60 Years Ago This Week - Enid Blyton's Magazine 1957 -
Posted: 02 Jan 2017, 13:35
So here we are in a new year and a new thread. It's 1957 and we have a new Enid Blyton magazine, which just popped through the letterbox!
http://www.enidblytonsociety.co.uk/maga ... ?magid=901
What a great cover to start the new year - but unfortunately my copy doesn't have a cover, and is also missing the first two pages, containing Enid's New Year editorial - so just for this week, I'm unable to write about that - but the rest of the year is complete after this issue!
The cover depicts the Mr Pink-Whistle story, which is the first thing in the magazine after the Editorial. When Mr Pink-Whistle Met The Twins is a charming story, in the Pink-Whistle tradition - and it can be read in 'Mr Pink-Whistle's Big Book' - which is pretty hard to come by, so maybe many will not have read it. Its an interesting dtory, as it features many other Blyton characters, and most of them appear in the 'Noddy In Toyland' pantomime - Mr Bong the Wizard, Moonface, Silky, Saucepan Man, Big Ears but strangely not Noddy - who is 'taking the Noah's ark animals to a party...'
Next we have the Puzzle Page and a mind-numbing puzzle to start the year - the Sunbeams puzzle - for someone like me, who gets easily confused, it took me a while to sort it out, lol! -
Eight and four are twelve they say,
Suppose you now take nine away,
Multiply the rest by seven,
And from this number take eleven.
Then add three times double two.
The answer should be clear to you.
Next we have a short story called George Has A Bit of Fun - an uncollected story, which Tony has kindly added to The Cave - read it by following the link above. Its a great story, and reminded me somewhat of The Secret Seven, because it involves snowmen and a clever trick to stop the bully from kicking snowmen to pieces. Its an entertaining story, but it seemed rather long for such a simple piece...maybe Enid was filling in space. Its got great illustrations by Marjorie L Davies. I particularly like the two corner illustrations, printed in black and white and blue and green.
Following on, we have a full page advert for Enid Blyton's book of her famous pantomime Noddy In Toyland - a book I have and find fascinating...especially some of the songs, which feature the words 'I'm Golly, I'm Woggie, I'm Nigger - we all have the very same figure...' Certainly not something that would appear in a pantomime these days! Its a well produced book, and if you're a fan of Noddy then I highly recommend it, as it has some glorious double-page colour plates.
Next - Noddy Went Too Fast which seems to be going on and on and on! Big Ears takes Noddy back to his toadstool house to rest and tells him off for daring to get out of bed without asking permission! Noddy gets waited on by Tessie Bear though, and that cheers him up no end!
Next is chapter 17 of Five Go To Billycock Hill - where Mrs Janes tells her tale of how she got her black eye - and how her son regularly hits her. I'd forgotten this part of the story - and it reminded me that not all Enid's stories are warm and cosy!
A full page advert for Cadbury's caught my eye next - advertising for 1,000 Cadbury Tasters wanted - to eat and report on chocolates every month - official chocolate tasters are important people ; from their reports cadbury can judge which flavours are the most popular It then sets out how YOU can become a Cadbury taster, by filling in a form to tell which made up flavour chocolate you'd like best - either 1. Loganberry, 2. Gooseberry or 3. Blackcurrant, and then suggesting a name for the new product.
Not sure how doing all this would prove you were a qualified Chocolate Taster, but I bet it got a few children applying even so!
Next - Some Things To Look For - even in January you can find the Common Chickweed with its small oval leaves. If you break the stem you will find a very thin green tough thread inside. Also, watch out for sparrows - the cocks are growing their black bibs ready for spring.
Secret Seven Mystery follows - chapter 7 - Tom Has Some News. I always loved this story as a child - it was probably in my top five Secret Seven titles - but its one of those books that holds few surprises after you've read it once. Its still great though - I'm probably one of the few people who rates the Secret Seven series quite highly!
In this issue, which starts the year, we have a new feature called In My Garden in which Enid gives us tips for the garden between January 1st and 14th. She writes - January is an important month in the garden because it is now that you begin to prepare your plot for future planting. Dig over your garden as deeply as you can ; break down teh soil with the rake and throw away any large stones and rubbish. Visit your local seed shops and try to get some catalogues - it is great fun planning your garden on days when it is too wet to go out.
The last short story in this issue is a slightly strange one, definitely aimed at younger children, I think - Happy New Year!. Like the other short story, this one is uncollected, and can be read in The Cave. Its a bit of a daft story in my opinion, based entirely around the fact that the little girl, Meg, who is four, has never heard the expression 'Happy New Year' and thinks people are wishing her a 'Happy New Ear'. Surely a four year old wouldn't be so silly?! Its a bit of a one-joke story, and I found it quite tiresome. I'm not surprised it hasn't been reprinted anywhere!
Unfortunately, as my New Year Issue is missing the cover and first inside double spread, I can't review any more of the magazine. If anyone else has a copy, feel free to let us know what Enid writes about in the Editorial, if there's anything of interest!
