Noddy goes to the Moon.

[Judith Crabb]

I came across a program for a performance in Melbourne in December 1964 'presented by J.C.W. Theatres Ltd. at Her Majesty's Theatre'.
I assume that this was following on from various UK performances?

[Anita Bensoussane]

That's interesting, Judith. I remember Tony saying that Enid Blyton's 1964 notebook mentions the title Noddy Goes to the Moon. I don't know exactly what the notebook says, but some of the things listed in it never got done (e.g. a planned 16th Secret Seven book called Good Luck, Secret Seven) because Enid's dementia was by then making writing a struggle. This is the first I've heard of a play with that title.

[pete9012S]

I mean would the Moon be far enough. Could the little fellow not be sent to the outer reaches of the known universe..

*waits for harsh moderator whiplash*

[Anita Bensoussane]

A whip like that would enable me to give many a stinging retort!

[MJE]

e.g. a planned 16th Secret Seven book called Good Luck, Secret Seven

     I'd never heard of that before. What a pity it didn't get written.
     Do any fragments from the text survive, or at least any notes on what the story would have been about?

     On a similar theme, I believe I read about a new Mr. Tumpy book being discovered relatively recently - wasn't it called "Mr. Tumpy's Caravan"? Has it been published, or are there any plans by anyone to do so?
     Are there any other Blyton books which have been discovered only after the author's death?

Regards, Michael.


P.S.:
     One comments so often now about Donald Trump that, twice, in typing the above, I had to go back and delete the "r" I automatically put between the "T" and "u". Not a good sign!

[Anita Bensoussane]

Unfortunately I don't think anything survives to indicate what Good Luck, Secret Seven might have been about, Michael.

The Mr. Tumpy book (Mr. Tumpy's Caravan) came to light about ten years ago but at the moment there are no plans to publish it, which is a pity as it's a full-length novel written in the 1930s.

[MJE]

The Mr. Tumpy book (Mr. Tumpy's Caravan) came to light about ten years ago but at the moment there are no plans to publish it, which is a pity as it's a full-length novel written in the 1930s.

     Is that because there are copyright/ownership disputes over it, or simply that no-one is interested in publishing it?
     Have you read it, Anita? Do you know if it's good?

Regards, Michael.

[Wolfgang]

A whip like that would enable me to give many a stinging retort!

And what about the catsuit? Wouldn't you like to wear it as well?

[Anita Bensoussane]

Oh, that's how I look all the time, Wolfgang!

Michael, no one seems interested in publishing Mr. Tumpy's Caravan. I had the chance to read it about nine years ago and it's a fanciful story about three men (Mr. Tumpy and two of his friends, Muffin and Puffin!) who travel around in a caravan. There's also a dog called Bun-Dorg. The style is a little quaint and there are shades of The Enid Blyton Book of Brownies. Certain elements also remind me of The Magic Pudding by Norman Lindsay, and L. Frank Baum's Oz books.

Chorion owned the Enid Blyton copyright at the time the book was discovered. They gave some thought to bringing out a quality edition aimed at adult collectors, but nothing came of it. It was felt that the book might not appeal to children because of the main characters being grown-ups. However, that hasn't prevented generations of children reading Norman Hunter's Professor Branestawm books or Alf Proysen's stories about Little Old Mrs. Pepperpot.

[MJE]

Michael, no one seems interested in publishing Mr. Tumpy's Caravan.

     That's a pity. This is not a series I've read, so it probably doesn't affect me (I have never attempted the near-impossible and probably extremely expensive quest to acquire and read every one of Enid Blyton's books); but it would be nice for it to be available for the sake of completeness.
     If no-one is interested in publishing it commercially, then I wonder whether the copyright owner (who is that now?) would consider releasing it for publication by non-profit groups such as the E.B.S. - which I understand has occasionally published other stories.
     Or serialize it in the Journal, perhaps?

Regards, Michael.

[Anita Bensoussane]

Although Hachette UK own the Enid Blyton copyright (bar Noddy, where the copyright is owned by DreamWorks), I'm not sure whether they own the rights to material that was never published. As Mr. Tumpy's Caravan is a full-length book, it could be difficult to bring it out as a Society publication. Tony has struggled to break even on several of the booklets he's produced over the years, and then there's the added complication that a full-length book could really do with some illustrations (cover and internal). Serialising it in the Journal would take years.

[MJE]

Serialising it in the Journal would take years.

     Or in the serials section on the web site, perhaps? (Just an idea, at least.)
     As for illustrations, I appreciate it may be difficult to organize that, but that it would be desirable. But if that proved impossible, I still feel the text of the novel alone,without illustrations, would still be better than nothing.

Regards, Michael.

[Fiona1986]

I'm sure Rob would do some cracking illustrations if asked (she says stirring the pot!)