60 Years Ago This Week - Enid Blyton's Magazine 1957 -

Discuss Blyton's magazines, short stories and poetry here.
User avatar
Rob Houghton
Posts: 16029
Joined: 26 Feb 2005, 22:38
Favourite book/series: Rubadub Mystery, Famous Five and The Find-Outers
Favourite character: Snubby, Uncle Robert, George, Fatty
Location: Kings Norton, Birmingham

Re: 60 Years Ago This Week - Enid Blyton's Magazine 1957 -

Post by Rob Houghton »

Anita Bensoussane wrote:I remember asking my parents for a saw and some plywood, having seen a simple project in an old children's book that I wanted to try. It might have been in Arthur Mee's The Children's Encyclopedia. However, they wouldn't let me use a saw so I had to give up the idea.
That's interesting! As a child I was always sawing stuff up, connecting wires to batteries and small light bulbs, building go-karts and racing down hills with no brakes, jumping off our garage and learning to 'fly' and doing all manner of things people would say were dangerous now! I never made a jigsaw out of plywood though, but did do plenty of sawing and hammering! :lol:
'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)



Society Member
User avatar
Anita Bensoussane
Forum Administrator
Posts: 26768
Joined: 30 Jan 2005, 23:25
Favourite book/series: Adventure series, Six Cousins books, Six Bad Boys
Favourite character: Jack Trent, Fatty and Elizabeth Allen
Location: UK

Re: 60 Years Ago This Week - Enid Blyton's Magazine 1957 -

Post by Anita Bensoussane »

As far as I remember, the only saw we owned was a massive great thing so I'm not really surprised I wasn't let loose with it! It certainly couldn't have been used for making jigsaws!
"Heyho for a starry night and a heathery bed!" - Jack, The Secret Island.

"There is no bond like the bond of having read and liked the same books."
- E. Nesbit, The Wonderful Garden.


Society Member
User avatar
Rob Houghton
Posts: 16029
Joined: 26 Feb 2005, 22:38
Favourite book/series: Rubadub Mystery, Famous Five and The Find-Outers
Favourite character: Snubby, Uncle Robert, George, Fatty
Location: Kings Norton, Birmingham

Re: 60 Years Ago This Week - Enid Blyton's Magazine 1957 -

Post by Rob Houghton »

:lol:

I guess I was lucky, as my dad had loads of different tools, as a keen carpenter and DIY enthusiast, and also as he was an electrician I was probably one of the first in my class at school to have made simple circuits etc, as we used to put little lights in dolls houses etc when I was about 7 or 8. 8)
'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)



Society Member
User avatar
Anita Bensoussane
Forum Administrator
Posts: 26768
Joined: 30 Jan 2005, 23:25
Favourite book/series: Adventure series, Six Cousins books, Six Bad Boys
Favourite character: Jack Trent, Fatty and Elizabeth Allen
Location: UK

Re: 60 Years Ago This Week - Enid Blyton's Magazine 1957 -

Post by Anita Bensoussane »

My sister and I had a dolls' house which our grandad made for us. We stuck old toothpaste caps on the ceilings for (non-working) lights!
"Heyho for a starry night and a heathery bed!" - Jack, The Secret Island.

"There is no bond like the bond of having read and liked the same books."
- E. Nesbit, The Wonderful Garden.


Society Member
User avatar
Rob Houghton
Posts: 16029
Joined: 26 Feb 2005, 22:38
Favourite book/series: Rubadub Mystery, Famous Five and The Find-Outers
Favourite character: Snubby, Uncle Robert, George, Fatty
Location: Kings Norton, Birmingham

Re: 60 Years Ago This Week - Enid Blyton's Magazine 1957 -

Post by Rob Houghton »

We also used to light carboard box dolls houses we made with birthday cake candles!! :shock: :lol:
'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)



Society Member
User avatar
Rob Houghton
Posts: 16029
Joined: 26 Feb 2005, 22:38
Favourite book/series: Rubadub Mystery, Famous Five and The Find-Outers
Favourite character: Snubby, Uncle Robert, George, Fatty
Location: Kings Norton, Birmingham

Re: 60 Years Ago This Week - Enid Blyton's Magazine 1957 -

Post by Rob Houghton »

Another fortnight gone by already, and so another Enid Blyton Magazine - for the dates 5 - 18 June 1957.


