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Re: Enid Blyton's Weekly Letters in Teachers World

Posted: 30 Aug 2017, 10:38
by Anita Bensoussane
http://www.enidblytonsociety.co.uk/blyt ... perid=1122" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Enid Blyton is obviously delighted to have a whole page again and I like the way she refers to her readers as her "friends". It's clear that many young readers felt very close to her even though most of them never got to meet her in person.

I've seen lots of dragon-flies this summer - and swifts and swallows too. It's hard to believe that autumn is on its way already!

Gillian must have been very excited about her little house. A brass knocker shaped like Bobs is a nice touch.

Enid's puzzle is a particularly good one, with numerous steps. Her story about the swallows' tails is rather disturbing though! :shock:

Re: Enid Blyton's Weekly Letters in Teachers World

Posted: 30 Aug 2017, 11:53
by Kate Mary
Enid says her her readers are all back at school by now, perhaps the autumn term started earlier back then? I've seen lots of dragonflies too this summer, it must be a good year for them. I don't live near a pond either as far as I know.

I like the sound of Gillian's play house, I would have loved a dog's head knocker and a fireplace, even a non-working one. I was reminded by this of the little house on the woods in The Treasure Hunters with its fireplace and chimney, could Enid have had Gillian's house in mind when she wrote that book I wonder?

I agree with Anita, the story about the swallows is somewhat disturbing. It's good to have stories back on the TW page though.

Re: Enid Blyton's Weekly Letters in Teachers World

Posted: 06 Sep 2017, 07:53
by Anita Bensoussane
http://www.enidblytonsociety.co.uk/blyt ... perid=1123" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Enid's description of sunny September days as "blue-and-gold days" is just right. We've had several days like that this week. It's nice to hear of Pat's news.

I've read 'The Wind and the Seeds' many times before (in Dean & Son's Stories for Bedtime) but it's always worth a re-read. Dame Doldrums is a wonderful name!

Re: Enid Blyton's Weekly Letters in Teachers World

Posted: 06 Sep 2017, 08:38
by Kate Mary
What a gorgeous phrase 'blue and gold day' is, perfectly descriptive of a sunny late summer/early autumn day. The story too has some lovely use of language; 'The wind laughs at spells and sharp spikes' and 'the wind roared with laughter so that all the biggest trees nearby shook and shivered with his roaring...' I must get out my copy of Stories for Bedtime again.

Re: Enid Blyton's Weekly Letters in Teachers World

Posted: 06 Sep 2017, 09:30
by Courtenay
Yes, lovely descriptions in Enid's letter and the story — and nice to hear Pat and Bimbo are parents again. As usual, poor old Bobs steals the show with his antics, getting his nose scratched and finding his generous offer isn't appreciated! :wink: Enid's young audiences must have really looked forward to this page every week.

Re: Enid Blyton's Weekly Letters in Teachers World

Posted: 06 Sep 2017, 10:11
by Rob Houghton
The 'Blue and Gold' idea for autumn (in this case!!) is quite interesting, as its a theme Enid uses in the Sunny Stories calendar I have -- except she uses it for April, lol!

I guess Enid was never one to waste a good idea! :-D

Image

Re: Enid Blyton's Weekly Letters in Teachers World

Posted: 06 Sep 2017, 10:17
by Courtenay
Oh yes, I thought that line sounded familiar and was thinking "Didn't Enid once describe spring days as 'blue and gold' too??" Thanks for pointing out where it came from, Rob.

Re: Enid Blyton's Weekly Letters in Teachers World

Posted: 06 Sep 2017, 14:31
by Anita Bensoussane
Perhaps there's a subtle difference between "blue-and-gold" and "gold and blue"! :wink:

Re: Enid Blyton's Weekly Letters in Teachers World

Posted: 06 Sep 2017, 17:36
by Courtenay
:lol: Yeah, one's September and the other is April. :wink:

Re: Enid Blyton's Weekly Letters in Teachers World

Posted: 13 Sep 2017, 08:26
by Anita Bensoussane
http://www.enidblytonsociety.co.uk/blyt ... perid=1124" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Enid Blyton delights in the rain this week. She'd enjoy our present weather, then! I know what she means about the fresh, earthy "rain-smell" though.

