Website Additions

[Katharine]

I'm a bit of a hypocrite over the covers. If I was shown the Dean covers for the Faraway Tree books, in theory I'd shudder and say 'too modern' - yuk, however they were the ones I grew up reading, I still have my copies, and I wouldn't part with them for anything.

[Rob Houghton]

I personally love the Dean covers - in my opinion there wasn't a bad one in any of the early Deans (not just Faraway Tree but all of the other titles too - especially Amelia Jane and The Three Golliwogs). I'm not like many EB fans who only like the original illustrators - I'm a massive fan of Rene Cloke, of Derek Lucas, and Georgina Hargreaves as well as quite a few others - anyone, in fact, who shows a flair and a genuine talent.

[Katharine]

I really like Rene Cloke, in fact I spotted a book cover by her in a shop just last week - it was beautiful and I 'knew' it was by her before I even saw the signature.

I really enjoyed Georgina's illustrations at the last Enid Blyton Day, but don't think I've got any books with hers in. I can't think what Derek Lucas illustrated.

[Moonraker]

I can't think what Derek Lucas illustrated.

Derek Lucas brought no finds in saerching the Cave - however Martin Lucas did.

[Katharine]

Thanks Nigel. I too had looked in The Cave, but didn't think to just look under 'Lucas'.

[Rob Houghton]

Derek Lucas illustrated the Secret Seven paperbacks in the 1960s amd 70's.

[Katharine]

Thanks Robert. I do actually like the 70s drawings for the SS, but couldn't stand the FF ones. I know they were by different people.

[Rob Houghton]

I agree. I dont mind Betty Maxeys covers for the Famous Five, but I'm not a fan of her internal illustrations, whereas I think Derek Lucas did a good job of illustrating the SS.

[Anita Bensoussane]

Terry Gustafson's reviews of Visitors in the Night and Fun with the Twins are detailed and entertaining as always. Reading about the story 'An Afternoon at Granny's', I was reminded that my sister and I quite often played at throwing a ball back and forth over the roof of our house - even if we were "mere girls"! We lived in a quiet cul-de-sac at the time so it didn't matter if the ball went into the road, as it generally did when we played that game! Our house was a bungalow so it wasn't such a challenge as throwing it over a house with an upstairs.

[Rob Houghton]

My friend Dawn and I used to play throwing a ball over the roof of our house also - and ours was a full sized house. More often than not it did go into the street, but as it wasn't a main road - and back in the 1970's only one out of three houses even owned a car - it was pretty safe!

[Poppy]

My brother and I used to do that at my Nana's house when we were younger, but with loose little apples that had fallen off the tree in her garden - ones that weren't very big so they couldn't have done much damage if they had hit a window! I didn't have the best aim and when my Nana's neighbour started complaining about all the apples that ended up in his garden, we had to stop!

[walter raleigh]

I never played that particular game as a child. Perhaps the fact that I lived in a large block of flats at the time had something to do with it...

[Tony Summerfield]

Stirred into action by Rob's recent thread on Will Nickless I have scanned and added the four colour plates from Mister Icy-Cold to the Cave. I don't know if this was adjusted on reprints, but on the 1st edition Will Nickless is not mentioned either in the book or on the dustwrapper.

http://www.enidblytonsociety.co.uk/book ... r+Icy-Cold" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I also added another review by the industrious Terry this morning, the link is on the updates page (which for those that have never used it can be found on the top of all pages on this website).

[Rob Houghton]

Stirred into action by Rob's recent thread on Will Nickless I have scanned and added the four colour plates from Mister Icy-Cold to the Cave. I don't know if this was adjusted on reprints, but on the 1st edition Will Nickless is not mentioned either in the book or on the dustwrapper.

It seems that maybe this was an oversight - as it was quickly corrected! I have the reprint - from November 1948 - just three months after the first edition, and his name is included on the title page.

[Anita Bensoussane]

Enchanting illustrations by Will Nickless for Mister Icy-Cold. I particularly like the tree, fairy and birds in the last picture.

Terry's reviews are always entertaining and informative, and the one for The Golliwog Grumbled is no exception. What a beautiful cover by Molly Brett, bright and expressive and conveying all the different textures of fabric used to make the toys.