Image

The cover shows an illustration from the first story in the magazine, A Castle Of Bricks which is uncollected, and available to read by following the link. As you can see by the cover, its an unusual story for Enid Blyton - an historical one, set in the days of castles and knights. I won't give too much away, as the story is available for you to read - but I think its quite a good one, mostly because of the unusual setting. I think its quite rare that Enid wrote a story set in these times. It also has some really nice illustrations (uncredited, which is a big shame).

Funnily enough, this was one of the first stories I read in any EB Magazine - last year. I read the same magazine for this fortnight for 1956, then read the magazine for 1957. Then I hit on the idea of writing a thread for 1956, which I did, as you know - so never read any other 1957 magazines until this year.

Next we have Enid's Editorial letter - which again is available to read by following the link. In it, Enid tells us about the new Famous Five film - which she seems to rate very highly. It's interesting to read her views, because many people have criticised it over the years. I actually think it's one of the best adaptations of any of Enid's books, but I know everyone doesn't share my view. Enid obviously did - unless she was just saying it for publicity reasons of course! She also mentions, once more, that the little girl who played George in the film is from Australia.

Enid also mentions having to take another 'look through a new story' - her latest Famous Five - which again I find interesting...as we have been led to believe she wrote them and never really checked them through afterwards. I know she did make annotations so presumably she read them through at least once, but earlier in another issue she mentions that she has 'nearly finished' writing it - several weeks after announcing she had started it...which makes me question the fact she often wrote one in under a week.

After the short story, there's part three of The Birthday Kitten - one of the few stories Enid wrote where every chapter heading is a spoken line of dialogue. I don't know any other EB stories which use this technique as chapter titles.

Next - The Secret Seven Mystery - almost at the end of the story now - at chapter 18 - 'Peter Goes Mad'. There's another illustration by Burgess Sharrocks that doesn't appear in the final book, of 'Tom' galloping towards the camera as he attempts to get away. I wonder why Sharrocks didn't repeat any of these illustrations for the books? They are all much better in my opinion!

Image

Next we have Rumble and Chuff in which the pair start their adventures, entering a wood and finding a little girl crying - what can be the matter? She is lost, and asks Rumble and Chuff if they can take her home. So they decide to give her a ride home...but one thing ENid doesn't explain...how will they find the way home if she's lost?! ;-)

Brer Rabbit Is A Simple Fellow follows next. A typical Brer Rabbit story, where the clever rabbit gets his friends to dig his garden for him. I'm sure this plot has been used in many an Enid Blyton story. It works well enough - but there really isn't much to it. Again, you can read the story by following the link - many thanks to Tony, who scans so many pages to add to The Cave each time I write a review!

The Puzzle Page follows, with a selection of puzzles for Enid's various clubs etc -

b]Can you pair off the words below so that they make the names of three seaside places that people will be going on holiday this year?

AGE BROAD VENT STAIRS NOR SWAN

Next - the Famous Five Puzzle -

Can you find the names of a fish hidden in each of the following sentences?

a) "You know the way so lead on."
b) "Ask at every house, John."
c) "Where is the car park, please?"


Now the Busy Bees puzzle -

Fill in the missing city in the following songs -

I belong To .......
April In .....


Our Letter Page follows, with an interesting selection - particularly one boy, from Russia, who writes -

Dear Enid Blyton, The other day I read your nice magazine when I was on my holidays. I translated your interesting story 'Whatever Happened To Pong' which Moscow Radio then broadcast for Russian children, and they enjoyed it very much. I would be happy if this letter reached you. I send all British children warm greetings for a happt spring season. I hope there will be lots of sunshine in the sky - and in all their hearts. Long live peace all over the world! Very Sincerely, Igor Mikhailusenko

Interestingly, doing a Google search, Igor Mikhailusenko was a Russian poet...but I'm not sure if they are the same person!

Another letter that caught my eye was from a someone in South Africa. What made me smile was that Enid actually encourages her readers to do the same as the letter-writer, and cut up the EB Magazines to make puzzle books! Collectors would have a fit! ;-)

Dear Enid Blyton, When I was looking through a pile of old magazines yesterday, I saw a puzzle I hadn't done. I suddenly had an idea and asked my mother to help me cut out all the puzzles I hadn't done, after checking up to see what was on the other side. I then stuck them into an old exercise book and have now got as good a puzzle book as could be bought. I thought some people might like to copy this idea and, maybe, even sell some puzzle books at a bazaar. Enid replies - I think it was a very good idea of yours to make a puzzle book in this way, and I am sure some of our readers will like to do the same!

