Website Additions

[Kate Mary]

Good old Enid is still teaching me things, I had never heard of a Nun Pigeon before so I looked up a picture of one, it's a stunningly beautiful bird. And I remember seeing a chimps tea party at the Zoo in the 60s, it's frowned on nowadays but we enjoyed seeing it.

[Anita Bensoussane]

I too looked up "Nun Pigeon" after reading Enid Blyton's letter, Kate!

[Anita Bensoussane]

Enid Blyton's re-telling of the myth of Clytie and Apollo is an enjoyable read. As a child I first encountered that story in the Dean & Son Tales of Long Ago, where Enid gives a fuller and more poetic version of the tale under the title 'Clytie, the Sunflower Maiden'. I read and re-read Tales of Long Ago avidly from the age of five, stirred by the lyricism, enchantment and emotion of the stories.

Reading about Enid Blyton picking orchard fruit and storing apples in the garage reminds me that I was fascinated by the story 'Granny's Bad Apple' in Funtime Tales (Purnell Sunshine Library) as a youngster. Not only did it explain the metaphor "bad apple" but it was interesting to learn how apples had to be stored "socially distanced" to prevent any with rot or mould affecting their neighbours. Heh - it makes me chuckle when Enid talks of handing out apples when she meets "a clean, smiley sort of girl or boy"!

The picture of the black dingo born at London Zoo is adorable and I like the rhythmic poem about Timothy the toad. Bobs' letter about his "swallows" is entertaining as always.

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[Courtenay]

Heh - it makes me chuckle when Enid talks of handing out apples when she meets "a clean, smiley sort of girl or boy"!

Weren't children taught in those days not to accept gifts from strangers?? Not that Enid would have done them any harm, but still... I remember she does have at least one short story with a "don't accept a ride from a stranger" theme — that's right, it's Too Clever for Mister Slick in Twenty-Minute Tales — but maybe earlier in her career she didn't think about those implications. Or maybe she already assumed that of course all children would know who she was!

I love the picture of the black dingo puppy too! Black dingoes aren't very common in the wild — they're usually sandy-reddish-yellow. Must admit I've never actually seen one (of any colour), as they aren't found where I come from. Interesting to know the London Zoo was breeding them in the 1920s!

[Tony Summerfield]

I'm raising a glass of ginger beer to our 50th Society Booklet!

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This is not available yet but it will 'hit the shop' in a week or two.

[Katharine]

Well that's my Christmas present solved.

Can't wait to put in my order.

[Anita Bensoussane]

Hurrah! Wow - 50 booklets is quite an achievement!

[Lucky Star]

I agree. Well done Tony.

[Kate Mary]

I'm looking forward to getting my copy, I really enjoyed the first Life Stories from History. This will be my 35th Society booklet.

[Katharine]

This will be my 35th Society booklet.

Sounds like an impressive collection of Society booklets.

I'm not sure how many I have, as they are dotted about at the moment, but as a relative late-comer to the EBS I missed out on some of the earlier ones.

I'm trying to work out if I have the first Life Stories from History or not, I don't want to order a duplicate, but I don't want them to sell out if I don't.

[John Pickup]

I shall be ordering a copy. Very impressive, Tony.

[Tony Summerfield]

I'm trying to work out if I have the first Life Stories from History or not, I don't want to order a duplicate, but I don't want them to sell out if I don't.

Yes, you have got it! You bought it on December 18th last year.

[Katharine]

Thanks Tony.

That's one mystery solved, the next one is to try and discover where I put it.

[Anita Bensoussane]

Enid has now learnt the names of the horse in the field and his new companion - Captain and Darling, as Kate Mary predicted. Captain and Darling feature in the Willow Farm series, of course.

Enid's new gardener must be Dick Hughes and we know that his black cocker spaniel puppy, nameless as yet, will be called Dion.

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[Kate Mary]

Poor Bobs is having a rough time with Dion but I daresay he gives as good as he gets. Dion certainly adds to the fun at Old Thatch, I look forward to reading more about him.