80 Years Ago This Month - Sunny Stories 1937

Discuss Blyton's magazines, short stories and poetry here.
User avatar
Kate Mary
Posts: 1918
Joined: 20 Apr 2007, 06:25
Favourite book/series: The Treasure Hunters/ Five Find Outers
Favourite character: Barney
Location: Kent

Re: 80 Years Ago This Month - Sunny Stories 1937

Post by Kate Mary »

Sorry Rob. Here's a link to the Brer Rabbit story:

http://www.enidblytonsociety.co.uk/maga ... ?magid=258" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Don't forget that Tony has added stuff from all four issues in February 1937, just use the back or forward arrows.
"I love everything that's old: old friends, old times, old manners, old books, old wines." Oliver Goldsmith

Society Member
Tony Summerfield
Posts: 6386
Joined: 26 Dec 2004, 12:20

Re: 80 Years Ago This Month - Sunny Stories 1937

Post by Tony Summerfield »

Aussie Sue wrote:Tony, regarding the sunny stories signature or printed Enid Blyton on her front page letter.
I have no.s 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 + all 1st printings as they all state what will be in next weeks issue.

5-8 all have Enid Blyton printed and from 9 onwards it is the signature.

Perhaps this was when she first established her signature as her 'brand'.

Hope this helps.

cheers
Sue
Thanks for that, Sue, it is very helpful as I think you probably have a better collection than me. The older I get the more I doubt things that I have written, as I think I wrongly said that details of the next issue are on the back cover, when I meant to say on the back of the front cover! :oops:

As I said earlier I don't have copies of Nos 1, 2 and 3 and nor do I have No. 9, but I have the others and they would confirm what you said above. All mine are also 1st editions apart from No. 6 and it was this that alerted me to the reprint problem as there is an advert for the newly printed Naughty Amelia Jane on the back of the front cover. This meant that it couldn't have been earlier than 1939 and further investigation showed that this was going on up to 1941 although I am not sure how many issues got reprinted or when. The only change apart from the advert was the signature on the letter, everything else was identical to the original including the closing dates for competitions - in this case already two years too late!

She'd been putting her signature at the bottom of letters way back in Teachers World in the 1920s, so I don't think this was the start of the famous 'logo'. When David Rudd was doing his original research he asked me if I could find out when the signature logo was first used on books. This is a long time ago now, but I believe the answer I gave him was on the Enid Blyton Readers 1, 2 and 3 published in 1942. The first separate book I found it on was Billy and Betty at the Seaside published in 1944.
Tony Summerfield
Posts: 6386
Joined: 26 Dec 2004, 12:20

Re: 80 Years Ago This Month - Sunny Stories 1937

Post by Tony Summerfield »

Thanks for the comments in this thread, I thought it had probably died a death and I was going to let sleeping dogs lie unless someone mentioned it - and now they have, so perhaps I should explain some of the things I have put in!

In No. 4, I put one further letter and then a full page story from 'The Very Strange Secret'. I put this in as the story was uncredited, but I am pretty certain that it is by Dorothy Wheeler and I hoped others would agree. I said earlier that apart from the title illustration, all Wishing Chair illustrations were already in the cave under the 1st edition - I was wrong!! There are one or two in the magazines that weren't in the book, so these have also been added. As you all seem to love competitions I have been putting one or two in (but not the painting competitions!).

No. 5, I don't actually have this issue so all I could put in was what I had scanned from lent copies a while ago.

No. 6 has another competition and an uncollected poem and yet another missing Wishing Chair illustration.

No. 7 as had already been mentioned has the first uncollected story and another uncollected poem.

