The Enid Blyton Society

Today's Guardian includes a selection of Famous Five illustrations - both old and new, according to Hodder's Facebook page.

However, the one titled Build a sandcastle is attributed to Eilen (sic) Soper, but doesn't look like a Soper to me! I'm sure fans of lesser talented illustrators might know who the artist is.

'Lesser talented'??? Oooh Nigel - I can't wait for the court case.

The artist is Jolyne Knox, but I can't say I'm a fan!

Thanks, Anita. I'd say 1% better than Maxey!

The first illustration in the 'Guardian' feature, the Eileen Soper one, looks to me like the inside cover illustration from the first edition of 'Five Go Off In A Caravan'. This is presumably of the Five camping by the lake at Merran, close to the circus camp, before Tiger Dan and Lou scared them away up onto the hill.

I have an idea that Enid got hold of the name 'Merran' from the real Malvern Hills in Worcs, as they are approximately the right distance away from Julian, Dick and Anne's home for a week or so's journey at walking-pace from a house supposed to be in the Home Counties (Bucks like Old Thatch?). Malvern has a - small - hillfoot lake at Eastnor Castle Park, near where I used to go caravanning in the 1970s - the park and castle with the lake were used for the BBC's 'Pallisers' series outdoor scenes in 1974. The Soper illustrations in this book however seem to be imaginary. Nor do I have any idea as to whether Enid ever visited Malvern, or just used the name; there was a Government scientific research base nearby so she might have accompanied one of her husbands when they were there on official business in wartime.

The last picture to me, looks like George is biting a chunk of Timmy's head!!!

I like some of the illustrations. They are nice to see in their own right without comparing them to the original.

A fair point, sixret. Old fogeys, such as me, compare all FF illustrations with the the original illustrator. Younger people, who may have first read the FF via Knight paperbacks may see things differently. Looking at newer illustrations through a virgin eye can produce surprising results.

It's interesting that that particular Jolyne Knox illustration is used to illustrate 'build a sand castle' because her drawing is so bad that Kirin castle does indeed look as if it's been built on the sand with a bucket and spade. It's an awful rendering of water, anyhow!

They are indeed all nice in their own right. However the original Soper illustrations do still stand head and shoulders above the rest in terms of atmosphere, period authenticity and overall artistic quality. Though that last is of course subjective.