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

Discuss Blyton's magazines, short stories and poetry here.
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Rob Houghton
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Re: 60 Years Ago This Week - Enid Blyton's Magazine 1957 -

Post by Rob Houghton »

Eddie Muir wrote:It's always a pleasure to read your posts on this thread, Rob.

A big THANK YOU for your latest contribution. :D
Thank YOU Eddie! ;-)
Tony Summerfield wrote:As always I have also enjoyed your account of the Magazine, Rob, but I must admit although I scanned the stories I haven't yet read them - I am a bit under the work cosh at the moment as everything seems to be ganging up on me at once. Great stuff, I hope it will get a few more comments!
Thank you Tony - I enjoy writing it, and thanks for the scans too - its great that people can at last read these stories that have 'lain undiscovered' for 60 years! :-)
'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)



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

Post by Anita Bensoussane »

Thanks very much, Rob and Tony, for the write-up and the stories. Enjoyable puzzles and a fascinating account of the children in New Zealand having a real-life adventure. Crumbs - their criminal sounds typically Blytonian with his red hair, limp and hunch! What's the betting that he had a snake-like scar somewhere too? :wink:
Rob Houghton wrote:The cover illustration this issue comes from the first uncollected short story, Mr Twiddle's Ladder. Whenever I read a Mr Twiddle story, I realise how good they are... They're always amusing, though often predictable, a bit like The Three Golliwogs stories. I do enjoy the feel of these stories though, giving us a glimpse into a world that was simpler and very homely - how things were in the past - which always shines through in these tales.
Kate Mary wrote:I am rather fond of the old boy, exasperating though he is.
I also love the homely feel of these stories and have a soft spot for Mr. Twiddle despite the fact that he so often creates chaos. It's alarming to read of him falling asleep up trees though - it sounds dangerous!
Rob Houghton wrote:... we have an advert for some children's books not written by Enid Blyton, which Enid actually plugs in her 'News sheet' at the end of the magazine... These are The Golden Shore - by Elinor Lyon, The Nameless Boat - by M Pardoe, The Golden Stallion's Victory - by Rutherford G Montgomery and Ballet For Drina by Jean Estoril I've never read any of them, I must admit!
Neither have I, but going by the titles alone I like the sound of The Nameless Boat by M. Pardoe.
Rob Houghton wrote:Following on from the letters, we have the third story - again, available to read in The Cave - The Little Highwayman. It's an entertaining enough story, but it got me a bit annoyed in a way, as its a perfect example of typical EB at her worst - when she blames a child for being bullied or robbed rather than placing the blame on the bully or thief! Also, Tim's family must be exceptionally lazy and have plenty of money to spare.
Totally agree, Rob. I feel sorry for Tim belonging to such a lazy, wasteful, unsupportive family! Great illustrations though!
Tony Summerfield wrote:... although I scanned the stories I haven't yet read them - I am a bit under the work cosh at the moment as everything seems to be ganging up on me at once.
Hope you can find some time to relax this week, Tony. You deserve it!
"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.


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

Post by Moonraker »

Tony Summerfield wrote: I must admit although I scanned the stories I haven't yet read them
I am ashamed to say, neither have I. With warmer weather ahead of us, I intend to re-dress that by repairing to the summerhouse and reading them on my iPad. Happy days!
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Re: 60 Years Ago This Week - Enid Blyton's Magazine 1957 -

Post by Rob Houghton »

Tony Summerfield wrote:As always I have also enjoyed your account of the Magazine, Rob, but I must admit although I scanned the stories I haven't yet read them - I am a bit under the work cosh at the moment as everything seems to be ganging up on me at once. Great stuff, I hope it will get a few more comments!
Just the usual amount of loyal regulars, Tony - who are all appreciated very much. :-D

It's not exactly the Tea Thread, I know! ;-)

:twisted:
'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)



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

Post by Julie2owlsdene »

I'd rather read this thread any day than the tea thread!

8)
Julian gave an exclamation and nudged George.
"See that? It's the black Bentley again. KMF 102!"

