The Enid Blyton Society

Courtenay wrote:Enid had a short story (I forget what it's called or which book I read it in — does anyone recognise it?) in which there was a nasty little imp who was invisible and would hide by the bed and bite the foot of anyone who got out on the wrong side, and his bite had a bad-temper poison that would make that person grumpy all day.

That's 'The Wrong Side of the Bed' from Five O'Clock Tales.

Aha, yes, the title of the collection sounds familiar too. Thanks, Anita.

Sounds like a horror story to me!! I should think it had many a child looking under its bed for signs of a poisonous biting imp!!

Yeah, probably. Well, it never frightened me, but then I was probably in late primary school by the time I read that one... not sure how I would have reacted if I'd read it when I was very little!

No Teachers' World letters this week yet. Perhaps Tony is snowed under with things to do. I hope they're not missing from the file.

Maybe it comes under the heading of 'not adding anything to the cave' as Tony announced yesterday...?

You are absolutely right, Rob, I am supposed to be taking a break at the moment, but I have actually added the letter as it didn't need any scanning as they are all already on my computer so just require some minimal cleaning.

http://enidblytonsociety.co.uk/blyton-p ... perid=1051" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Hurrah - it's up! Thanks, Tony. It's lovely to experience a 1930s spring with Enid and Bobs.

'April Days' is a lively little poem and I particularly like the final four lines:

"Hey ho for April sweet,
Garlanded with flowers,
Dancing by on merry feet
Through sunshine and showers!"

Thanks for posting, Tony!

Its interesting about hibernating tortoises...as in Enid's books they usually seem to bury themselves in the mud. I've never known this happen to a pet tortoise...but then when we had one we always put it in a box of straw under the stairs for the winter. I guess if you didn't do this, most tortoises would bury themselves?

I always do find Enid's attitude to people living in 'Big towns' a bit condescending and snobby, though - always have. I get the impression the only 'Big town' she'd really spent any time in was London. I know things were more sooty in the 1920's - but many children in Birmingham for example would have had easy access to 'the country' - especially the 'Lickey Hills' which even children right in the city centre would have visited - often as a day trip with school).

Where I live now is classed as 'Birmingham' - and yet we have foxes, badgers, squirrels, all the birds you can think of, many wild flowers and trees and insects etc - and leaves that don't go sooty! Birmingham has more public parks and open spaces than any other place in Britain, plus miles of canals, which are wildlife habitats.

The Lickey Hills, Birmingham -

Sorry Tony I missed that announcement, I'm sure you deserve a break but I do get a bit worried on Wednesdays if the TW letters don't appear, thank you for doing them again. I was struck by the names of the riddle-re-mee winners; Victor, Edna, Ena, Joan and Douglas. It makes one realise just how long ago these columns were written
Another gorgeous springtime poem, I'm glad it has seen the light of day again and we can read it. Enjoy your break Tony, I promise I won't nag you again for at least a week.

interesting to see a Teacher's World magazine for sale on eBay today...with EB's childrens page. Number 1773, May 19th 1937...

Its going for a snip at £149.00

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/The-Bird-Man- ... Swc-tY4DXM

indeed — but it does say it's a "special issue devoted to planned broadcast coverage of the May 19, 1937 coronation of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth", if that's any excuse...

Preparations for Easter are in full swing at Old Thatch this week. I rather like the idea of Gillian's egg, a cardboard one with a wind up lamb inside, on second thoughts a wind up chick would have been more appropriate perhaps. Thanks to Tony for putting up the letters again this week.

http://www.enidblytonsociety.co.uk/blyt ... perid=1052" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

More delightful letters — I loved reading about Gillian and the lambs and chicks, and Enid's gardening. I'm afraid I don't have "the green thumb" myself, though I wish I did... (I think it's largely that I'm good at getting all excited about planting things, but not necessarily good at remembering to water them and otherwise keep attending to them. )

Bobs' letter made me laugh as usual — I'm not quite sure Gillian would want her Easter egg by the time he finished with it!!