Next we have Where's Your Hat, Noddy? which I'm sure Anita will be sad to hear isn't availanble to read in The Cave, as it was published in a book of the same name. I have a feeling I've read it - maybe in Noddy's Treasury or a similar book, as I don't think I actually have the book as a 'stand-alone' story, as it was first published. Its the usual Noddy Fare, where Noddy gives Sailor Doll his hat while he gets under his car to mend it, Sailor Doll goes off wearing it, and Noddy chases all around Toyland trying to get it back.

In Our News-Sheet Enid announces that her fans abroad can order Enid Blyton's Magazine on a yearly subscription of 13s - sounds like a bargain! People who live in Australia, New Zealand, Ceylon and South Africa are all avid readers of the Magazine, but can't always buy it as it has only limited availability.

Enjoy reading the stories this issue - follow the link below -

http://www.enidblytonsociety.co.uk/maga ... ?magid=912

8)
Last edited by Rob Houghton on 05 Jun 2017, 01:28, edited 3 times in total.
'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)



Society Member
User avatar
John Pickup
Posts: 4876
Joined: 30 Oct 2013, 21:29
Favourite book/series: Barney mysteries
Favourite character: Snubby
Location: Notts

Re: 60 Years Ago This Week - Enid Blyton's Magazine 1957 -

Post by John Pickup »

Thanks for that, Rob. I didn't really care for A Castle Of Bricks, I suppose it's because I expect Enid's stories to be set in the 40s, 50s and 60s.
I don't like Burgess Sharrocks' illustrations much either, my favourite was always Bruno Kay.
Society Member
User avatar
Kate Mary
Posts: 1916
Joined: 20 Apr 2007, 06:25
Favourite book/series: The Treasure Hunters/ Five Find Outers
Favourite character: Barney
Location: Kent

Re: 60 Years Ago This Week - Enid Blyton's Magazine 1957 -

Post by Kate Mary »

A Castle of Bricks is a most unusual story. I would never have guessed it was written by Enid if I didn't know. A few weeks ago another historical story was in the EB Mag but that was reprinted in an annual so this is the first historical story by Enid I've ever read.

Enid is quite laid back about her work being translated and broadcast on Russian radio, wouldn't that be regarded as piracy nowadays?

Thanks to Tony and Rob, your efforts are much appreciated.
"I love everything that's old: old friends, old times, old manners, old books, old wines." Oliver Goldsmith

Society Member
User avatar
Rob Houghton
Posts: 16029
Joined: 26 Feb 2005, 22:38
Favourite book/series: Rubadub Mystery, Famous Five and The Find-Outers
Favourite character: Snubby, Uncle Robert, George, Fatty
Location: Kings Norton, Birmingham

Re: 60 Years Ago This Week - Enid Blyton's Magazine 1957 -

Post by Rob Houghton »

Thanks both!

Yes - I agree about Burgess Sharrocks, John - although I do find his magazine illustrations marginally better than those in the books! Funny he drew completely different illustrations when the book came out!

I agree about 'Castle of Bricks' Kate Mary - I quite enjoyed it, and the slightly different style Enid adopts.

Also thought the same as you regards the Russian boy translating her story for Russian radio - imagine the uproar that would have caused nowadays! I guess Enid wasn't too bothered, as presumably not many Russian children would have had access to her work.
'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)



Society Member
User avatar
pete9012S
Posts: 17568
Joined: 24 Jan 2010, 15:32
Favourite book/series: Five On A Treasure Island
Favourite character: Frederick Algernon Trotteville
Location: UK

Re: 60 Years Ago This Week - Enid Blyton's Magazine 1957 -

Post by pete9012S »

Really enjoyed this week's overview and have just read all the links kindly supplied by Tony.
Many thanks yet again Rob and Tony. :D
" A kind heart always brings its own reward," said Mrs. Lee.
- The Christmas Tree Aeroplane -

Society Member
User avatar
Courtenay
Posts: 19274
Joined: 07 Feb 2014, 01:22
Favourite book/series: The Adventure Series, Galliano's Circus
Favourite character: Lotta
Location: Both Aussie and British; living in Cheshire

Re: 60 Years Ago This Week - Enid Blyton's Magazine 1957 -

Post by Courtenay »

Thanks for the lively review, Rob, and for scanning the editorial and stories, Tony. I always enjoy reading these.

