The Enid Blyton Society

I thought I would just put a little reminder that at the top of every page we have a link to Site Updates. I had got a bit slack on this over the past year as I wondered if anybody ever looked at this. Over the past two or three weeks I have added a number of items which haven't produced a single comment, so this has rather confirmed what I thought! I am posting here today as I have just added what is going to become a new monthly feature. If you want the link to this you need to go to the top of the page and click on the link to site updates.

The new monthly feature is a nice idea. Interesting reading this month and something which I didn't know, that William Willett's idea was to put clocks forward, giving us the daylight savings.

I have to confess I do check to see if there are any updates, but don't always comment, after I've gone through them!

I always glance at the top of the page to see if there have been any updates, but am usually too lazy to comment. I like the seasonal notes idea though, there is so much material in the Cave that it is easy to miss things. And Good Friday this year falls on the 29th as it did in 1929. Nice touch to choose that column, thank you Tony.

Kate

Hi,
I do look at the updates on the site, as I go through the society to get onto the forums and it is the option right next to the 'forums' one between the links at the top of the page. I am always curious to have a look at any added feature to the society! I, as Julie said don't comment either, which I am rather ashamed of, because there is such a lot of work gone into them. I will comment now though, and say what a fine bunch of things are up there!

I don’t go into the cave all that often, maybe not as often as I could, but I use it for reference. There’s an amazing collection of things there. I have been reading some of the teacher’s world articles.
That's an interesting piece on the month.

Kate Mary wrote:And Good Friday this year falls on the 29th as it did in 1929.

It also fell on that day in 2002.

The 'Seasonal Notes for March', Teachers World 1929, are full of the sort of information which used to intrigue me as a child. I like the way Enid Blyton incorporates nature notes, facts, folklore, legend, poetry, religious references and biography. Such a rich tapestry, awakening wonder and inspiring young readers to find out more for themselves. Her nature writing contains some lovely poetic touches - "The gorse will begin to light its little golden lamps".

Like Julie, I learnt a few things. I already knew that March got its name from Mars, the Roman god of war who rode in a chariot, but I didn't know his horses were called Terror and Flight. Neither did I know that William Willett was responsible for Daylight Saving.

Reading the poem beginning "Oh, what a dawn of day!" I thought, "Hmm - not one of Enid's best." Then I saw that it was by Robert Browning!

The redone book covers are a joy to behold, with the colours of the first edition of The Enchanted Wood looking particularly vibrant, and Terry Gustafson's latest reviews are enjoyable as always.

Just a quick reminder as we enter a new month, that you will find on the site updates page that I have added the Seasonal notes for April.

Thanks, Tony. Most interesting too.

It's interesting to note that the clocks weren't altered until April 21st in 1929. I wonder when the date was put back to the end of March.

I was quite surprised to read that too, Daisy. I wonder why it was so late, or do we put the clocks forward too soon!

I like the bit about April saying that winter is over. It doesn't seem like it down here in Cornwall!!! And those migrating birds, I wonder if they've come over yet, or thought no, I'll stay put for a while, Britain is far too cold at the moment.

Alas, Summer Time is just about to end out here in New Zealand......

'Aurélien Arkadiusz'

I really enjoyed reading that, thanks for sharing it with us Tony.

I've just read the 'Seasonal Notes for April', Teachers World 1929, and once again I particularly enjoyed the literary references and learnt a few things. I hadn't known that April takes its name from the Latin word "aperire", meaning "to open".

Interesting that April Fool's Day fell on Easter Monday in 1929, as it does this year.

Enid Blyton talks of Primrose Day being celebrated on April 19th, "when many people wear a buttonhole of primroses". I can't say I've heard of anyone celebrating that!

Enid writes, "You are sure to go cow-slipping", which I assume means gathering cowslips. Picking flowers from the wild would not be encouraged these days.

I find it fascinating that the 'Seasonal Notes' are teaching us so much about the past.

Looking at the 'Seasonal Notes for May', Teachers World 1929, I hadn't heard before that "Robin Hood died on the first of May". According to what source, I wonder? I hadn't thought that anything as specific as that was known about Robin Hood.

I added another five reprints to Five on a Treasure Island today and as we have now reached 31 books I hope I have found everything - until someone tells me that I have left something out!! I have only included books that have just this one story, so before someone tells me that I haven't included the Heron edition - each of those has two books in it. For anyone who feels short-changed I have put it here instead!