60 Years Ago This Week - Enid Blyton's Magazine - 1959

[Daisy]

Thank goodness - I can stop my search now!

[Boatbuilder]

Did you think it was some obscure instrument you'd never heard of, Daisy?

[Daisy]

I was beginning to wonder!

[Rob Houghton]

Apologies. I was typing too quickly!

[Courtenay]

Thanks for another entertaining issue, Rob and Tony. I liked reading That Boy Nicky! as well — actually, I was expecting that Nicky himself would get into trouble somehow and Sam would have to rescue him, but I enjoyed the way it went anyway. I'm also not too sure about Enid's advice for how to deal with a charging bull either, mind you!!

Lastly, we have some adverts and some news about some new Enid Blyton items - why not try the Noddy sculptocraft set or if you prefer you can mould Noddy and his friends in Plasticine along with many of his other friends. Then there are also some new Noddy jigsaws made of plywood.

You'd enjoy those, wouldn't you, Anita?? (Although I can imagine the Plasticine ones might end up doubling as voodoo dolls...)

[Anita Bensoussane]

I find a lot of the Noddy stories long-winded but I don't mind Noddy-themed crafts and games.

[Courtenay]

Well then, I might have to invite you over for tea with my Noddy tea set after all, Anita, if you don't mind drinking out of cups that are about 2 inches high!

[Anita Bensoussane]

I don't mind at all - I'll just have to drink multiple cups of tea!

[Rob Houghton]

If I'm invited, I'll bring my Noddy Happy Families game!

[Courtenay]

If we've still got it — which I'm pretty sure is the case — I could bring back my Noddy Stencil Outfit from my parents' place in Australia, for us all to make pictures with while we're drinking tea and playing Happy Families...

[Rob Houghton]

Here we are again - already - another fortnight flown past!



Here we have the latest EB magazine - with a lovely cover by the talented Marjorie L Davies. It depicts the first uncollected short story (there are two in this issue!) A Real Bit of Luck! Its a very enjoyable story, although similar to quite a few others I'd read, and fairy predictable - but I quite enjoyed it. Read it by following the link!

In Enid's Editorial Letter she tells us about pen pals - something that seemed to have been very popular during the 1950's and 60's. Its nice to see a penfriends Friendship League in Birmingham mentioned!

Our Letter Page has a very interesting letter from Elizabeth Westwater - a Famous Five member from Ryde, New South Wales, Australia. She tells us about a spider she was watching. He let down a strand of web and caught a passing ant with it, then pulled the strand up and wrapped the ant up to eat later. Enid Blyton's reply was what interested me most, as she said 'Spiders all over the world do this kind of thing, Elizabeth, and I agree with you they are most interesting and clever!' I must say, I've never seen a spider do this...maybe its more common in Australia?!

Bonfire Night for the Secret Seven follows on with Chapter 11. It even has rather a good illustration - not in the book - which I thought should have been. Sharrocks isn't the best illustrator ever, but the illustration of the Guy is quite lively and well-drawn, I thought.



Its much better than the rather bland redrawn version that appears in the book -



PUZZLE PAGE

Sunbeams Prize Puzzle -

What am I?

My first is in kitten,
My second in white,
My third is in tower
My fourth is in height,
My whole is something with which you can play,
On every wild and windy day!


Famous Five Prize Puzzle -

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

a) "You may stir once or twice."
b) "Does your sherbert fizz in cold water?"
c) Ron was the leading runner in the club.



By the way - 'sherbet' is spelled wrongly in the above puzzle - that's how its spelled in the magazine.


A Puzzle For My Busy Bees -

What is the full name of the little girl in the book 'Peter Pan'?


The next uncollected story is a jolly little tale called One Tuppenny Egg - a story for younger children, that reminds me very much of a Noddy story, called 'Stop, Noddy, Stop!' (I think). Its fairly predictable, but its quite amusing too. As a child I would have loved this story and laughed heartily at the antics of 'Jiminy' the pixie (or whatever he is). Its a typical Enid Blyton story, where the central character gets his comeuppance - and I loved that type of thing as a child.

The Goblin Shop follows next - always a lot of fun, with some great illustrations by R Paul Hoy...although I prefer the original ones.

Adventure of the Strange Ruby follows. It's the final chapter, and all is rounded off nicely of course! Another R Paul Hoy illustration graces this issue - one of his more detailed ones -



but as ever, Roger Payne wins the day for me - with a lovely illustration to finish off the book - what a pity he was never used as illustrator for any other Enid Blyton book!



