Teachers World Letters, Jan 1930 - July 1934

Discuss Blyton's magazines, short stories and poetry here.
Tony Summerfield
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Re: Enid Blyton's Weekly Letters in Teachers World

Post by Tony Summerfield »

I have just gone back through three months and Dion is a black cocker spaniel puppy who belongs to the gardener who lives in a cottage at the bottom of the garden. It didn't take him long to have his own story.

http://www.enidblytonsociety.co.uk/blyt ... &perid=620" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Patabang only arrived at Old Thatch in November, a Siamese kitten from Devon, but you will notice that poor 'Pat' has been edited out of the story as this is Enid's own copy which she was intending to use elsewhere, but it remained uncollected.
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Anita Bensoussane
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Re: Enid Blyton's Weekly Letters in Teachers World

Post by Anita Bensoussane »

Thanks, Tony. That clears up The Mystery of Dion! I hadn't realised that Old Thatch boasted a gardener's cottage at that point. I had thought one was built later, but I think I was getting mixed up with Green Hedges!
"Heyho for a starry night and a heathery bed!" - Jack, The Secret Island.

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- E. Nesbit, The Wonderful Garden.


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Poppy
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Re: Enid Blyton's Weekly Letters in Teachers World

Post by Poppy »

Carlotta King wrote:I have seagulls, crows, rooks, some magpies, and wagtails where I live, and occasionally the odd sparrow darting about. Sadly no birds like thrushes or blackbirds or robins, you don't tend to see them in the city centre much.
Luckily we're right on the edge of the countryside so we see all sorts from red kites to kingfishers. We even get a fox in our garden at night and an enormous toad!

That story about Dion is delightful, Tony. Poor old Patabang getting edited out!
"Beware of young men with long hair - that's what dad says, isn't it?"
Pat, Holiday House


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Carlotta King
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Re: Enid Blyton's Weekly Letters in Teachers World

Post by Carlotta King »

That's lovely that you get a fox in your garden! Someone I stayed with a while back had about four in their garden one evening and I sat for ages at the window watching them, they were hunting around in the bushes, one was going up the trellis, then they were playing about on the lawn, they were adorable!
My friend had a tame one that lived at the back of her garden in some old bushes, he was an abadoned runt that she looked after, and he would play on the lawn with a ball like a puppy, and she fed him every day. He would stand there at tea-time waiting for his dinner, and if she was going to be home late she'd leave food in her fridge and I would feed him. She used to give him dog food or a few slices off a meat joint if she'd cooked one, or whatever bits of her dinner were going spare.
He would let me get close to him but not as close as his 'mum'! :)

I like toads - people think they're horrible slimy things but I think they're lovely!
"Fussy Gussy! Polly, Polly, Polly-gize!"

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Re: Enid Blyton's Weekly Letters in Teachers World

Post by Poppy »

How lovely! They do play about like puppies, don't they?! We only really see our fox in the winter because then you can see it quite clearly against the white snow. Otherwise it's quite hard to pick him out again a dark background. Yes, I don't mind toads either. My Mum got a great picture of it when it came into our garden. I'll have to see if she's still got it.

I remember when we went on a camping holiday and we caught quite a few frogs down beside a river. There was loads! We put them all back where we found them afterwards, but they were really nice and you wouldn't believe how far they jumped, even though they were quite small. We also caught quite a few fish in the river. And of course we let those go too, in the middle of a 30mph dingy ride!
"Beware of young men with long hair - that's what dad says, isn't it?"
Pat, Holiday House


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Tony Summerfield
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Re: Enid Blyton's Weekly Letters in Teachers World

Post by Tony Summerfield »

I'm sorry to inundate you with letters but as flooding is very relevant at the moment and particularly flooding at Old Thatch which has been talked about elsewhere, I have loaded two earlier letters to show that 2014 is not the only year that there has been a problem!

http://www.enidblytonsociety.co.uk/blyt ... &perid=627" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://www.enidblytonsociety.co.uk/blyt ... &perid=628" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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Kate Mary
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Re: Enid Blyton's Weekly Letters in Teachers World

Post by Kate Mary »

A super abundance of letters and stories this week. Thank you Tony. I love the way these letters give us a glimpse of life at Old Thatch (albeit idealized) all those years ago.