I thought A Castle of Bricks was a good story and very unusual for Enid — not one of her best, certainly, but very interesting to see her writing in a different style and setting it in a different era. It was really quite effective and suspenseful and makes one think of the times throughout history (not only hundreds of years ago) when persecuted people have been hidden from their enemies and been in real danger of being found.

I enjoyed Brer Rabbit is a Simple Fellow, too — I've always loved Enid's retellings of Brer Rabbit stories. I was wondering about the title, since we all know Brer Rabbit is really a very clever fellow, but it turns out it comes from what he says at the end! Incidentally, I found out a while ago that there's a museum in Atlanta, Georgia — The Wren's Nest, the home of Joel Chandler Harris — dedicated to his life and to preserving African-American folklore like the Brer Rabbit stories. I'd love to visit it if I ever happen to be in that part of the world! :D

I really must watch the Five on a Treasure Island film some time (I never have yet). Good on Enid for reminding her Australian readers that "'George' in the film is an Australian girl, and they will be proud of her"! :wink:

As for the Russian boy translating her stories, I agree, Enid was probably more delighted that Russian children would have access to her work than infuriated about the copyright. As she delicately puts it, "They do not have the same kind of children's stories as we do" — quite possibly not because of cultural differences so much as because nothing could be published in Russia without permission from the Soviet government. I'm guessing they probably wouldn't have liked the idea of Russian children being corrupted by stories from the West (especially if it made them long for a different life from what they had in the USSR), so really, I reckon that Russian boy was quite brave.

Thanks again for sharing these magazines with us! :wink:
Society Member

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)
User avatar
Rob Houghton
Posts: 16029
Joined: 26 Feb 2005, 22:38
Favourite book/series: Rubadub Mystery, Famous Five and The Find-Outers
Favourite character: Snubby, Uncle Robert, George, Fatty
Location: Kings Norton, Birmingham

Re: 60 Years Ago This Week - Enid Blyton's Magazine 1957 -

Post by Rob Houghton »

I do wonder if that boy became the Russian poet! He certainly has a poetical way of writing letters!

http://people.com/archive/an-outcast-so ... l-8-no-18/
'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)



Society Member
User avatar
Anita Bensoussane
Forum Administrator
Posts: 26768
Joined: 30 Jan 2005, 23:25
Favourite book/series: Adventure series, Six Cousins books, Six Bad Boys
Favourite character: Jack Trent, Fatty and Elizabeth Allen
Location: UK

Re: 60 Years Ago This Week - Enid Blyton's Magazine 1957 -

Post by Anita Bensoussane »

Thanks as always to Rob and Tony for the write-up and scans. It's great to be able to discuss these magazines every fortnight.
Rob Houghton wrote:The cover shows an illustration from the first story in the magazine, A Castle Of Bricks... As you can see by the cover, its an unusual story for Enid Blyton - an historical one, set in the days of castles and knights. I won't give too much away, as the story is available for you to read - but I think its quite a good one, mostly because of the unusual setting.
I enjoyed it too. It's always interesting to read something a bit different. I liked Brer Rabbit Is A Simple Fellow as well. I love the tricks he plays!
Courtenay wrote:I enjoyed Brer Rabbit is a Simple Fellow, too — I've always loved Enid's retellings of Brer Rabbit stories. I was wondering about the title, since we all know Brer Rabbit is really a very clever fellow, but it turns out it comes from what he says at the end! Incidentally, I found out a while ago that there's a museum in Atlanta, Georgia — The Wren's Nest, the home of Joel Chandler Harris — dedicated to his life and to preserving African-American folklore like the Brer Rabbit stories. I'd love to visit it if I ever happen to be in that part of the world!
I hadn't heard of the museum but it sounds fascinating, Courtenay.
Rob Houghton wrote:Next we have Enid's Editorial letter ... In it, Enid tells us about the new Famous Five film - which she seems to rate very highly. It's interesting to read her views, because many people have criticised it over the years. I actually think it's one of the best adaptations of any of Enid's books, but I know everyone doesn't share my view.
Although I wouldn't call it "truly magnificent" as Enid does, I very much like the 1957 adaptation of Five on a Treasure Island and I've watched it a couple of times. The "linking/recap scenes" between episodes always make me laugh as they're so over-the-top, but the story itself is treated seriously and has plenty of pace and tension. I wonder who decided to alter Aunt Fanny to Aunt Margaret, and whether children wrote to Enid Blyton asking why the character's name was changed!