I might add some of the children's contribution pages if I have the energy as they have some easy puzzles on them and they are always nicely illustrated.
User avatar
Rob Houghton
Posts: 16029
Joined: 26 Feb 2005, 22:38
Favourite book/series: Rubadub Mystery, Famous Five and The Find-Outers
Favourite character: Snubby, Uncle Robert, George, Fatty
Location: Kings Norton, Birmingham

Re: 80 Years Ago This Month - Sunny Stories 1937

Post by Rob Houghton »

Kate Mary wrote:Sorry Rob. Here's a link to the Brer Rabbit story:

http://www.enidblytonsociety.co.uk/maga ... ?magid=258" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Don't forget that Tony has added stuff from all four issues in February 1937, just use the back or forward arrows.
Thank you! :-D

I was just thinking it would be good to have a copy of each cover on this thread and also a link to each one...but that's just me being lazy I guess! I put a link and copy of each cover on my '60 years ago' thread so thought it would be nice if this thread was the same.

Tony Summerfield wrote:Thanks for the comments in this thread, I thought it had probably died a death and I was going to let sleeping dogs lie unless someone mentioned it
I know the feeling. I'm thinking of doing the same with my 60 years ago thread, as its now getting many, many less views and comments than it did last year. Time to box it away, I think. It could really exist just as a link to the stories - which I know everyone enjoys - rather than me bothering to write a long review, which is time consuming and doesn't get many views.
'Oh voice of Spring of Youth
hearts mad delight,
Sing on, sing on, and when the sun is gone
I'll warm me with your echoes
through the night.'

(E. Blyton, Sunday Times, 1951)



Society Member
User avatar
Anita Bensoussane
Forum Administrator
Posts: 26775
Joined: 30 Jan 2005, 23:25
Favourite book/series: Adventure series, Six Cousins books, Six Bad Boys
Favourite character: Jack Trent, Fatty and Elizabeth Allen
Location: UK

Re: 80 Years Ago This Month - Sunny Stories 1937

Post by Anita Bensoussane »

I love this thread and the "60 Years Ago" one about Enid Blyton's Magazine - and the thread about the Teachers World letters. Thanks very much to Tony and Rob for adding to them every week or month. It's super to have the chance to read the letters, stories, articles and puzzles at the appropriate time of the year. Reading Enid Blyton's lesser-known writing is very pleasurable and it's also great to see accompanying illustrations or photos and to gain an insight into life across the decades. I hope these threads will continue and that as many people as possible will comment, because the discussions sparked by this vintage material are often as interesting as the material itself!
Tony Summerfield wrote:In No. 4, I put one further letter and then a full page story from 'The Very Strange Secret'. I put this in as the story was uncredited, but I am pretty certain that it is by Dorothy Wheeler and I hoped others would agree.
I think it's Dorothy Wheeler too.
Tony Summerfield wrote:I might add some of the children's contribution pages if I have the energy as they have some easy puzzles on them and they are always nicely illustrated.
I'd love to see them if you have the time, Tony.
"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.


Society Member
User avatar
Kate Mary
Posts: 1918
Joined: 20 Apr 2007, 06:25
Favourite book/series: The Treasure Hunters/ Five Find Outers
Favourite character: Barney
Location: Kent

Re: 80 Years Ago This Month - Sunny Stories 1937

Post by Kate Mary »

I've been enjoying this and the 60 years ago thread. I would be sorry to see them discontinued. I'm grateful to be able to read these ephemeral writings, I wouldn't be able to if it weren't for Tony and Rob sharing them with us. I hope more people comment on these threads and the Teachers' World one, I think they're the best bits of this website.

I agree with Tony and Anita, the full page illustration to The Very Strange Secret is by Dorothy Wheeler. Thanks to this thread even Tony has discovered further illustrations from the Wishing Chair. There is always something new to learn.
"I love everything that's old: old friends, old times, old manners, old books, old wines." Oliver Goldsmith

Society Member
User avatar
Rob Houghton
Posts: 16029
Joined: 26 Feb 2005, 22:38
Favourite book/series: Rubadub Mystery, Famous Five and The Find-Outers
Favourite character: Snubby, Uncle Robert, George, Fatty
Location: Kings Norton, Birmingham

Re: 80 Years Ago This Month - Sunny Stories 1937

Post by Rob Houghton »

Very enjoyable looking through the bits and pieces from Sunny Stories. I love the Brer Rabbit illustrations by Ernest Arris - he's also one of my favourite illustrators - I first 'met' him in the Ladybird books 'Adventures of Tassletip' which I used to love.

