Brownsea Island. The Whispering Island of Enid Blyton’s Famous Five books.

Land Ahoy

Hand reaches up to brow,

Eyes cast across the sea,

To a shoreline in the distance,

A glistening gem in the ocean.

For this delightful spot of Blighty;

A proud gatekeeper to the harbour,

Is its very own Treasure Island,

Awash with a colourful history.

It continues to shine,

This Whispering Island,

A never-ending story,

Written by those who set foot.

Creative journey

Finding new corners of this great country is something that never ceases to amaze me. And this project has unearthed one such discovery. Brownsea is situated on the Dorset coast, and is the largest of a cluster of islands situated within Poole Harbour. I have never been to Brownsea, although many holidays have been spent in Dorset. And The Famous Five series of books, inspired by the island, were never a part of my childhood. So for me this was a project with very little, if any, personal connections. But that said, and outside of the purposely restrictive sestude, I’ve now come to realise that my postcode, Brownsea Island BH13 7EE, is now on my bucket list. Least not because the thought of never meeting this British personality, this isolated character I’ve learnt so much about, is too much to bear – like a pen friend you never actually meet. And perhaps once I have set foot on the Whispering Island, I’ll write another 62 words, and see if they compare.