Update for Enid Blyton Day

Did you attend the last event? Are you going to the next Day?
Viv of Ginger Pop
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Twyford

Post by Viv of Ginger Pop »

Yes - I'll be there with Rosie my Mum.

I shall also be bringing a long skipping rope! We shall be doing Playground Skipping at my Malory Towers Day, but since I haven't done this for many years I need the practise.

Please come and play with me

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George@Kirrin
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Post by George@Kirrin »

Well Saffy, my car, is trying to stop us (her and me) from going, she doesn't fancy the 8 hour round trip and so has flooded her electrics by splitting her washer bottle pipe..... I'm trying desperately to dry them out now, as well as giving her a good ticking off....

Last time I tried to go Buglet, my other car, dumped one of her pistons on the M1 at J28, thus putting an end to that time.

I'll get a route sorted now, and then try the electrics again, tis gonna be a late night - and I'm leaving hopefully at 06:30

<tears hair out>

Cross fingers for us please!
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Eljay
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Post by Eljay »

For those of us who can't make it, would somebody be able to film the proceedings? Or at least take photographs? I would especially like to see how Marcus Harris looks today!
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Post by George@Kirrin »

Been, seen, returned home a few minutes ago (well done Saffy about 500 miles with no problems).

Too tired and excited to sleep but I'll try so will write my thoughts on the day tomorrow.

Really enjoyed the day and was lovely to meet as many of you as I did.

Many many thanks to all who had a hand, foot or toe in making the day happen - was wizard :D

G'night!
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Tony Summerfield
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Saffy

Post by Tony Summerfield »

I was delighted to see that Saffy made it down and I am equally pleased to hear that the return journey was successful as well.

I am hoping that when Keith gets back to America and Prabhu gets back to India, we will have some good pics for the website - and there should be at least one goodie of you and Marcus!!! Wasn't he a star, nothing was too much trouble for him.

I hope everyone enjoyed the Day, it was great to be able to meet the faces behind the website names.

Thanks for coming, it would be a poor day if nobody turned up and so many people made a great effort to be there.

Best wishes
Tony
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Post by Moonraker »

My second EBS day. Last year, I was a bit scared! What would the people be like? Would they be nerds! I needn't have worried...phew!

This year, Jane (mainly there to see I didn't get kidnapped or lost) and I set off again, along the dusty tracks towards Twyford. The primroses were nodding and the sky was cornflower blue. We found a little shop on the way that sold lemonade, orangeade, limeade and ginger beer; as well as macaroons and ice creams...........sorry, I've gone into dreamland again.

We pulled into the car park - only to pull straight out again; there were no spaces. Parking in the road, we walked to the door of the hall. There was Tony, looking splendid as usual. "Keith's inside," he said in revered tones. Yes, that great man from across the pond was there...amazing! That other bastion of the EB empire was also there; Anita, (We will get a boat and tour the Scottish islands, one day). Wow...if the devil were to cast his net...

Seriously, it was a fantastic day. Incredible to see Robert Tyndall sketching Noddy, Big Ears and PC Plod. Really great to listen to Marcus telling anecdotes of the Southern Television FF series of the 70s.

I still laugh when I see the Hants & Dorset bus pull up in "Five go off in a Caravan" - right where the two vans are parked (not modern streamlined ones, but gypsy ones and parked opposite a bus stop!)

I really found it fascinating to hear of the other three actors whereabouts (really sad to hear that "George", Michele Galagher, may not still be with us) - can we find out more? Really surreal to see that the actors have turned out just as Ju, Dick and Anne probably would have! Julian a deputy mayor, Anne an RE teacher (can't remember what Dick does!) :oops:

It was a privilege to meet noddy13 for the first time (what a gent), as well as Zoe, Anita (always a pleasure), Keith (never thought I'd see him in the flesh) Viv, Rosie, Tony (what a debt we all owe him) and Enid's daughter [bows head in reverence].

Many other members there of course, who were ignorant of this wonderful forum. I think we (I certainly) tend to forget that we here make up a small percentage of society membership numbers.

Another fab day - thanks Tony for all your effort in arranging this. You certainly reaped your harvest yesterday!

Sorry if I've missed anyone out, here's to the next one!
Last edited by Moonraker on 15 May 2006, 15:36, edited 2 times in total.
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Matthew Roberts
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Post by Matthew Roberts »

What a great write-up, Nigel. I am enjoying reading these, and I'm glad you all had such a great time (although it does make me extremely disappointed that I missed out on meeting you all).

