The School Friend Annual Mystery!

[Rob Houghton]

I keep seeing this book on eBay - School Friend annual 1951, supposedly with an Enid Blyton contribution - named as 'That Odd Elephant Ranji' - which it bills as a rare EB story.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/The-School-Fr ... SwHPlWdwwY

I've never heard of the story...it doesn't come up in Cave searches, and neither does the book 'The School Friend' Annual' - although School Friend periodicals do come up.

Is this a real Enid Blyton contribution, as it's not in The Cave?

[pete9012S]

Here's a print from the story,but I don't know if it helps??

https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/1624610 ... n-elephant" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Rob Houghton]

Glad you posted that, Pete - I saw it during a search but didn't think of posting it here - even more intriguing!

According to The Cave, Enid didn't have any contributions in 'The School Friend' until the early 1960's, and these were in magazines...so 1951 is a very early example if it's true! Unfortunately there are no other photos on eBay.

[Tony Summerfield]

It doesn't come up in Cave searches simply because I have never heard of the story. As far as I know Enid didn't do anything for Fleetway prior to 1960, but I am the first to admit that there is always more to learn.

You say that it often comes up on Ebay, Rob, but I wonder if it is always from the same seller?

I have my doubts about this but I would love to be proved wrong.

[pete9012S]

The puzzle may be solved!!

SCHOOLGIRLS ANNUAL 1956 AND THE SCHOOL FRIEND ANNUAL 1952 AND 1959

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/SCHOOLGIRLS-A ... SwL7VWi~Rx" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Rob Houghton]

It doesn't come up in Cave searches simply because I have never heard of the story. As far as I know Enid didn't do anything for Fleetway prior to 1960, but I am the first to admit that there is always more to learn.

You say that it often comes up on Ebay, Rob, but I wonder if it is always from the same seller?

I have my doubts about this but I would love to be proved wrong.

It never sells, so they relist it. I'm tempted as it's currently only 99p!

[Rob Houghton]

The puzzle may be solved!!

SCHOOLGIRLS ANNUAL 1956 AND THE SCHOOL FRIEND ANNUAL 1952 AND 1959

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/SCHOOLGIRLS-A ... SwL7VWi~Rx" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Good detective work, Pete!

[Tony Summerfield]

This is beginning to ring bells with me as I believe we have had a discussion somewhere about an author who had a very similar name. It was a man using a pseudonym, and the name he used was something like Enid Bilton. That may not be the right name, but there was quite a discussion on it and I believe he defended himself by saying that he had been using that pseudonym before our Enid came along, but he agreed not to use it again in the future.

Hopefully someone with a better memory than me (Anita!!) will remember the discussion.

You have posted whilst I was posting, Rob and Pete, and it is indeed Enid Boyten!

[Anita Bensoussane]

We've got a thread on Enid Boyten here:

http://www.enidblytonsociety.co.uk/foru ... ten#p72986" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

We also posted at the same time, Tony!

[Rob Houghton]

Very interesting! I remember us talking of Enid Boyten in the past!

Still tempted, as it's a nice book from an era I like.

[Daisy]

I had that Annual for Christmas that year. I remember feeling disappointed it was Enid Boyten and not Blyton when I looked at the contents page.

[Moonraker]

We've got a thread on Enid Boyten here:
http://www.enidblytonsociety.co.uk/foru ... ten#p72986" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
We also posted at the same time, Tony!

I was just about to post this as well, as it was the thread Pete quoted where I made my Dickens' faux pas!