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

Post by Rob Houghton »

Thanks Julie! Feel free to read it with a cup of tea!! ;-)
'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)



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

Post by Julie2owlsdene »

Nice one, Robert. :lol: :lol:

8)
Julian gave an exclamation and nudged George.
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Re: 60 Years Ago This Week - Enid Blyton's Magazine 1957 -

Post by Courtenay »

I've just been reading it with a cup of tea myself. :wink: Thanks again, Rob, for your meticulous review of the contents, and Tony for scanning the uncollected stories and Enid's editorial. Interesting to read her account of "The Famous Four" — I'm sure hearing about real-life happenings like that must have encouraged plenty of young fans to keep up their Blyton-inspired games just in case they stumbled upon a real mystery or adventure... :D

I think I only had one book of Mr Twiddle stories while growing up and didn't find it until I was possibly a bit too old for them, so I don't have many memories of his antics — except for one story I remember particularly enjoying, where Twiddle somehow mistakes a tube of glue for toothpaste and ends up with his teeth stuck together! :lol: It was good to read Mr Twiddle's Ladder, but I agree, his absent-minded antics get a bit frustrating after a while — like Rob, I feel sorry for his wife!

Also agree with Rob's assessment of The Little Highwayman:
Rob Houghton wrote:It's an entertaining enough story, but it got me a bit annoyed in a way, as its a perfect example of typical EB at her worst - when she blames a child for being bullied or robbed rather than placing the blame on the bully or thief! Also, Tim's family must be exceptionally lazy and have plenty of money to spare. Even his mother would rather her son be 'mugged' for the things she asks him to get from the shops than send someone else to get them - or maybe suggest that all her children go together. She simply tells Tim to run faster, or find a way to outwit the 'little highwayman' of the title. Many items become destroyed on the journey home, and mother doesn't seem to be very bothered. Also, Tim's brother and sister are so lazy that they wouldn't dream of running errands in Tim's place! An interesting story - with hints at the snake idea used in The River of Adventure at the end.
Especially frustrating that no-one (especially any of the adults) offers to go with Tim to keep the thieving bully away, or even tries to find out the bully's identity and have him brought to justice. Not all Enid's stories involving bullies are like that, but this one doesn't offer readers a particularly helpful picture of how a child could handle that kind of situation in real life. (Where's Mr Pink-Whistle when you need him?? :wink: )

I would have like to read the Mr Stamp-About story — I recall his name from one of the short story collections we had when I was little, but I can't remember much about it except that it wasn't Mr Stamp-About Goes Shopping! I may have to keep an eye out for a copy of The Three Strange Travellers.

Lots of other lovely titbits as well, including Senta Mary's long list of birds (yes, there really are house sparrows and tree sparrows AND "hedge sparrows", which aren't closely related to the sparrow family — I think dunnock is the more common name for them now) and the craft idea for an old gramophone record. As Rob suggests, that must have been a vinyl record — I have actually seen bowls or pots made out of them in just that way. I just looked up what 78s were made of, and they were a composite of shellac and finely ground slate or limestone, which I'm pretty sure wouldn't become pliable when heated!

Thanks again to Rob and Tony for another very enjoyable interlude with Enid's magazine — must get on with the new Journal next! :D
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Re: 60 Years Ago This Week - Enid Blyton's Magazine 1957 -

Post by Rob Houghton »

Thanks Courtenay! :-)

I asked my dad about the gramophone record melting, and he reckoned a 78 would have melted much like a vinyl record...and that he'd seen bowls made of records like this in the past...though I haven't tried it myself yet, so I can't back his theory up! ;-)

I'm tempted to try it, as we have lots of 78's...but I can't think of one that I want to completely destroy!! :?
'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)



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

Post by Courtenay »

You don't have a "really useless" one? :wink: I'd be interested to know if it works too, but I can't see my dad letting anyone destroy any of his 78s either...
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Re: 60 Years Ago This Week - Enid Blyton's Magazine 1957 -

Post by Eddie Muir »

When I was a youngster, lots of people melted unwanted 78s to make flower pots. The holes in the centre of the records were ideal for drainage. :D
'Go down to the side-shows by the river this afternoon. I'll meet you somewhere in disguise. Bet you won't know me!' wrote Fatty.

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

Post by Anita Bensoussane »

Courtenay wrote:You don't have a "really useless" one? :wink:
Yes - haven't you got one which has a girl singing lullabies on one side, with no music, and nursery rhymes on the other? :wink:
"Heyho for a starry night and a heathery bed!" - Jack, The Secret Island.

