Teachers World Letters, Jan 1930 - July 1934

[Rob Houghton]

Thanks for posting which one it was...now we can all 'crow' about knowing the answer before Courtenay, lol!

I worked it out straight away! C'mon, Courteny!!

[Daisy]

But we won't carry on 'raven' about it, will we Rob.

[Courtenay]

Ah, now I've got it. Obviously the clue was indeed a joke, as it's quite the opposite of what is usually said about the bird in question — that was what threw me off the trail for a while.

(I could also make the lame excuse that I didn't grow up in this country and birds that spring to mind immediately for British people don't necessarily do so for me... this one wasn't one that I would ever have thought of as a common garden sort of bird. But perhaps I'm just a bit slow today. )

[Daisy]

I must admit I am not sure I have ever seen one Courtenay!

[Rob Houghton]

I agree it's not exactly a common garden bird. I've also never seen one and I don't think I've heard one either!

[Courtenay]

I once heard something that might have been one, one summer evening in Salisbury a few years ago (outside the now-closed and much-missed YHA hostel). I just heard this beautiful, clear, remarkably varied birdsong — a sort I'd never heard before and never have since — come drifting down from a tree, and it just struck me: "I wonder, is that what Keats was on about...?" But I couldn't see the bird and haven't ever encountered it again, so I guess I'll never know for sure.

[Rob Houghton]

You can hear them in Berkeley Square apparently...

[Courtenay]

Sounding rather like this?

[Anita Bensoussane]

I enjoyed the bird puzzle. I've heard a "gleanithing" but not seen one.

I notice that Enid says "bee-orchis" and "slipper orchis". These days I've only ever heard them called "bee orchid" and "slipper orchid".

[floragord]

I enjoyed the bird puzzle. I've heard a "gleanithing" but not seen one.

It took a minute or 3 to work out the answer but I got there Like you Anita I heard the song - on Dartmoor, delightfully - but didn't see the songster.

[Moonraker]

I once heard something that might have been one, one summer evening in Salisbury a few years ago (outside the now-closed and much-missed YHA hostel). I just heard this beautiful, clear, remarkably varied birdsong...

It could have been Tony - singing in the bath!

[Daisy]

what a lovely idea Nigel!

[Courtenay]

Could have been... I miss the YHA Salisbury hostel — it was in such a good location, easy to reach from the town, and a nice place to stay, with car parking on site too (I drove there once). If only I'd known that the President of the EBS lived just next door, I might have called in, but I hadn't really noticed the address in the fine print on my Journals (I'd only recently become a member) and never put two and two together!

[Anita Bensoussane]

http://www.enidblytonsociety.co.uk/blyt ... &perid=986" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

A celebration this week... and a sad tale. Oh, and another mention of "Gillian's Daddy".

'The Little Owl' is a charming, comical poem which reminds me of A. A. Milne.

[John Pickup]

Time flies. It doesn't seem a year since we read about Gillian being born. Reading these letters shows us how much Enid loved nature and wildlife.