The Ragamuffin Mystery continues on with chapter 16 - and another illustration that appears in the novel, except here it is highlighted in blue. You can see it by following the link, thanks to Tony.

Lastly, we have an advert for those Noddy stand-up puzzles again - and Enid also mentions them in her News Sheet She writes - You will see a new set of Noddy jigsaws called 'The Big Four Set' on page 33. With this set you can make stand-up figures of Noddy, Big-Ears, Mr Plod and the Wobbly Man. When you are tired of making them you can do what a small friend of mine does - stand them on your mantelpiece as ornaments!

These obviously weren't very popular...or they quickly got lost...because I've never seen them on eBay or elsewhere.

Until next time - here's the link -

https://www.enidblytonsociety.co.uk/mag ... ?magid=958

[Kate Mary]

A nice couple of stories to read with my morning cup of tea, thank you Tony and Rob. I shall miss these reviews when we come to the end.

[Anita Bensoussane]

I enjoyed A Real Bit of Luck! as it was lovely to read about the ruined tower and the jackdaws, but I was a little surprised that the children accepted the £2.00 reward. Enid Blyton characters quite often refuse to take money in return for an act of kindness - though they will usually accept a piece of cake or something like that.

Our Letter Page has a very interesting letter from Elizabeth Westwater - a Famous Five member from Ryde, New South Wales, Australia. She tells us about a spider she was watching. He let down a strand of web and caught a passing ant with it, then pulled the strand up and wrapped the ant up to eat later. Enid Blyton's reply was what interested me most, as she said 'Spiders all over the world do this kind of thing, Elizabeth, and I agree with you they are most interesting and clever!' I must say, I've never seen a spider do this...maybe its more common in Australia?!

I've often seen spiders winding thread around flies and bees in our garden, though I'm not sure that I've ever actually witnessed the moment of capture.

I agree that Burgess Sharrocks' magazine illustration of the Guy is lively and well-drawn, Rob, and I also like Gerald Dunlop's blue-tinted picture from The Ragamuffin Mystery. It looks gloriously tranquil and holidayish. Like you, I think it's a pity that Roger Payne only illustrated one Enid Blyton book as his illustrations are attractive and full of detail.

Famous Five Prize Puzzle -

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

a) "You may stir once or twice."
b) "Does your sherbert fizz in cold water?"
c) Ron was the leading runner in the club.


By the way - 'sherbet' is spelled wrongly in the above puzzle - that's how its spelled in the magazine.

Funnily enough, that's how I used to spell it until I was in my thirties! I was convinced it had a second 'r', like Herbert!

Thanks very much for the write-up, Rob - and for the scans, Tony. Having the opportunity to share our thoughts on these vintage magazines is most enjoyable.

[Daisy]

Many thanks once again, Rob. I have enjoyed reading the stories and features which enhanced my childhood when I used to get the magazine fresh off the press! Some of these later ones I never saw though, having grown up before the magazine ended altogether, so these you have reproduced here are quite new to me.

[Rob Houghton]

I've often seen spiders winding thread around flies and bees in our garden, though I'm not sure that I've ever actually witnessed the moment of capture.

Me too. I've often seen flies etc get caught in a spider's web and the spider run out to it to wrap it up...but I have never seen a spider sitting in a web drop down a silk thread to hook up a passing insect, rather like he was fishing! I still can't quite believe this happens, and yet Enid had obviously witnessed it!

Many thanks once again, Rob. I have enjoyed reading the stories and features which enhanced my childhood when I used to get the magazine fresh off the press! Some of these later ones I never saw though, having grown up before the magazine ended altogether, so these you have reproduced here are quite new to me.

Thank you Daisy. Its good to know people have been enjoying these explorations of EB's Magazine over the years I've been doing it. Hard to believe I've been doing the '60 years ago today' threads since mid 2016!

However, I must admit its been a bit of a chore, sometimes, as each review takes around an hour to write, and often I've thought about stopping...especially since so few people (as far as I can tell!) even look at this thread! Thank you to those of you who have looked at it throughout the three years I've been doing it - your support has been much appreciated.

When 1959 runs out, however, I plan on having a break. I started in 1956 because I had the full set of magazines, and it happened to be 2016, so it was a nice rounded figure - 60 years - since publication...but that;s not going to happen again until 2023 - when it will be 70 years since the first magazines were published! Also, I don't have full sets of 1953 or 1954...but if anyone does, feel free to share a few issues with us on the forums!