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

Post by Rob Houghton »

:-D

I'm sure I do have a really useless one! We have a vast collection of 78's - some belonging to my dad and his father, dating back to the early 1900's and some later ones - and some that are completely ruined and not playable.

We also have a very collectable one (which I won't be putting in the oven!!) which plays from the centre (you start the needle in the centre near the label and the needle moves to the outside edge). This was apparently an early design that never caught on.
'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)



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

Post by Courtenay »

Thanks for the info on melting 78s, Eddie — again, though, I don't think I'll try it with any of Dad's collection! :lol:
Anita Bensoussane wrote:
Courtenay wrote:You don't have a "really useless" one? :wink:
Yes - haven't you got one which has a girl singing lullabies on one side, with no music, and nursery rhymes on the other? :wink:
Hush! Hush! Hush! :wink:
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Re: 60 Years Ago This Week - Enid Blyton's Magazine 1957 -

Post by Rob Houghton »

Image

http://www.enidblytonsociety.co.uk/maga ... ?magid=907

The fortnight goes so fast that I'm amazed its once again time to delve into the latest EB Magazine! March 27 - April 9, 1957. :-D

I love the cover of this issue - an illustration from the first short story, called simply 'Three Hundred Years Ago'. Its an interesting one, because its a true story, apparently, all about how a little boy called Charles helps to gather seeds so that the whole world, and not just a privaleged few, can enjoy anemones. I really love the illustrations - you can see one on the cover and a bigger version which Tony has provided in the link above. Such a shame the illustrations are uncredited.

One thing I did think about this story was why didn't Charles' uncle grow anemones from the seeds he would get out of the bunch that he'd previously been given? Why did he feel he had to buy seeds, or collect seeds secretly, rather than just wait for the flowers in the vase to go to seed? Maybe a flower expert might enlighten me!

If you happen to have a copy of Enid Blyton's Bedtime Annual 1980 then you'll be lucky enough to be able to read this story for yourself! :-)

This issue's Editorial can be read by following the link. As always, Enid provides an interesting letter to her readers - describing the month of April so brilliantly - although I can't always quite hear the bird calls that she describes. I remember as a child finding these bird call descriptions as being very exciting and interesting!

Its also interesting to imagine children sending off for silkworm eggs. I wonder if this would be allowed these days? Probably not...there would be some restriction placed on such things, as it would come under the heading of 'animal welfare'.

The International Magazine Club that Enid describes I thought was very unusual. Interesting to hear of Magazine Club members in all corners of the globe - including Canada and America - though its a shame that Australia wasn't represented.

After the first short story, we have the continuation of Secret Seven Mystery and another great illustration, which I really like, provided by Burgess Sharrocks. His illustrations always look much better in the magazine. This one shows peter hiding in a bush as the great bran-owl swoops over his head! :-)

Our Letter Page features a letter from Donald Daniels telling about a cat he saw being stoned by some boys, and how he fetched a policeman, who ordered the boys away, so that Daniel could take care of the cat. He ended up keeping it, as no one claimed it. Another letter, by Carole Mortimer tells how she has been on a cruise just the same as the cruise in the book 'The Ship of Adventure' - to Portugal, Madeira, French Morocco, Spain, Italy and the Aegean Islands!' It strikes me that in 1957 this was a holiday of a very rich little girl and her family! I can't imagine any of my relatives going on such a holiday back then!

Bother You, Amelia Jane follows next - another story that was uncollected until recently (you can now read it in 'Good Idea, Amelia Jane' - Egmont 2001). I have to admit to being a big fan of Amelia Jane...'Amelia Jane Again' was one of the first books I owned as a child, and I was also familiar with 'More About Amelia Jane' - both of which I actually read before the first book in the series! I always loved the 'community feeling' of the stories - the nursery being a real community, which felt cosy and safe but also was sometimes threatened from outside by goblins or other creatures. As a child I absolutely loved the fact Amelia Jane just couldn't behave. Unlike the stories about The Three Golliwogs or Mr Twiddle, somehow I don't find Amelia Jane stories too repetitive. Maybe its just because I've loved them from such a young age. I always picture Amelia Jane just as Rene Cloke depicted her in the Dean versions of the 1970's, and much prefer her illustrations to the rather delicate Amelia Jane Sylvia Venus gives us.

