And so here we are looking at the very last Enid Blyton Magazine of 1956! Number 24 - 19th December - 1st January 1957.
http://www.enidblytonsociety.co.uk/maga ... ?magid=900
It's another great issue, with three uncollected short stories - and what great stories they are, too! The cover, unusually, doesn't feature an illustration from any of these stories (although it is sort of relevant to one of them, which features a robin quite prominently!) - but is just a special 'Christmas Issue' cover, with Enid wishing her readers 'A Very happy Christmas to you all!'
As usual the
Editorial is full of interesting news - Enid tells us of all the many interesting cards she has received from her many readers. She says
"Plenty of cards have already arrived from you boys and girls, and they look lovely all round my room. I do wish I could send every one of my readers a card, but that would be impossible I fear!
Given the current world problems with displaced children and immigrants and refugees, its interesting to note what Enid talks about in her editorial - a sad sign that not much changes -
Many of us are planning to make Christmas happy for other people besides our own families - especially this year, when so many people have had to leave their country and their homes, and are refugees in lands strange to them. One of the things I have thought about is whether we might take two little Hungarian children, under five, into our happy Children's Home here, and look after them lovingly, just as we look after all the other small children there. We so often take foreign children, as you know, and this year we have had greek brothers, four little Indian children, two Cypriots and some West Indians. They all settle down well with our British children and are cheerful and happy."
And this woman is racist?
Enid goes on to tell us that as she hasn't yet heard of any Hungarian children who have come over here without their parents, she will instead send a donation to the Hungarian Relief Fund instead, including her own donation plus a donation from the Famous Five Club and any other children who might wish to donate.
Enid also tells us about a 'special treat' for 'one of the children's hospitals in London' -
Instead of sending toys by post, I have arranged for Noddy, Big-Ears and Silky the Pixie, who are all in the 'Noddy In Toyland' pantomime, to visit a big children's hospital on Christmas Eve and hand out toys to the children. Imagine what the ill boys and girls will think when suddenly they see Noddy and his friends coming into their ward!'
I couldn't help wondering if they would think they were delirious!
Enid finishes the Editorial by saying
Happy Christmas children - and may your stockings be filled from top to toe - and overflow on to your beds!
Next, we have the first short story,
The Little Reindeer Bell - an interesting one, which runs along the usual lines - children helping out Santa Claus and being rewarded - but this time the reward is a little surprising and there's a pleasant 'twist' at the end of the story. A really nice Christmas tale!
The illustrations for this are uncredited - but they are not unlike Hilda McGavin in style.
Next - the continuing story of
Secret Seven Mystery - chapter 6 - and we find out what happens up at the stables...
The
Puzzle Page has its usual share of puzzles which were prize-winning puzzles - signed books to be won. Three story-book characters for the Sunbeams to untangle -
PETER COPPERFIELD
DAVID CRUSOE
ROBINSON PAN
Next we have another uncollected story -
Joey's Here! Joey's Here! - an entertaining story, but one I couldn't help thinking was a little far-fetched. It features a budgie and a robin, and as with all Enid's stories, it happens to be very effective, even though it relies heavily on birds thinking like humans!
Once again the illustrations aren't credited - and its amazing what great uncredited illustrations the EB Magazine often had. Such a shame the artist went without credit!
Next -
Some Things To look For - including animal tracks in the snow - rabbit tracks, cat and dog, weasel, stoat and maybe a fox. Its easy to tell a foxes prints because he leaves his tail-mark in the snow when he stands still!
Enid also suggests we make a Christmas tree for the birds, hung about with coconut and biscuits and bacon rind. She tells us -
you don't need any ornaments - the birds themselves will be prettier than any ornaments as they sit pecking in their tree - which I thought was a brilliant observation to make!
Next we have a full-page advert for some books you might like to ask for as last-minute Christmas presents. Never one to be shy of promoting her own books, these are all Enid Blyton offerings -
Holiday House, Rainy Day Stories, Animal Lover's Book, Nature Lover's Book, Round the Year With Enid Blyton, Enid Blyton's Book of the Year, Six Cousins at Mistletoe Farm, Six Cousins Again and Enid Blyton's Magazine Annual Number 3 I'm afraid I would have been at a loss to know which to choose...can I have all of them? Funnily enough, I DO have them all as an adult!
Next - another exciting instalment of
Noddy Went Too Fast! - that title should be read in a dramatic American accent like a Hollywood blockbuster trailer.
In this episode, Noddy reports the doings of Mr Tinny to Mr Plod, who dashes off to arrest him. Noddy is overcome with tiredness and begins to feel ill (after all, he's only just got out of bed after a couple of weeks recuperation!) and so he asks Gilbert Golly to take him back to Big Ears' House.
This is followed by
Five Go To Billycock Hill - 'Looking Through Windows' - chapter 16. We all know the story (or most of us do) - and I know its not everyone's favourite Famous Five, but I've always quite liked it, and love the mysterious night-time goings-on!
Two more adverts follow - for Enid's new book
Let's Have a Party with photos by Paul Kaye of Tinker the kitten and Floppy the puppy, getting ready for their party. These are clever books, and I often wonder how some of the photographs were achieved. I hope they weren't achieved by applying any cruelty to the animals involved!
The other advert is for
FOYLES bookshop - 'The World's Greatest Bookshop' which supplies 'all books by Miss Enid Blyton and all books recommended by her'
In
Club News Enid excitedly announces that the Magazine club now has their 100,000 member - Linda Hooks of Orpington, Kent. She is to attend the tea party on January 2nd where she will be able to meet Enid Blyton and also some other Magazine Club members. Typically, now the 100,000 member has been reached, Enid is looking forward to when they can celebrate the 200,000 member!
A Ship Called Storm-rider is the last of three uncollected short stories in this issue - and I love the title - an unusual one for Enid Blyton. Its a good story - though perhaps doesn't quite live up to the promise of the title, which sounds adventurous and maybe historical. Its a nice one, about borrowing things, paying the price for doing so without asking, and being forgiven - themes we are all familiar with when we know Enid's stories well. Its illustrated by Anne Read and is a nice winter-themed one, as are all the stories in this Christmas issue.
Next Enid offers us a poem, titled 'A Christmas Carol' - a poem I've read a few times before. It appears in 'Enid Blyton's Book of the Year' -
"We saw Him there," the oxen said,
"He had our manger for his bed"
"I percehd upon a beam above;
He heard me cooing," said the dove,
The donkey brayed, "So warm he lay
Because I gave Him all my hay"
I wish that we, too, could have crept
To kiss Him gently as He slept.
It's listed as 'illustrations uncredited' in The Cave - but there's little mistaking the style of Eileen Soper's illustrations - presumably taken straight from 'Enid Blyton's Book of the Year'.
And so finally to
Our Letter Page where Enid dedicates the whole page to just one letter - from 'The Secret Seven Club - Pembroke Dock, Wales. Yes - a real Secret Seven Club! She and her friends are making miniature gardens for an exhibition, raffling one of them, as well as raising money for the Sunbeams charity. The girls who form the club (yep - no boys!) also got their exhibition in the local papers and raised 'the enormous sum' (for 1956) of £28 and 7s, divided between The Sunbeams and the Centre for Spastic Children.
Thank you for accompanying me on this look through the Magazines for the last few months - and hopefully we will continue through 1957 when we will once again see what happened '60 Years Ago This Week...'