Teachers World Letters, Jan 1930 - July 1934

[Kate Mary]

I wonder if any of those fruit trees survive? It is possible as pear and apple trees are long lived. Modern fruit trees are usually grown as cordons or fans so there is no need to harvest them on a ladder, so I guess it's more likely they were grubbed up years ago unless one or two were kept for ornamental purposes. If any of Enid's readers had helped pick the fruit it's likely more apples &c would have ended up in the children than in the basket.

[Anita Bensoussane]

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It's interesting to hear about Enid Blyton's bird-table. Poor Bobs, wanting a dog-table! I hope his diet consisted of more than just the "dry biscuits and bones" he mentions. My mum used to work in a pet shop and she had some customers whose dogs got kidney disease from being fed almost solely on dry food.

[Kate Mary]

The garden at Old Thatch sounds lovely in autumn, Enid isn't known for her descriptive passages but she can write some lyrical prose when she wants to.(Check out the From My Window column for 31st October 1923, it's a good one on the subject of Autumn). I wonder if many schools put up bird tables as Enid suggests?

[Moonraker]

Enid isn't known for her descriptive passages

I loved her descriptive passages at the beginning of some of the FF books. In Five Go Off in a Caravan, I rather hoped they would never find the fair camp and just carry on exploring the countryside with no adventure! Now, there's a plot idea for one of our continuation writers...

[Courtenay]

Another lovely letter. I loved the description of Bobs running with the basket and breaking all the eggs, and also his campaign for a "dog table" (I hope he did get more to eat than "dry biscuits and bones" too! ). It was sweet to read of Gillian making friends with all the birds that came to the nursery window. Very cute poem as well.

I agree with Nigel, by the way — Enid does have lovely descriptive passages in many of her books, but just doesn't go on with them so long that they slow down the progress of the story.

[Carlotta King]

I hope his diet consisted of more than just the "dry biscuits and bones" he mentions. My mum used to work in a pet shop and she had some customers whose dogs got kidney disease from being fed almost solely on dry food.

Unfortunately some people seem to think its fine to feed their pet exclusively on dry food. Its so bad for them, it causes all kinds of health problems.
I often wonder if the pet owners ever stop to consider how their pet feels about eating the same dry food all day every day; probably not; most people probably just buy it for convenience without a thought as to whether the animal enjoys it or is getting poorly from it.
I know the pet food companies say its a complete food with all the nutrients etc, BUT ITS DRY!!! Who wants to eat dry food everyday all their life!
I won't even have dry food in the house!!!

[number 6]

Enid isn't known for her descriptive passages

I loved her descriptive passages at the beginning of some of the FF books. In Five Go Off in a Caravan, I rather hoped they would never find the fair camp and just carry on exploring the countryside with no adventure! Now, there's a plot idea for one of our continuation writers...

Oooh, yeah! I can relate to this post. For example, I love the description of Kirrin castle in five on a treasure island, with Jackdaws 'chacking' all around the ruined tower & the five holed up in the small room as a storm raged overhead. Not forgetting the moans & groans of the shipwreck as its being dragged from the seabed on to the rocks! My imagination ran riot as a child & I could almost put myself in the shoes of the five. Im sure every child felt this way at some point.

[Anita Bensoussane]

It is sad to think of pets being fed incorrectly, Cathy. Still, in Bobs' case I expect he had other food as well but was exaggerating in his letter because he wanted us to feel sorry for him!

I agree that Enid Blyton's descriptions are vivid, although often brief. The leisurely beginnings of books like Five Go Off in a Caravan and The Sea of Adventure appealed to me greatly as a child and, like Nigel, I was in no hurry for the golden days of dreamy drifting to be replaced by fast-paced scenes of action and danger. That's one reason I'm so fond of The Secret Island - the days of pastoral serenity go on and on.

[Kate Mary]

We have a peace play for Armistice Day this week but I prefer the poem The Daffodil Bulb.

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Enid has been busy in the garden (or her gardener has) and we learn about Patabang's kittens in their new home.

[Anita Bensoussane]

I find the "peace play" for Armistice Day ('Mister World and His Children') very interesting, though it's sad to think that another world war was to break out just seven years later.

'The Daffodil Bulb' is a charming poem - I love the image of the bulb
Sitting up merrily in your brown bed,
A little green nightcap perched on your head!

Had we heard the names of Patabang's kittens before - Patabo, Sime, Bunny and Gialong?

I soon got into a muddle trying to say Bobs' tongue-twister!

[Kate Mary]

Tony is ahead of himself this week and we have a very interesting column a day early, the Pollocks are having the builders in because they need more more space at Old Thatch. Enid says they could move to a bigger house but 'how in the world could I leave such a lovely place?' But move they did just six years later to Green Hedges. To save bother Bobs makes a very generous offer to accommodate Gillian Mary in his and Sandy's kennel.

I'm keeping up with the nature study course Round the Year with Enid Blyton, so I'm just off to read about the Cheeky House Sparrow.

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[Courtenay]

Another lovely pair of letters. I've been amazed myself at how many leaves there are all over the ground already — I'm still not quite used to autumn in a country with so many deciduous trees!! Love Enid's poem about the not-so-dead leaves.

Interesting to hear about the extension to Old Thatch. I suspect there'd be a heck of a lot more red tape to get through these days in gaining planning permission to build an extension onto a Tudor-era cottage, if indeed it was allowed at all!

[Moonraker]

I've been out with my leaf-sucker-upper a few times now! Lovely letters as usual.

[Anita Bensoussane]

Interesting to hear about the extension. I think many of us can sympathise with Enid when she writes:

"I have so many books, pictures and papers that I haven't nearly enough room for them all. They flood the chairs, tables, inglenooks, and even the floor - so I really must do something about it."

Once the extension was finished, Dick Hughes used the left-over bricks, wood, etc. to make a little play-house for Gillian which became known as "Dilly's Cottage".

[Moonraker]

"I have so many books, pictures and papers that I haven't nearly enough room for them all. They flood the chairs, tables, inglenooks, and even the floor...

I'm sure Tony has more!