Do keep the reviews coming! :D
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Nigel's Journey

Post by Tony Summerfield »

Very poetic Nigel! I must have missed the ginger beer and macaroons on the M3, perhaps that was because like the primroses I was nodding too. Sorry the car park was full, there must have been some event on in the area!

You might be interested to know that the two caravans are on permanent display down at Paulton's Park, though I must admit I have never been there - just seen the pics.

Just filling in a bit on Dick (aka Gary Russell), he couldn't be there as he had taken on a job in LA. As you might expect of Dick, he's very much in 'show business' still and has just spent a year or so in New Zealand, writing the official background book for the Lord of the Rings trilogy. He has also been very much into Dr Who and I believe he has written several Dr Who books - though not the current series. I am sure this all fits the Dick profile nicely.

Glad you enjoyed the Day - I was nervous holding the 13th Day on May 13th, but Five Didn't Get into Trouble after all!

Best wishes
Tony
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George@Kirrin
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Re: Nigel's Journey

Post by George@Kirrin »

Tony Summerfield wrote:Glad you enjoyed the Day - I was nervous holding the 13th Day on May 13th, but Five Didn't Get into Trouble after all!
Maybe not - but Nine got lost looking for the pub after :lol: (royalties to Viv on that one, and Keith was the lead car)
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Tony Summerfield
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Pub!

Post by Tony Summerfield »

Nine Had a Wonderful Time, perhaps - or as Anita put it eight! (Perhaps nine is being used as someone is trying to say 'one over the eight'!)
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Big Hug to Tony

Post by Viv of Ginger Pop »

The Day was terrific

Meeting cyber-pals made the Day for me. This was (I think) my 4th one, and since I'm a bit shy (and hopeless putting names & faces together) I'm not very good at conversations with people I only see once a year. But here, I felt I knew lots of you far better & felt more at ease.

The speakers were good, and I thought the Danish film very well done.

Three Cheers for the caterers! I was so stuffed with cottage pie & sherry trifle my feet wouldn't had left the ground had I get my skipping rope out (sorry Tony!)

Best wishes

Viv
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Anita Bensoussane
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Post by Anita Bensoussane »

[Tony:] "Glad you enjoyed the Day - I was nervous holding the 13th Day on May 13th, but Five Didn't Get into Trouble after all!"

13 was Enid Blyton's lucky number, so it just had to go well! In Enid Blyton's Magazine number 13, she wrote: "This is the 13th number of our magazine - and as 13 has always been my lucky number, I have tried to make this week's magazine a specially interesting one."

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Anita Bensoussane
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Post by Anita Bensoussane »

Like Viv, I was attending the Enid Blyton Day for the fourth time and part of the fun was meeting up with friends made in previous years and with cyber-pals - Keith, Tony, George@kirrin, Belly, Ali, Noddy13, Moonraker, Viv, Rosie, Kathy, Sue and others.

It was fascinating to watch Robert Tyndall sketching Noddy and Big-Ears, and to see Julian (aka Marcus Harris) looking "all grown up"! We got to see a clip of the 1970s "Five Go Off in a Caravan" on the "big screen," (there were sighs and groans of disappointment when it was turned off!) and, like Viv, I rather liked the ambience of the Danish Famous Five clip we were shown. It was "Five Go Adventuring Again," but set in the height of summer, and the filming was quite artistic, with plenty of shots of the children in the long grass. Anne was pretty and dainty and I also liked the boyish-looking George. I was a bit puzzled, however, as to why some of the soundtrack was in English and some in Danish :? !

Stalls set out around the hall were laden with goodies, and there were also some of Enid Blyton's original manuscripts on display.

All in all, an amazing day. Thanks so much to Tony for organising everything! :D

Anita
Raci
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Post by Raci »

:D It sounds amazing! I'm so glad you all had a great day and I'm glad your car got you there and back safely this year 'George'.

Now I am definatly going to have to start organising to be able to come to next years, I am not going to be home alone :cry: 3 years running!!

So the planning starts now! :lol:
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Post by Belly »

Many thanks from me also. Tony, sorry I didn't get to meet you in person - imagine you were the guy presenting?

I enjoyed myself tremendously. Met with Anita, we both remembered the 1970s Famous Five TV series fondly, and briefly with Viv.

Spoke with Gillian Baverstock who incredibly remembered my correspondence with her in 1980/1/2! She is an absolutely delightful, charming, lady who seemed to speak with so many people during the day.

Sorry, I didn't get to meet with more of you but wasn't sure who you all were!
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