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Re: Journal 62

Posted: 20 Mar 2017, 20:54
by Nick
Journal 62 is now safely stowed away after being read cover to cover this morning. A huge thanks to all those that contributed to an excellent edition.

I really enjoyed Ilsa's contribution, such an unusual piece for the journal and one that worked really well. The nods to future events were well done and, in the 7 years that I've been a journal subscriber, I'm struggling to think of an article that was as a left field and as enjoyable as that.

Re: Journal 62

Posted: 20 Mar 2017, 22:40
by Courtenay
Jack400 wrote: My understanding was that it was started by a semi-literate mayor of London. He thought that the three words started with an 'r'.Knowing how much it hindered him he wanted all children to learn the " Three R's". Of course his audience had no idea what he was referring to - but decided it was a good idea and even called it by the name he had given it. I imagine that today the idea would be shelved as no-one would risk raising the topic for many years after the inevitable sarcastic laughter had died down! :roll:
Haven't managed to find anything to substantiate that story - even Wikipedia doesn't seem to give an actual origin, so I guess it's a bit of a mystery...

(Don't worry, Tony, I've very much enjoyed what I've read of Journal 62 so far and will post my thoughts when I've finished it!! :wink:

Re: Journal 62

Posted: 20 Mar 2017, 22:50
by Daisy
Thank you Nick, it was good fun thinking it out and writing it. I had often wondered how the gold had got there, and why the Kirrins had become poor. :)

Re: Journal 62

Posted: 20 Mar 2017, 23:11
by Anita Bensoussane
Jack400 wrote:So far I have read Robert's Adventure of the Strange Ruby- a book I've no personal knowledge of but comparing two versions was interesting.
I enjoyed the comparisons too. It's a shame that some of the changes made for the Riddle series spoilt the suspense Enid Blyton had created - e.g. the alterations to chapter breaks which led to many of her cliffhanger endings being lost.
Jack400 wrote:Enid's letter gave an insight into her (and her nephew's ) lives.
Yes, I found Carey and Enid's letters fascinating. It's interesting to see Carey turning to his aunt for advice after losing his job. Enid refers to "the four composers I know." I recall Alec Rowley, Philip Green and R.C. Noel-Johnson. Anyone know the fourth?

Enid mentions that musicians, writers and artists are all finding it difficult to get work. I wonder if things were becoming more regulated and in-house staff were being used rather than freelance workers?

Interesting that Enid encourages Carey by talking of how he might suddenly hit on something that takes off and becomes massively popular - as happened to her with Noddy.

I like the three poems that Tony has included and I agree with John Henstock that Enid Blyton is a wonderfully diverse writer.
Kate Mary wrote:Anita' s article on Tales of Long Ago has inspired me to dig out my copy, another well written piece.
Thanks, Kate.

Re: Journal 62

Posted: 20 Mar 2017, 23:27
by Katharine
I read a little more today, including the letter from Enid to her nephew. I was just wondering if she actually wrote 'four' - I tried to read the original letter first before the transcript, and I thought it said "the few composers". However I'm not that familiar with Enid's writing, so am probably wrong.

I too thought the Noddy comment was very interesting.

Re: Journal 62

Posted: 20 Mar 2017, 23:31
by Anita Bensoussane
Ah yes - you could be right about "the few composers", Katharine!

Carey Blyton did hit on something a few years later that took off and became very popular - the song 'Bananas in Pyjamas'!

Re: Journal 62

Posted: 21 Mar 2017, 00:39
by Courtenay
Anita Bensoussane wrote: Carey Blyton did hit on something a few years later that took off and became very popular - the song 'Bananas in Pyjamas'!
Really — the same song that was a regular feature on Play School (the Aussie version) when I was little and that inspired the long-running TV series for kids in the 1990s?! All these years I had no idea there was a Blyton connection... :shock:

Re: Journal 62

Posted: 21 Mar 2017, 00:41
by Rob Houghton

Re: Journal 62

Posted: 21 Mar 2017, 00:52
by Courtenay
:lol: You don't have to remind me! ("Are you thinking what I'm thinking, B1?") :wink:

Re: Journal 62

Posted: 21 Mar 2017, 09:11
by Anita Bensoussane
I remember being taught that song in infant school, with the teacher playing it on the piano. I loved Enid Blyton (I had a lot of the Dean & Son and Purnell Sunshine Library books) and I'd have been delighted to know that 'Bananas in Pyjamas' had been composed by Enid's nephew.

Re: Journal 62

Posted: 21 Mar 2017, 09:32
by sixret
I remember this programme because my nephews watched the programme every now and then and I hated the song. :lol:

Re: Journal 62

Posted: 21 Mar 2017, 09:54
by Courtenay
I always liked the song when I was little — as I said, it came up regularly on Play School (with accompanying animation), and my dad, when he taught Prep (first year of primary school in Victoria), used to sing it with his classes as well. He had a couple of other verses too, which I'm guessing may not have been in the original — "Zucchinis in Bikinis" and "Green Beans in Blue Jeans" (as far as I remember, the rest of each verse was the same, i.e. chasing teddy bears on Tuesdays [why Tuesdays, I've always wondered?? :P ]). 8)

Re: Journal 62

Posted: 21 Mar 2017, 09:59
by Julie2owlsdene
Tony Summerfield wrote:I rather foolishly thought that this thread might have been about Journal 62, I suppose I should have known better by now! :roll:
I guess some will always wonder off topic, Tony!

8)

Re: Journal 62

Posted: 21 Mar 2017, 10:11
by Anita Bensoussane
Carey Blyton came up with 'Bananas in Pyjamas' while trying to entertain his young son Matthew on a long car journey. When the TV series and related merchandise came out, Carey had to employ a lawyer to fight for reasonable royalties:

http://www.careyblyton.com/??=Bananas" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Re: Journal 62

Posted: 21 Mar 2017, 10:31
by Courtenay
Gosh, that's awful that he barely even managed to get a "microscopic percentage" of the ABC's earnings from Bananas in Pyjamas merchandise, and only after a long legal battle! :(

I'm quite fascinated to see that the song was originally published in a book of Carey's nonsense verse in 1972, and that, as the website points out, the original illustration (by Tom Barling) makes the bananas look "really quite menacing"... :shock:

Image

Anyway, this is still (sort of) on topic for Journal 62, since it goes to show Carey did eventually "hit on something that makes a great success", just as Aunt Enid suggested — even if he had to fight to get any amount of money out of it!