60 years ago this week...

[John Pickup]

That really was a lovely story and reading about the boy who fell from his bedroom window reminded me of the old sash windows in our house when I was a small boy. One day I lifted mine right up to shout to my mother and she was terrified I would lean too far out and fall. I got a right telling off.

[Moonraker]

A lovely story, thanks for putting it in the Cave, Tony - and of course Rob for drawing our attention to it in the first place. I wonder if this will attract as many posts as poisoning rats and smelly dustbins!

Edit: Since posting my comment, Eddie has changed the picture, and the coins are now correctly marked. You will also notice there are two sixpences - the old silver one and the later bronze one.

I think you mean there are two three pences -the old silver one (which used to be put in the Christmas pudding) and the later bronze one, Nigel.

I did indeed, Eddie.

[Julie2owlsdene]

Lovely story. Enjoyed reading it.

[Rob Houghton]

A lovely story, thanks for putting it in the Cave, Tony - and of course Rob for drawing our attention to it in the first place. I wonder if this will attract as many posts as poisoning rats and smelly dustbins!

I doubt it!!

[Anita Bensoussane]

...reading about the boy who fell from his bedroom window reminded me of the old sash windows in our house when I was a small boy. One day I lifted mine right up to shout to my mother and she was terrified I would lean too far out and fall. I got a right telling off.

We had sash windows in the house we moved into when I was eleven. Even in my teens, I almost fell out of the bedroom window a couple of times!

[Courtenay]

What a lovely, moving and thought-provoking story — thanks, Tony and Rob. I love how Enid captures, without heavy-handed preaching, how seeing others in need can move someone to not even think of being selfish any more:

"I don't know," said Alice. "I just know that I feel as if I MUST go and see those children again. I don't know if it's kindness or what it is. I only know I must go. I want to take Eileen a little horse. I want to give my books to that little girl with burnt hands — and I shall read to her too. And I must see that little boy who's lonely. Why didn't anyone ever tell me there were things like that to do?"

[Tony Summerfield]

Thank you very much, Tony and Rob. Has this set a precedent? I do hope so.

I am not sure about this as there are a great many uncollected stories in the Magazine. However I have gone back to the previous magazine and added both 'He Didn't Want An Adventure' and 'A Jigsaw Lesson'. Although the first of these has been used it is in an obscure publication which is not all that easy to find copies of. Enjoy!

http://www.enidblytonsociety.co.uk/maga ... ?magid=890" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Katharine]

Thanks for the stories.

[Rob Houghton]

Thank you for adding those, Tony. I can see that adding every uncollected story from every magazine would be a big task! But it's good for people to be able to read some of them, as they are very good stories and often surprising they haven't been published elsewhere.

[John Pickup]

Two very good stories, thanks for adding them, Tony. I like the illustrations as well, the style in He Didn't Want An Adventure seems familiar but is uncredited.

[Rob Houghton]

Here's the latest Enid Blyton Magazine, which is out this week! It's great to see how packed these magazines were, and full of lots of good stories and letters, and particularly interesting, I think, are the bits of news from Enid Blyton herself. No wonder children felt she was very much their friend. Just as in her earlier letters and Teacher's World columns, Enid makes her readers feel very much a part of her life.

On the cover this time is an illustration from the cover story, 'Go Home, Bad Dog!' - a story along familiar lines, about children who feel annoyed by the attention of their puppy, but in the end learn to appreciate him and be happy he cares about them so much. It's a charming story, and another uncollected one, with illustrations by an uncredited illustrator. The illustrations are as always, very high quality, and it seems a pity these people weren't credited for their work.

