Site Updates

Sunday, 15th August, 2010
I have added a review by Terry Gustafson of Rubbalong Tales. Although it might appear that nothing much has been added to the Cave recently, we are currently in the process of adding a new section and major work is going on behind the scenes. Keith has had to use dynamite to blast out a new cavern and I am currently 'decorating' it, but it will take several weeks to do so. More news later.

Thursday, 15th July, 2010
I have added about 50 reprint covers to the relevant sections in the Cave. A few more new Famous Five covers and a number of new editions from Award, who have issued updated covers for both the Riddle (Young Adventurers) Series and also the Family Series, which have now been issued as paperbacks.

Thursday, 10th June, 2010
I have gone back to another uncollected short story today, Nimble-Gnome and the Fairy Baby. It was published in September 1926 in Cassell's Children's Annual and illustrated by Frank Adams. I have also added the uncollected poem, Ten Little Brownie-Boys from the same annual which is illustrated by Frederick Parker. Older readers may feel that the poem reminds them of something else!

Wednesday, 9th June, 2010
I have now finished loading the remaining chapters of Let's Pretend, so the whole book is there for the one or two people who would like to read it. Phew!

Tuesday, 8th June, 2010
I have put in another four chapters of Let's Pretend, so we are now halfway through and I expect the smiles have gone off the faces of those using dial up! I have also added a review by Terry Gustafson of I'll Tell You a Story.

Monday, 7th June, 2010
No short story today as bit by bit I am putting in a whole book instead, just the first four chapters so far of Let's Pretend. It was published in October 1928 by Thomas Nelson and to the best of my knowledge was never reprinted. It is one of only two books that I know of, both written in the 1920s, that Enid Blyton wrote in the first person.

Sunday, 6th June, 2010
I have gone back to an annual for today's uncollected short story, Prince Furious and the Spanking Slippers. It was published in September 1932 in Cassell's Children's Annual 1933. I have also added the uncollected poem, Whoo-Hoo! from the same annual. The first story, The Mysterious Car can be found in Journal 37.

Saturday, 5th June, 2010
Today's uncollected short story is The House in the Tree which was published in October 1930 in Sunny Stories for Little Folks No. 103. Now that we have a torch in this dark corner of the Cave, I thought we would explore further. Enid used this same title for another completely different short story in September 1938 in Sunny Stories No. 90. This later story was used by Brockhampton in The Red-Spotted Handkerchief and Other Stories, which was published in 1948.

Friday, 4th June, 2010
The latest uncollected short story is The Disobedient Prince which was published in June 1929 in Sunny Stories for Little Folks No. 72. This is in a dark corner of the Cave where few feet have trod but I hope we will be able to open it up to more visitors

Thursday, 3rd June, 2010
A report of this year's Enid Blyton Day by Anita Bensoussane has been added to the relevant section of the website. I have also added another short story to the Cave, A Fright for Fatty. It was written in 1926 for Thomas Nelson for their 1927 edition of The Little Folks' Bumper Book, and they also used it in one or two other books of stories. Before Find-Outers fans get too excited I had better add that Fatty is a fox! I have also added another colour plate by Harry Rountree to The Adventures of Bob Bunny that was in the previous update. This is from a version of the story in another early Dean book.

Sunday, 30th May, 2010
I have added another short story to the Cave, The Adventures of Bob Bunny. It was written in 1922 for Dean & Sons for their book, Nursery Stories, and they also used it in one or two other books of the 1920s. The book was published in June, the same month as Child Whispers, so although she had had one or two earlier stories in Teachers World, this is possibly the first Enid Blyton story to be published in a book.

Friday, 28th May, 2010
I have added another short story to the Cave, The Christmas Bicycle. It was written in 1956 specially for Juvenile Productions for their book, The Christmas Book, and the story has never appeared elsewhere. I will be adding more of these uncollected short stories in the days to come.

Wednesday, 26th May, 2010
I have added the short story Pantomime Wolf to the Cave. It was written in 1943 specially for Hutchinson for their book, Junior Printer's Pie, but it is a fairly scarce book and the story has never appeared anywhere else. The book is also popular with Richmal Crompton fans as it has a short story by her, and although it is not a 'William' story it is illustrated by Thomas Henry. I have also added the ten Famous Five reprint covers that will be published in August.

Thursday, 29th April, 2010
I have added a review by Terry Gustafson of Enid Blyton's Happy Story Book.

Monday, 12th April, 2010
I have added a review by Terry Gustafson of The Teddy Bear's Party. I have also added some colour plates to the artwork.

Thursday, 1st April, 2010
I have added the complete booklet of The Child Who Was Chosen to the Cave. This is a scarce item and I felt that few people would have had a chance to see it. Equally scarce, at least in the UK, is the Australian Chuckler's Annual with the Find-Outers short story in it and I have added the illustrations for this. I couldn't resist also putting the title page of the annual as the illustration looks exactly like a character from another Blyton series!

Monday, 29th March, 2010
I have added a review by Terry Gustafson of The Surprising Caravan. I have also added some colour plates and the wraparound cover to the artwork.

Sunday, 14th March, 2010
I have added a review by Terry Gustafson of Enid Blyton's Treasury. I have also added twelve colour plates and the wraparound dustwrapper to the artwork.

Saturday, 27th February, 2010
I have added a review by Terry Gustafson of Tales of Robin Hood. I have also added the four colour plates from the 1st edition and the wraparound dustwrapper from the 1949 reprint, illustrated by Joyce A. Johnson, to the artwork.

Tuesday, 9th February, 2010
I have added a review by Terry Gustafson of The Enid Blyton Book of Fairies. I have also added the colour frontis from the 1st edition illustrated by Lola Onslow to the artwork.