An Outing to Beckenham on June 15th

[Fiona1986]

We're all in the pub for lunch now. We've had a bit of a downpour already, so I hope it brightens up by the time we head off again!

[Daisy]

Thanks for the update Fiona. Hope the day brightens up - it's very changeable by the look of it.

[Pippa-Stef]

Just on our way home from Beckenham now. It was lovely to see everyone and the tour was very interesting. Apart from getting rained on, a very good day!

Will post more details later

[Daisy]

Looking forward to that Stef. So glad it has been an enjoyable outing.

[Shelley]

What a lovely informative day I had today. I'm just waiting for the train into London now, got soaked after seeing the last extra thing on the agenda.

Thanks Cliff for your knowledge. Nice to meet everyone. Hope everyone gets home ok.

[Lucky Star]

Live updates. The wonders of modern technology.

I'm sorry to hear about the rain but I'm sure the company and the tour made up for it. Looking forward to the reports.

[Katharine]

Well I guess the group will be bright and breezy, whatever the weather.

I'd like to think that pretty much summed up the day. I got back about quarter of an hour ago, and am now trying to mentally process everything I saw and heard.

Shelly, it was lovely to meet you, and I'm sorry to hear you got caught in the rain. Mum and I were tempted to join you on the final visit, but had just about run out of steam. Just after we got on the train, the heavens opened, and the rain was rattling down the windows. We both said we hoped you had got to the station before it started.

Many thanks to Cliff for organising the day (and Tony for passing on the information).

Also thanks for Stef and Fiona - excellent babysitters/child entertainers.

[Francis]

Back home, exhausted and happy after a fantastic day. Two things to mention at this early date. Must thank Cliff Watkins and his helpers for shepparding us around so expertly - it is not an easy thing to do and we very much appreciated their sterling efforts. The other thing that struck is how nice the members of the Enid Blyton society are - I thank you all for your lovely conversation and friendship. To see some of you in the flesh only emphasised this fact.

[Julie2owlsdene]

I thoroughly enjoyed the day. It did shower on us a few times, but not for long, and it didn't spoil the day for me at all. Lovely to see everyone. I enjoyed the train and tram journey which we (Eddie and Chick and me) took to Clockhouse. The first house, we saw with the blue plaque, was lovely, and being renovoted to an immaculate condition. The lovely couple who owned it, let us look around, all of us that is. And they were even brewing up cups of tea. What a fabulous couple they were. I certainly wouldn't want hordes of strangers looking around my newly renovated house!

It was fun following the route to view the outside of the other houses, and we dropped lucky with just walking into the pub, which was large and served us with no hassle whatsoever. The bus journey was an experience as I've not been on a bus for many a year. But the cost! Wow!! £2.40, for a one way trip and £2.40 back after we'd viewed Elfin Cottage. Talk about dear!! I hadn't realized fares had gone up that much!

Sorry to hear you got drenched, Shelley. Once back at Clockhouse we didn't have to wait long for a tram back to East Croydon and then got straight onto a train back to Haywards Heath. The sun was out too so no rain either.

A great day, with a fabulous lot of like minded people. Grateful thanks to Cliff for the tour and anyone else who was involved with the planning and information.

[Anita Bensoussane]

Well I guess the group will be bright and breezy, whatever the weather.

I'd like to think that pretty much summed up the day.

Hear hear! A relaxed and informative day, and the showers of rain didn't bother us too much. I really enjoyed seeing the houses and Tresco (Enid's first school) and visiting the church in Elm Road. As far as the houses were concerned I found Elfin Cottage and the Elm Road house particularly attractive (we crept through the gate of Elfin Cottage to see the house properly and take photos). While looking at the Attenboroughs' house in Oakwood Avenue we talked about Enid opening her bedroom window at night and sitting with her legs dangling down the roof, and about the fact that there used to be a mansion and a wood on the other side of the road (now houses).

It was lovely to chat to everyone, and those who would have liked to be there but couldn't come were missed. Cliff did a very good job of guiding us round and imparting information and the owners of the Chaffinch Road house were wonderful as others have said. They served cups of tea and a selection of home-made cakes - I chose a rock bun because rock buns always seem so Secret Seven-ish. We admired the newly affixed blue plaque and also an old medicine bottle which was discovered during the recent renovations to the house. One side had a label saying "Poison" but another label explained that the contents (long since gone) were a medicine for various ailments. These included whooping cough, which we know Enid had as a baby. Research would be needed to confirm exactly when that style of bottle was in use, but it was interesting to see it.

At the end of the day I enjoyed walking with Katharine and her mother and daughter, Rob (Viking Star) and Shelley to Shortlands Station, where I caught a train back to London. We stopped to look at a pretty cottage not far from the station.

Unfortunately all my photos are of houses, not people, but I think two or three people did take group photos.

[Ming]

It sounds like a lovely trip! I'm particularly looking forward to seeing photos of the plaque and Elfin Cottage.

[deepeabee]

I'm glad a good time was had by all. I'd love to join in one day.

[Anita Bensoussane]

I hope you'll get the chance to come to a future gathering, Deepeabee.

There was a slight muddle at the start of the day when a group of us came out of the nearest exit at Clock House Station and waited there for a while, thinking that was where everyone was meeting. It was hot and sunny (sadly, that weather wasn't to last!) and we stood there chatting happily for at least 15 minutes before someone suddenly realised it was gone 11 o' clock and that perhaps we were in the wrong place! Cliff and the others looked relieved when we finally walked round to meet them by another entrance! At least we'd had a nice chat while waiting in the sun! I talked to Sally, John Lester and others about what we thought were Enid Blyton's best and worst books, and about the portrayal of adult characters in the Barney and Adventure series.

Later in the day we were standing up on the bus and it jolted and threw me hard against poor Shelley - I hope she isn't suffering from any injuries!

Stef and I found we had matching handbags (unfortunately for me, we didn't have matching cameras! )

Hope everyone had a good journey home. I had minor delays because of signal failure on a Tube line and overhead wire problems on the railway line, but I think it only made a difference of about 30-40 minutes.

[Eddie Muir]

It was indeed a super day in spite of a few rain showers and blustery wind as well as a welcome measure of sunshine. Chick and I thoroughly enjoyed meeting up with friends old and new and seeing some of the places connected with Enid Blyton. At lunch time, we were extremely lucky to "fall" into the pub, The White Horse, and escape a heavy shower. A very pleasant session was spent there in great company and with excellent food.

I took lots of photos, mostly of the houses but a few of the people attending. Unfortunately I dropped my camera on the hard floor in the Elm Road Baptist Church and it has a crack in it (the camera not the floor). Luckily, in spite of the damage, it seems to still work and I'll try to download some of my pictures when I can.

Chick and I also enjoyed our train and tram journeys with Julie as well as our delicious fish and chip meal with her and Stephen at their B&B in Newick later in the evening. All in all a great day out.

Grateful thanks to Cliff Watkins for organising a most interesting tour.

[Poppy]

Great to hear your reviews and that you had a wonderful day. It sounds most interesting and I am very much looking forward to seeing some of the photos. Sorry that your camera returned with a few injuries, Eddie. Thank goodness you didn't lose your photos! Sounds like there was good weather most of the day and I suppose avoiding the showers is all part of the fun! I hope to attend future gatherings!