Enid tells us plenty of news in the Editorial - reminding us that the time has come to be able to meet her at the big store of Derry & Toms. Also, there's a chance to meet Enid at Olympia, where she will be signing books and meeting children from 3pm. Enid also saw many of her readers at the Marlborough House Garden Party a few weeks before. Enid had a lovely time meeting children, hearing which books they wanted her to write next, and to see 'so many badges' from her clubs. She describes how she was able to meet children from near and far, and was particularly impressed to meet Zelie from Birmingham, Geoffrey from Tonbridge, and Fiona and Richard from Ipswich. She was even able to meet children who were on holiday from further afield - Jill Robinson from Australia, and others from New Zealand and South Africa.

Enid also describes some of the features of the party - the 'Giant slide', the roundabout, and the 'lively little donkey' - and tells us that altogether they raised over £1,000 for invalid children.

Lastly, Enid tells us how she is going 'tomorrow' to meet the four children who have been chosen to be Julian, Dick, George and Anne in the Famous Five film. She tells us - "The script for the film is now finished, and those of you who have read Five On A Treasure Island will be pleased to know that the wreck is in teh film, and that there will be fine pictures of the children swimming down under water to it....The film will be very like the book, but we have had to make a few alterations, because it was a bit too long. Like the stage-play it has Kirrin Island and the dungeons of Kirrin Castle in it. George's boat is in it too. I hope the dog we choose for Timmy will like boating over the bay!"

She also tells us that Noddy will be returning to Independent Television again in September and will be having many adventures on Television again. She is also happy to hear that many children have been naming their pet rabbits 'Big Ears'.

Next follows the cover story - about the puppy Tinker, then we have the Letter Page with letters from children. One tells us how to make a 'miniature tree' - which I can't quite envisage. John Scott tells us how to make one - "First, cut an orange in half, then scrape out the fruit inside and then paint the outside fairly thickly with 'WATER GLASS'. When this dries, fill it with garden soil and plant two apple pips or other seeds. The bowl must be put in the dark until two green shoots appear: take out the weakest one and put the bowl in daylight. As the shoot grows, the roots will come out through the orange skin - these must be snipped off quite near the skin. When the tree is about 3ins tall it will bear really tiny fruit, which is unfortunately uneatable"

Next, June Harris tells us all about the birthday cake she won (Enid awarded one to a lucky reader each month). How marvellous to have a birthday cake arrive and to feel it had been sent by Enid Blyton! June had a birthday party purely because she was lucky enough to be having a cake.

Lastly, Robin Johnson, telling us about a boy in his street who 'has got 51 of your books, and he lends them out to others at a penny a time, and if we loose one we have to buy him a new book' - sounds like an enterprising young fellow!

Next we have a story about Mr Trim and Mr Trig and a lazy fellow called Lolly - because he 'lols' about and leans against things and never does any work. Lolly Goes To Be-Careful Village is a typical Blyton story telling how Lolly learns his lesson - or almost does - because he ends up doing work despite himself. It's quite an unusual story in that the lesson isn't quite learned by the end of the story. If you want to read it, find a copy of this magazine, or maybe you have Enid Blyton's Bedtime Annual 1973.

Next, hints on feeding fish in Animal Hints - and also choosing the size of a tank - a 3 gallon tank should house only one fish of three inches, or two fish of one and a half inches each. Goldfish should also be fed four times a day, and their food should include live bait such as white worms, mosquito larvae and Daphnia.

in the strip story Noddy Went Too Fast! we continue to follow the aftermath of Noddy's accident after he crashed his car into a steam-roller. A cautionary tale - we are told that Noddy was driving 'much too fast' - and he ends up being bandaged by Big Ears, so heavily that you can 'hardly see anything of him!'

Five Go To Billycock Hill follows - chapter 8 - A Spot Of Trouble - in which the children go swimming and get told off for trespassing...

The Puzzle Page contains an interesting puzzle that has an answer that must have changed many, many times since - 'In which city is the tallest building in the world?'

What A Strange Thing is a Pixie Pip story - also in the Bedtime Annual of 1973 but not a part of the Pixie Pip books - about watching an 'ugly grub' turn into a dragonfly, complete with some quite graphic descriptions of how the grub's skin splits and Pip helps him out by tearing the skin open!