Hope you'll join me looking through the magazines of 1957 fortnight by fortnight! Happy New Year!
http://www.enidblytonsociety.co.uk/maga ... ?magid=901
What a great cover to start the new year - but unfortunately my copy doesn't have a cover, and is also missing the first two pages, containing Enid's New Year editorial - so just for this week, I'm unable to write about that - but the rest of the year is complete after this issue!
The cover depicts the Mr Pink-Whistle story, which is the first thing in the magazine after the Editorial. When Mr Pink-Whistle Met The Twins is a charming story, in the Pink-Whistle tradition - and it can be read in 'Mr Pink-Whistle's Big Book' - which is pretty hard to come by, so maybe many will not have read it. Its an interesting dtory, as it features many other Blyton characters, and most of them appear in the 'Noddy In Toyland' pantomime - Mr Bong the Wizard, Moonface, Silky, Saucepan Man, Big Ears but strangely not Noddy - who is 'taking the Noah's ark animals to a party...'
Next we have the Puzzle Page and a mind-numbing puzzle to start the year - the Sunbeams puzzle - for someone like me, who gets easily confused, it took me a while to sort it out, lol! -
Eight and four are twelve they say,
Suppose you now take nine away,
Multiply the rest by seven,
And from this number take eleven.
Then add three times double two.
The answer should be clear to you.
Next we have a short story called George Has A Bit of Fun - an uncollected story, which Tony has kindly added to The Cave - read it by following the link above. Its a great story, and reminded me somewhat of The Secret Seven, because it involves snowmen and a clever trick to stop the bully from kicking snowmen to pieces. Its an entertaining story, but it seemed rather long for such a simple piece...maybe Enid was filling in space. Its got great illustrations by Marjorie L Davies. I particularly like the two corner illustrations, printed in black and white and blue and green.
Following on, we have a full page advert for Enid Blyton's book of her famous pantomime Noddy In Toyland - a book I have and find fascinating...especially some of the songs, which feature the words 'I'm Golly, I'm Woggie, I'm Nigger - we all have the very same figure...' Certainly not something that would appear in a pantomime these days! Its a well produced book, and if you're a fan of Noddy then I highly recommend it, as it has some glorious double-page colour plates.
Next - Noddy Went Too Fast which seems to be going on and on and on! Big Ears takes Noddy back to his toadstool house to rest and tells him off for daring to get out of bed without asking permission! Noddy gets waited on by Tessie Bear though, and that cheers him up no end!
Next is chapter 17 of Five Go To Billycock Hill - where Mrs Janes tells her tale of how she got her black eye - and how her son regularly hits her. I'd forgotten this part of the story - and it reminded me that not all Enid's stories are warm and cosy!
A full page advert for Cadbury's caught my eye next - advertising for 1,000 Cadbury Tasters wanted - to eat and report on chocolates every month - official chocolate tasters are important people ; from their reports cadbury can judge which flavours are the most popular It then sets out how YOU can become a Cadbury taster, by filling in a form to tell which made up flavour chocolate you'd like best - either 1. Loganberry, 2. Gooseberry or 3. Blackcurrant, and then suggesting a name for the new product.
Not sure how doing all this would prove you were a qualified Chocolate Taster, but I bet it got a few children applying even so!
Next - Some Things To Look For - even in January you can find the Common Chickweed with its small oval leaves. If you break the stem you will find a very thin green tough thread inside. Also, watch out for sparrows - the cocks are growing their black bibs ready for spring.
Secret Seven Mystery follows - chapter 7 - Tom Has Some News. I always loved this story as a child - it was probably in my top five Secret Seven titles - but its one of those books that holds few surprises after you've read it once. Its still great though - I'm probably one of the few people who rates the Secret Seven series quite highly!
In this issue, which starts the year, we have a new feature called In My Garden in which Enid gives us tips for the garden between January 1st and 14th. She writes - January is an important month in the garden because it is now that you begin to prepare your plot for future planting. Dig over your garden as deeply as you can ; break down teh soil with the rake and throw away any large stones and rubbish. Visit your local seed shops and try to get some catalogues - it is great fun planning your garden on days when it is too wet to go out.
The last short story in this issue is a slightly strange one, definitely aimed at younger children, I think - Happy New Year!. Like the other short story, this one is uncollected, and can be read in The Cave. Its a bit of a daft story in my opinion, based entirely around the fact that the little girl, Meg, who is four, has never heard the expression 'Happy New Year' and thinks people are wishing her a 'Happy New Ear'. Surely a four year old wouldn't be so silly?! Its a bit of a one-joke story, and I found it quite tiresome. I'm not surprised it hasn't been reprinted anywhere!
Unfortunately, as my New Year Issue is missing the cover and first inside double spread, I can't review any more of the magazine. If anyone else has a copy, feel free to let us know what Enid writes about in the Editorial, if there's anything of interest!
Hope you'll join me looking through the magazines of 1957 fortnight by fortnight! Happy New Year!