I see that readers sent in over 2,000 postcards requesting American penfriends, encouraged by Enid. I also recall her helping children find penfriends in India previously. She writes, "It is a fine thing to try to get to know children of other countries." So much for Enid Blyton's supposedly insular attitude!
Rob Houghton wrote:... there's part three of The Birthday Kitten - one of the few stories Enid wrote where every chapter heading is a spoken line of dialogue. I don't know any other EB stories which use this technique as chapter titles.
I've only read The Birthday Kitten once and I'd completely forgotten about the chapter headings. In fact, I can barely remember anything at all about the story so I really ought to read it again!
Rob Houghton wrote:Our Letter Page follows, with an interesting selection - particularly one boy, from Russia, who writes -

Dear Enid Blyton, The other day I read your nice magazine when I was on my holidays. I translated your interesting story 'Whatever Happened To Pong' which Moscow Radio then broadcast for Russian children, and they enjoyed it very much. I would be happy if this letter reached you. I send all British children warm greetings for a happy spring season. I hope there will be lots of sunshine in the sky - and in all their hearts. Long live peace all over the world! Very Sincerely, Igor Mikhailusenko

Interestingly, doing a Google search, Igor Mikhailusenko was a Russian poet...but I'm not sure if they are the same person!
It seems that the Russian poet would have been about 25 in 1957. He might well have read the magazine at that age though, if he just happened to come across a copy and picked it up out of curiosity!

I always do the puzzles and they're not generally too taxing, though I had no idea about this one:

Fill in the missing city in the following song -

I belong To .......


Luckily, thanks to YouTube I was able to find the answer and listen to the song!
"Heyho for a starry night and a heathery bed!" - Jack, The Secret Island.

"There is no bond like the bond of having read and liked the same books."
- E. Nesbit, The Wonderful Garden.


Society Member
User avatar
Courtenay
Posts: 19274
Joined: 07 Feb 2014, 01:22
Favourite book/series: The Adventure Series, Galliano's Circus
Favourite character: Lotta
Location: Both Aussie and British; living in Cheshire

Re: 60 Years Ago This Week - Enid Blyton's Magazine 1957 -

Post by Courtenay »

Yes, that would be interesting to know if Igor Mikhailusenko really was that poet... I love his comment "I hope there will be lots of sunshine in the sky — and in all their hearts. Long live peace all over the world!" Very poignant, when probably a lot of Enid's young British and overseas readers would have been aware of Russia as "the enemy". Like you say, Anita, who says Enid had an insular attitude or encouraged her readers to be terribly Anglo-centric??

I haven't tried looking it up on YouTube, but I guessed "I Belong to..." as "Glasgow" — my mum loves Scottish songs and had that one on tape when I was little! :wink:
Society Member

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)
User avatar
Rob Houghton
Posts: 16029
Joined: 26 Feb 2005, 22:38
Favourite book/series: Rubadub Mystery, Famous Five and The Find-Outers
Favourite character: Snubby, Uncle Robert, George, Fatty
Location: Kings Norton, Birmingham

Re: 60 Years Ago This Week - Enid Blyton's Magazine 1957 -

Post by Rob Houghton »

I agree, that comment certainly shows Enid to be anything but insular and xenophobic, as is often claimed! Good observation, Anita. She has a thirst for getting to know other cultures and races. Its odd how people judged her on her stories, which, in the end, were mainly written with white British children in mind, and which only reflected the attitudes of the day. Enid's delight over the little black girl Violet, in her children's home, is also very revealing of Enid's outlook towards others.

I didn't think of 'I belong to Glasgow' but I did presume that the other song title was 'April In Paris'...or was it something different? :-D

I agree about the poet...even if he was 25 he might well have written to Enid and read the story. In fact it makes more sense that something a man translated would end up on the radio than something a school boy had translated. I guess we'll never know - but I see he lived in Moscow which adds up with what the 'boy' says about the Moscow Children's Radio... ;-) Also, it mentions that he 'lost his job as translator for the Soviet copyright Agency 'because he wrote a letter to an American magazine.' It also states that he wrote letters to many world leaders, and to periodicals and was accused of being a 'peacenik' and 'a peace champion'. Given the closing lines in his letter to Enid, this also fits very well!
'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)



Society Member
Post Reply