It must have been very exciting for Gillian, "moving in" to Dilly's Cottage. As children my sister and I had a shed of our own which had an old table and stools and a toybox in which to keep things. We enjoyed playing "house" (and all sorts of other games) and we too picked flowers from the garden and arranged them in an old jug to brighten the place up.

I hope Enid Blyton's aquarium was big if she put a turtle in it. I can't help feeling sorry for it, being cooped up.

Bobs' letter made laugh, about Sandy and the "potato-birds". I hadn't heard of anyone hanging up feathered potatoes to scare away the birds before!

I've read the 'The Clouds' in a poetry collection and I like it very much. It's evocative and dreamy and full of strong images.

The puzzle about the sailors was fun but I might not have thought of the third one if it wasn't for the fact that my son and I went somewhere connected with him/her (I'm trying not to give anything away!) only last Saturday!

The story 'The Strange Spell' contains an interesting puzzle too, though it's a little annoying that we don't get to know the wish!

Thanks as always to Tony for putting up these fascinating pages.

Re: Enid Blyton's Weekly Letters in Teachers World

Posted: 13 Sep 2017, 09:10
by Courtenay
I agree, lovely letters this week. I also had to laugh at Sandy and the potato-birds! :wink:

I must admit, I can't solve the third one in the sailor puzzle so far...

The clouds poem is beautiful, and "The Strange Spell" was very intriguing — I'm not sure I would have thought of the answer if Mollie hadn't! Am I right in assuming a "haw" is a hawthorn berry? (I do know what a "hip" is in this context! :wink: ) As for not being told what Mollie's wish was, I guess perhaps Enid was leaving it up to her young readers to think what they would wish for if they were given the same opportunity... :D

Re: Enid Blyton's Weekly Letters in Teachers World

Posted: 13 Sep 2017, 10:18
by Kate Mary
I enjoyed this week's story, what shame it was never included in a collection, and the poem is a very good one too. Dilly's Cottage sounds perfect, every little girl would love to have one like it I'm sure. I know I would have done.

I'm struggling with the third puzzle, I can't think of any other famous sailors.

Thank you Tony for our weekly treat.

Re: Enid Blyton's Weekly Letters in Teachers World

Posted: 14 Sep 2017, 21:51
by Anita Bensoussane
Courtenay wrote:"The Strange Spell" was very intriguing — I'm not sure I would have thought of the answer if Mollie hadn't! Am I right in assuming a "haw" is a hawthorn berry?
Yes, a "haw" is the fruit of the hawthorn. I must admit I had "eeyore" for a donkey's bray, so I thought "the stone from half a donkey's bray" was "ore"!
Courtenay wrote:As for not being told what Mollie's wish was, I guess perhaps Enid was leaving it up to her young readers to think what they would wish for if they were given the same opportunity... :D
I expect you're right, Courtenay.

Re: Enid Blyton's Weekly Letters in Teachers World

Posted: 14 Sep 2017, 22:12
by Courtenay
Anita Bensoussane wrote:I must admit I had "eeyore" for a donkey's bray, so I thought "the stone from half a donkey's bray" was "ore"!
:lol: You might find that in a mining area, though! :wink: I admit I was altogether baffled by the riddle in the spell and had to wait for Mollie to work it out in the course of the story... :oops:

Re: Enid Blyton's Weekly Letters in Teachers World

Posted: 20 Sep 2017, 07:46
by Anita Bensoussane
http://www.enidblytonsociety.co.uk/blyt ... perid=1125" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I feel sorry for the pike as it obviously struggles to survive in Enid's long pond when the water level is low. I'd have put it in a tank of water, taken it to the nearby river and released it there rather than trying to keep it and "tame it"!

It's a pity poor Bobs hurt his paw but I love his letter about the mischief he and Gillian got up to!

'The Robber' is an entertaining poem with a jaunty rhythm and I'm also enjoying 'The Fool and the Magician' - though we have to wait until next week to find out how it ends! I've had a few thoughts about the answers to the three questions. Stories that get the reader pondering and predicting are always engaging.