Teachers World Letters, Jan 1930 - July 1934

Discuss Blyton's magazines, short stories and poetry here.
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Moonraker
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Re: Enid Blyton's Weekly Letters in Teachers World

Post by Moonraker »

I always read that as Stella Artois....
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Re: Enid Blyton's Weekly Letters in Teachers World

Post by Daisy »

I can't think why. :wink:
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Re: Enid Blyton's Weekly Letters in Teachers World

Post by Moonraker »

I don't even like the stuff!
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Re: Enid Blyton's Weekly Letters in Teachers World

Post by Courtenay »

Moonraker wrote:I don't even like the stuff!
... and yet he still has it on the brain... :shock: :wink:

That was a lovely letter, and exciting to read about the start of Enid's voyage. Goes to show how much things have changed, though, that all the notices were in Norwegian - these days on an international cruise, regardless of the nationality of the ship, all notices would be in at least three languages, almost certainly including English! I'm staying the night in Aqaba in southern Jordan at the moment, and most important signs are in English as well as Arabic, especially in hotels.

I would expect that the "dog-doctor" was a vet who presumably provided boarding kennels as well, but yes, I too am wondering what happened to Patabang's kitten!! I hope to goodness she didn't lose it in the hole in the roof after all. :?
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It was a nuisance. An adventure was one thing - but an adventure without anything to eat was quite another thing. That wouldn't do at all. (The Valley of Adventure)
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Re: Enid Blyton's Weekly Letters in Teachers World

Post by sixret »

A letter for this week. The best so far.

http://www.enidblytonsociety.co.uk/blyt ... &perid=745" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
I stand with justice and the truth. Palestine will be free from the river to the sea.

Learn the history. Do research.

The hypocrisy, double standard, prejudice and bigotry own by some people is so obvious.Shame on them!
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Re: Enid Blyton's Weekly Letters in Teachers World

Post by Anita Bensoussane »

I agree that it's another riveting account of Enid's voyage, vividly recounted. I liked the sound of the bullock sleighs sliding along the cobbled streets of Madeira so I was pleased to see the photo. The youngsters of 1930 must have been thrilled by Enid's adventures.
"Heyho for a starry night and a heathery bed!" - Jack, The Secret Island.

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Re: Enid Blyton's Weekly Letters in Teachers World

Post by Poppy »

What an excellent letter, this week! I very much enjoyed reading about many aspects of Enid's holiday. Her car-driver sounds quite familiar! His driving sounds just like Mr Luffy's at the start of Five Go off to Camp! How awful though about the ill-treat animals in Lisbon and how there was no birds because they shot them to eat. Anyway, a thoroughly enjoyable and descriptive account!
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Re: Enid Blyton's Weekly Letters in Teachers World

Post by John Pickup »

I thought it was quite sad to read there are no birds in Lisbon because the locals ate them. And it was interesting to read about the bullock sleighs in Madeira. Enid certainly wouldn't have struggled with the different currencies if she had been travelling today, everything would have been priced in Euros.
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Re: Enid Blyton's Weekly Letters in Teachers World

Post by Moonraker »

I liked the "If I were rich..." comment!
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Re: Enid Blyton's Weekly Letters in Teachers World

Post by Kate Mary »

Forgot it was Wednesday today so am a bit late reading this week's letter. Beautiful descriptions of Enid's travels. Do they still have bullock sledges in Madeira? I know my parents had a ride in a sort of wicker toboggan with two men acting as the brakes when they visited Madeira in the 1970s but they made no mention of bullock carts.
"I love everything that's old: old friends, old times, old manners, old books, old wines." Oliver Goldsmith

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Re: Enid Blyton's Weekly Letters in Teachers World

Post by Courtenay »

What a wonderful letter, full of excitement and enjoyment and Enid's beautiful, evocative descriptions! I've never visited the places she mentions, so it's interesting to wonder how much may have changed since the 1930s. I've heard that killing and eating songbirds was a quite common practice in many parts of Europe right into the 20th century, though naturally it's banned in most countries now, thank goodness.

I hope Enid realised that eucalyptus is actually native to Australia, not to Madeira! :wink: I suppose it was (and probably still is) planted there as an ornamental tree as well as for its oil. I've just arrived back in England myself after nearly two weeks in Israel, and was stunned to see they have eucalyptus growing all over the country - I kept looking out the tour bus windows and feeling like the Aussie bushland had somehow sprung up in the Middle Eastern desert!! :shock:

Loved Enid's descriptions, too, of the native people and the wares they were selling, and the boys diving for coins. This must be one of the most exciting letters her young readers at the time ever received from her!
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It was a nuisance. An adventure was one thing - but an adventure without anything to eat was quite another thing. That wouldn't do at all. (The Valley of Adventure)
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Re: Enid Blyton's Weekly Letters in Teachers World

Post by Anita Bensoussane »

I've seen quite a lot of eucalyptus trees in Morocco too - they've gradually become established in a number of countries.
"Heyho for a starry night and a heathery bed!" - Jack, The Secret Island.

"There is no bond like the bond of having read and liked the same books."
- E. Nesbit, The Wonderful Garden.


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Re: Enid Blyton's Weekly Letters in Teachers World

Post by Kate Mary »

We have the final letter of Enid's voyage on Stella Polaris this week. Loved the vivid descriptions of bargaining with shopkeepers in the market in Morocco and drinking mint tea preparatory to making a purchase. Children must have been thrilled to know that the oranges that Enid saw in Seville where the same ones their mothers made marmalade with. I wonder if some of the things Enid bought on her trip are still owned by her family?

It's very nice to travel but it's nicer to get back home, so like Enid I am looking forward to getting back to Old Thatch and reading Bobs' letters again.
"I love everything that's old: old friends, old times, old manners, old books, old wines." Oliver Goldsmith

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Re: Enid Blyton's Weekly Letters in Teachers World

Post by Moonraker »

Yes, I too am looking forward to reading of the exploits at Old Thatch, and I also miss Bobs' letters. Haste ye back!
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Re: Enid Blyton's Weekly Letters in Teachers World

Post by Anita Bensoussane »

Another wonderful description of Enid's travels as you said, Kate Mary:

http://www.enidblytonsociety.co.uk/blyt ... &perid=746" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I too have haggled over goods in Morocco (silver teapots, decorated tea-glasses, ornate lanterns, pottery, wooden bowls and boxes, leather belts, embroidered robes, herbs and spices, pastries and fruit) and have drunk mint tea in shops hung with patterned rugs - though I was in Agadir and Marrakech rather than Casablanca and Rabat.
Kate Mary wrote:Children must have been thrilled to know that the oranges that Enid saw in Seville where the same ones their mothers made marmalade with.
Yes, I like the way Enid makes things very real for her child readers by connecting some of the things she sees to everyday activities back in Britain. She does a similar thing with the swallows in Casablanca and Seville, wondering whether any of them might have visited the garden of Old Thatch in the summer months.

I love the sound of the shop in Seville that has "eight thousand different shawls, some of them very, very old, and so beautifully embroidered with birds, butterflies and flowers that they really looked just as if they were painted pictures."
"Heyho for a starry night and a heathery bed!" - Jack, The Secret Island.

"There is no bond like the bond of having read and liked the same books."
- E. Nesbit, The Wonderful Garden.


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