Nature Notes and Things To Look For - Enid suggests we should look out for 'one of my favourite flowers' - the 'little blue hare-bell (which is, as you probably know, the bluebell of Scotland). She also says we should be seeing many dragonflies at this time of years, as well as many winged ants, which will now be mating before the females lay their eggs somewhere in the ground and a new nest is formed.

In the News Sheet at the end of the magazine, Enid tells us as usual about her clubs, children who have raised money, and of how her Centre for Spastic Children is getting on. It is closed for the summer, but many children still come for exercise classes, which helps cure their condition but this treatment is needed regularly.

Enid tells us of two new books and one old one. The old book, which is republished, is 'Enid Blyton's Book of the Year' from which her poem Summer Visitors is taken in this fortnight's issue -

The swallows are here, and all day through
They dart in the sky on their wings of blue.

The Nightingale has arrived again,
Each night she sings in the moonlit lane.

The little Flycatcher's here once more,
He's catching flies by the old barn door.

The Cuckoo's arrived, and he'd like to play
Hide-and-seek with you the whole of the day.

The Swift and the twittering Martin are here,
And the Chiff-chaff is calling his name far and near.

Welcome to all of you, small feathered things,
May Good Fortune follow your fluttering wings!'


We are also told of two new books - The Rat-a-Tat Mystery- a book which a separate advert tells us 'Enid Blyton did not mean to write' - and the next book in the Find Outer series - 'The Mystery of the Missing Man. Interesting that Enid mistakenly tells her readers this is 'the 14th book of the Mystery series you love so much' - when in fact it is the 13th.

Lastly, a quick look at the adverts - and I can see something I would love - the press-out 'Noddy Village' - four complete models that can be assembled without glue or scissors. I would have loved that as a child, as I had many similar books - one that made a cardboard bird-table and lots of press-out birds was a particular favourite.

[Anita Bensoussane]

Thanks, Rob. It is amazing how packed with goodies these little magazines were. Today's magazines for children simply can't compare.

The miniature tree project sounds intriguing and I like the story Noddy Went Too Fast as I love the pictures of Noddy all bandaged up!

She also says we should be seeing many dragonflies at this time of years, as well as many winged ants, which will now be mating before the females lay their eggs somewhere in the ground and a new nest is formed.

I've certainly seen plenty of dragonflies and winged ants in recent weeks. They're fascinating to watch. The dragonflies are beautiful but the winged ants make me shiver a little, the way they swarm in such large numbers.

Enid tells us as usual about her clubs, children who have raised money, and of how her Centre for Spastic Children is getting on. It is closed for the summer, but many children still come for exercise classes, which helps cure their condition but this treatment is needed regularly.

Exercises may help the children manage their condition and enable them to do more but I doubt the exercises could actually "cure" it.

Lastly, a quick look at the adverts - and I can see something I would love - the press-out 'Noddy Village' - four complete models that can be assembled without glue or scissors. I would have loved that as a child, as I had many similar books - one that made a cardboard bird-table and lots of press-out birds was a particular favourite.

The Noddy Village sounds good but your cardboard bird-table with press-out birds sounds even better, Rob!

[Daisy]

Thanks, Rob. It is amazing how packed with goodies these little magazines were. Today's magazines for children simply can't compare.

They were great - but even so a fortnight was a long time between issues. One can understand why a weekly one would have been a lot of hard work though, along with writing the full length stories as she did.

[Tony Summerfield]

Lastly, a quick look at the adverts - and I can see something I would love - the press-out 'Noddy Village' - four complete models that can be assembled without glue or scissors. I would have loved that as a child, as I had many similar books - one that made a cardboard bird-table and lots of press-out birds was a particular favourite.

You have got one of these in the part of the Cave that nobody ever looks at as I made up one of my own to see what it looked like.

[Daisy]

Where can we see it? I have obviously strayed down the wrong secret passages so far.