I have been lucky enough to see kingfishers three times. Twice was just a fleeting glimpse, but once I watched a bird fishing for about ten minutes. It was a fairly distant view but absolutely magical.
"I love everything that's old: old friends, old times, old manners, old books, old wines." Oliver Goldsmith

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Carlotta King
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Re: Enid Blyton's Weekly Letters in Teachers World

Post by Carlotta King »

Crikey that sounds like bad flooding! :shock:
I can just imagine the animals pattering about along the planks! Fancy having newts swimming in your living room!!
"Fussy Gussy! Polly, Polly, Polly-gize!"

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Anita Bensoussane
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Re: Enid Blyton's Weekly Letters in Teachers World

Post by Anita Bensoussane »

I enjoyed reading those last few letters. Enid endows Old Thatch with a personality of its own when she talks about how it "held out bravely for a long while" against the floods. Great remark from Bobs about "the Mistress" falling into the flood-water with the breakfast tray! It seems that the family still ate in the dining-room even when it was flooded, balancing on planks above the water!
"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: Enid Blyton's Weekly Letters in Teachers World

Post by Moonraker »

Great letters with a very apt theme! Interesting to see that Old Thatch did get flooded, as I think someone was asking about that (getting muddled with Green Hedges) somewhere on the forums earlier.

http://www.enidblytonsociety.co.uk/blyt ... &perid=628" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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Re: Enid Blyton's Weekly Letters in Teachers World

Post by pete9012S »

Just reading through the first letter Tony posted dated I think around 1929? I noticed Enid signed it with her usual distinctive signature with the two dashes.Would that have been an early use of her now familiar style of signature,or does its use go back much further than 1929??
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Carlotta King
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Re: Enid Blyton's Weekly Letters in Teachers World

Post by Carlotta King »

Poppy wrote:Yes, I don't mind toads either. My Mum got a great picture of it when it came into our garden. I'll have to see if she's still got it.
I'd like to see it if you do find it! :)
Poppy wrote:I remember when we went on a camping holiday and we caught quite a few frogs down beside a river. There was loads! We put them all back where we found them afterwards, but they were really nice and you wouldn't believe how far they jumped, even though they were quite small. We also caught quite a few fish in the river. And of course we let those go too, in the middle of a 30mph dingy ride!
Yes they really jump a long way don't they! My mum is a bit frightened of them because they jump so far - she doesn't like grasshoppers either because she worries that they'll jump and land on her!
I used to like going down to the stream and looking for frogs too! :)
"Fussy Gussy! Polly, Polly, Polly-gize!"

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Tony Summerfield
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Re: Enid Blyton's Weekly Letters in Teachers World

Post by Tony Summerfield »

I have now added all the letters for the five Wednesdays in January, which helps to put in a bit of background. You will find a link on the Site Updates page at the top of this one.
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Kate Mary
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Re: Enid Blyton's Weekly Letters in Teachers World

Post by Kate Mary »

Now we know who Steptoe was. Also the Tailwaggers' Club is still going.

http://tailwaggersclubtrust.com/index.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
"I love everything that's old: old friends, old times, old manners, old books, old wines." Oliver Goldsmith

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Anita Bensoussane
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Re: Enid Blyton's Weekly Letters in Teachers World

Post by Anita Bensoussane »

A thoroughly enjoyable read, and it's great to see the photos too. Now we know more about Steptoe and Dion and the gardener's cottage, and Enid's pond and stream. The letter about the howling gales at Old Thatch struck me as very apt as the wind is blowing madly and wailing down our chimney as I type. Fascinating to read about Enid witnessing the old ash tree being blown down - just like the one at Kirrin Cottage.
"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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