However, I do sympathise with your views on the English accents which really don't sound very authentic. It happens all the time when an Australian accent is asked for. It just doesn't sound natural!

Regarding your point about the children not being sent over to the US if a parent had been living, apparently lots of English children were evacuated to the US during the war, for their own safety. USA was a long way away from the war zones, and many mothers decided to evacuate their children, some very young too. Many things that happened back then, especially during the war years, are probably very difficult for us to understand today, but these things did happen.

[Deleted]

That I think is an appeal of The Waltons. Things were so different then, and we learn how folks lived. It was in many ways a simpler life, and as we look back from today we perhaps envy it. My own childhood was ina small village and, yep I miss that too.

[AR15]

Hmm well I fell educated about the matters of children during the second world war, however one think that made me laugh about the episode was the ending where the supposed future John-Boy says "It would be the last Christmas we spent together." even they he, Grandma and Curt where all away!