Teachers World Letters, Jan 1930 - July 1934

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

Post by Kate Mary »

It is a charming poem as Anita said and I agree it does have a hint of A A Milne. I wonder if Gillian ever read these TW letters? They provide a fascinating glimpse of her early childhood and of life at Old Thatch, her first home.
"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 »

I agree, that poem is a lot like A.A. Milne! :lol: I wonder how familiar Enid was with his works — do we know? His poems and Winnie-the-Pooh stories were first published in the 1920s, of course, right when Enid was just beginning her own literary career. Did they ever have any contact with each other, or comment (favourably or negatively) on one another?
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Rob Houghton
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Re: Enid Blyton's Weekly Letters in Teachers World

Post by Rob Houghton »

I often think Enid's early style must certainly have been influenced by AA Milne - or perhaps the fashion of the day was for poems in that kind of style. In the book 'Silver and Gold' Enid gives us many similar poems, which are very much like AA Milne in style, for example -

'When fog comes creeping, sweeping down,
And hides the roofs of London town,
From Kensington to Bow,
There's not a person anywhere
Can tell me why the fog is there,
Nor where the fog will go!"


or -

"when I've built a little house upon the nursery floor,
And left some tiny windows and a proper little door -
Then certain sure as anything, Nurse always comes to say:
;It's nearly time for tea, my dear, so put your bricks away.' "

etc. :-D
'Oh voice of Spring of Youth
hearts mad delight,
Sing on, sing on, and when the sun is gone
I'll warm me with your echoes
through the night.'

(E. Blyton, Sunday Times, 1951)



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Kate Mary
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Re: Enid Blyton's Weekly Letters in Teachers World

Post by Kate Mary »

Enid interviewed A A Milne for the TW, it appeared in the issue dated 1st October 1926. He presented her with an advance copy of his latest book Winnie-the-Pooh. Enid herself is interviewed in the same issue.
"I love everything that's old: old friends, old times, old manners, old books, old wines." Oliver Goldsmith

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Tony Summerfield
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Re: Enid Blyton's Weekly Letters in Teachers World

Post by Tony Summerfield »

It would seem from this letter written in 1937 that Christopher Robin liked one of Enid's books!

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Re: Enid Blyton's Weekly Letters in Teachers World

Post by Daisy »

I wonder which book that was. Pre-1937 there were not so many to choose from! I like the idea of a Blyton book shoulder to shoulder with Einstein's Theory of Relativity" !
'Tis loving and giving that makes life worth living.

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Rob Houghton
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Re: Enid Blyton's Weekly Letters in Teachers World

Post by Rob Houghton »

What terrible writing! I'm usually quite good deciphering Enid's, for example, but find AA Milne's very difficult to read!
'Oh voice of Spring of Youth
hearts mad delight,
Sing on, sing on, and when the sun is gone
I'll warm me with your echoes
through the night.'

(E. Blyton, Sunday Times, 1951)



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Tony Summerfield
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Re: Enid Blyton's Weekly Letters in Teachers World

Post by Tony Summerfield »

I can read it all apart from the very start - As ? (Somebody) said - the other book mentioned is Wisden's Almanac - the Cricket 'Bible'!
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Rob Houghton
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Re: Enid Blyton's Weekly Letters in Teachers World

Post by Rob Houghton »

Knowing what it's about, and having read it three or four times, I can now pretty much read it all. Apart from the name you quote. Could be anything...!
'Oh voice of Spring of Youth
hearts mad delight,
Sing on, sing on, and when the sun is gone
I'll warm me with your echoes
through the night.'

(E. Blyton, Sunday Times, 1951)



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Katharine
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Re: Enid Blyton's Weekly Letters in Teachers World

Post by Katharine »

I thought it said 'Susie', but would that name have been very common back then? I too am intrigued by which Enid Blyton book it could be. 'a long times ago' is very vague. His son was born in 1920, so by the time the letter was written he'd be 17. That suggests to me that the book must have been one of her very earliest, otherwise he'd have been too old. As she interviewed A A Milne in 1926, I would assume it was given at that time, when he was 6. Probably something like the Book of Bunnies?

I was interested to note that the month was written in Roman Numerals, does anyone know if that was common practise at the time?
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Re: Enid Blyton's Weekly Letters in Teachers World

Post by Courtenay »

Is there any chance it could be reprinted in the Journal, Tony, with a transliteration (please! :wink: ) and some explanation of the background to the letter, if possible? I mean, do we know what it was that Enid apparently said or wrote that might have offended Milne, hence the letter and the assurance that "it's a sort of compliment" and "we could forgive Enid Blyton almost anything"? I'm really quite intrigued here. :D
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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)
Tony Summerfield
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Re: Enid Blyton's Weekly Letters in Teachers World

Post by Tony Summerfield »

No clues to the book I'm afraid either in her diary or the interview. The diary entry for Sep 6 1926 simply says that she interviewed A.A. Milne at Chelsea and met Christopher Robin. The article is quite long and says quite a bit about Christopher Robin (who they actually called Billy Moon!) but the only mention of a book is when Enid is shown the new book that he is writing - which is to be titled Winnie the Pooh!
Tony Summerfield
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Re: Enid Blyton's Weekly Letters in Teachers World

Post by Tony Summerfield »

I have put the interview with A.A. Milne onto the relevant page just in case anybody wants to read it. I haven't cleaned it, but just put the two pages straight in. You obviously need to read the three columns on the top page before going down to the one underneath, but if anybody thinks that it isn't too small I might do some work on it.

http://enidblytonsociety.co.uk/blyton-p ... &perid=272" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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Kate Mary
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Re: Enid Blyton's Weekly Letters in Teachers World

Post by Kate Mary »

Thank you for adding the A A Milne article Tony, it's perfectly legible and I certainly want to read it. Please may we have Enid's interview with Marion St John Webb and Hugh's interview with Enid too?
"I love everything that's old: old friends, old times, old manners, old books, old wines." Oliver Goldsmith

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Tony Summerfield
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Re: Enid Blyton's Weekly Letters in Teachers World

Post by Tony Summerfield »

I was waiting for someone to say that, Kate! :lol:

All done!
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