The Amelia Jane story in this issue is a good one - I thoroughly enjoyed it! :-D

Next, we have an advert for a Noddy 'Special Bound' painting book which sounds very posh! Its a hardback painting book, very much like the hardback Bom painting book (which I have myself). I'm sure there were many people who wanted one of these books - I'd have loved it...but 2s 6d seems a lot for a colouring book, in my view! Then again, I paid £15 for the Bom one!

In Some Things To Look For Enid suggests we look for the gorse putting out its yellow pea-shaped flowers and tells us the prickly bushes will soon be a blaze of gold. She also tells us that we should soon see plenty of hedgehogs, coming out of hibernation. What a shame this is no longer the case! Hedgehogs are becoming rarer and rarer.

Noddy Went Too Fast! Concludes today. I know Anita will be writing begging for 'more Noddy stories, Please, Miss Blyton!' - but its over for a while. In this thrilling closing episode, Noddy buys Mr Tinny a box of bricks and builds him a house. How kind of Noddy! Apparently Noddy and Mr Tinny become 'great friends' - but I don't think Mr Tinny ever featured in any other Noddy stories, so obviously the 'great friendship' didn't last too long! ;-)

The Puzzle Page offers more prize-winning puzzles - as long as you belong to one of Enid's clubs. Non club members couldn't take part. The Sunbeams puzzle asks us to sort out the names of animals -

a) Toast
b) Shore
c) Pea
d) Reed


Then we have a riddle for the Famous Five puzzle this time -

What are we?
We can drip and we can run
We're known as H and C.
We might be on, we might be off,
We're a couple of ----, you see.


Lastly, the Busy Bees Puzzle -

Can you complete the name of this famous island?

Ho - o - u - u


How easy it was to win a signed Enid Blyton book! :-)

The next story is He Wasn't Really Stupid! and its another that has been collected - read it in Enid Blyton's Bedtime Annual 1971 (re-titled The Owl, the Frog and the Hedgehog' ). Its a pretty standard tale - which I'm sure has been taken from a Brer Rabbit story, and even an Aesop's Fable. Its quite inconsequential really, and predictable, but also, as always, entertaining. The illustrations are nice, too - uncredited...but I have a feeling they might be by Grace Lodge...

Following on from the regular Noddy Chivers Corner (see this in the latest Enid Blyton Society Journal!) we have the only uncollected short story of this issue - Here Comes the Tiddler - and its easily the best story in this fortnight's magazine. It tells the tale of Nicky, who has often been ill and is weaker and more weedy than the other boys, but proves to himself, and eventually to pretty much everyone in his village, that he is 'a lion cub' and not 'a tiddler'. You can read the story by following the link above. Marjorie L Davies supplies the illustrations - and very good they are too!

Our News Sheet is the usual mixture of news from various clubs, and also telling us what new books and other items are now available. Enid gives us news of her Children's Home and of the Famous Five members who help to keep it running by donations and fund raising. She gives us news of five of the children who live there - we have little Alice, 1 and a half years old, who is very weakly - so thin that she looks only about 9 month! We have peter, who was a poor little thing when he came but has settled in VERY well! He is two. Then there is Sammy, aged 1 and a half, whose mother deserted him, poor mite. Mark, who is 15 months, whose mother had nowhere to go when she was turned out of her room, so we took him in. And dear Winnie, only 8 months, whose mother just dumped her and left her. She hasn't once smiled since we had her, which is most unusual for a baby. I'm afraid she still misses her mother. All this brings home to us, in 2017, what a different world it was 60 years ago - cruel and unfeeling - when young girls were often forced into giving up their (often illegitimate) children, and where society didn't cater for mothers who had no money or partner to help them.

Enid goes on to tell us about her other clubs and fund-raisers - such as Valerie Swallow and her friends who worked for a whole year making and collecting things for our Sunshine Homes funds. They had a bookstall, a fancy goods stall, a games stall, a lucky dip, a stall with plaster models, a raffle, and a Lucky Number Game - and just imagine, Valerie was able to send an enormous sum of £7 10s 0d for us to use in helping out our small blind children. Isn't it astonishing that there are so many kindly and hard-working children everywhere?

And so we come to the end of another magical issue! Enjoy reading the short stories, if you have them, and also the uncollected one kindly posted in The Cave by Tony. :-D

here's to the next one! :-D
'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)



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