I enjoyed looking at the puzzle page, finding things beginning with 'P' - although I think some of them are open to interpretation...which is why I'm never 100% sure about these things...I mean - that bucket is presumably a 'pail' and the newspaper is a 'paper' and then is the girl wearing a 'plait' or can we also call it a 'pigtail'? Hard to tell from the illustration! Good fun though!

I also really love the illustrations for Susan and Sammy - because they are SO of their time - really nostalgic! The style of illustrations reminds me a little of 'Tiger Tim and the Bruin Boys' which was in my Jack and Jill comic in the 1970's.

Love the poem about pockets, too - a great example of how Enid could shove facts at us in such an entertaining way that we didn't realise we were being taught something! :-)
'Oh voice of Spring of Youth
hearts mad delight,
Sing on, sing on, and when the sun is gone
I'll warm me with your echoes
through the night.'

(E. Blyton, Sunday Times, 1951)



Society Member
Tony Summerfield
Posts: 6386
Joined: 26 Dec 2004, 12:20

Re: 80 Years Ago This Month - Sunny Stories 1937

Post by Tony Summerfield »

I have put the children's puzzles in for nos. 4, 6 and 7, but I don't have No. 5 so you won't get the answer to 4. You need to do them in order unless you want to cheat as the solutions are always given in the next issue! :D
Aussie Sue
Posts: 456
Joined: 15 Apr 2008, 13:54
Favourite book/series: Secret Island, Faraway Tree & FindOuter Series
Location: Australia

Re: 80 Years Ago This Month - Sunny Stories 1937

Post by Aussie Sue »

Tony, I'll email you the answer from no.5
Society Member
User avatar
Courtenay
Posts: 19275
Joined: 07 Feb 2014, 01:22
Favourite book/series: The Adventure Series, Galliano's Circus
Favourite character: Lotta
Location: Both Aussie and British; living in Cheshire

Re: 80 Years Ago This Month - Sunny Stories 1937

Post by Courtenay »

Rob Houghton wrote: Love the poem about pockets, too - a great example of how Enid could shove facts at us in such an entertaining way that we didn't realise we were being taught something! :-)
And nice to see a mention of one of my compatriots! :D Mind you, "And in it I put all my children to bed" makes it sound like the poor old kangaroo has several babies at once in her "pocket"... kangaroos normally only give birth to one baby (joey) at a time. :wink: (Well, to be accurate, a mother kangaroo can become pregnant again soon after giving birth, but then she delays the development of the second baby so that it isn't born till after the older joey has outgrown the pouch. Yes, we do learn these things at school in Australia! :lol:)

I should say thanks again, Tony, for all your work in putting these treasures in the Cave for us. What a joy it would have been to be one of the young readers who received them every week as they were first published! I don't think there were any weekly or even monthly story magazines for children available when I was little, or certainly not of anything like this quality. I think the best we ever got was a weekly kids' page in one of the newspapers, which didn't have stories at all, only cartoons and puzzles! I would have loved something like Sunny Stories or Enid Blyton's Magazine, for sure.
Society Member

It was a nuisance. An adventure was one thing - but an adventure without anything to eat was quite another thing. That wouldn't do at all. (The Valley of Adventure)
User avatar
Anita Bensoussane
Forum Administrator
Posts: 26775
Joined: 30 Jan 2005, 23:25
Favourite book/series: Adventure series, Six Cousins books, Six Bad Boys
Favourite character: Jack Trent, Fatty and Elizabeth Allen
Location: UK

Re: 80 Years Ago This Month - Sunny Stories 1937

Post by Anita Bensoussane »

Tony Summerfield wrote:I have put the children's puzzles in for nos. 4, 6 and 7, but I don't have No. 5 so you won't get the answer to 4. You need to do them in order unless you want to cheat as the solutions are always given in the next issue! :D
Cheers, Tony! I've just done them and they're very enjoyable. I found the puzzle in Number 7 (by Greta Chamberlin) a little trickier than the rest but I got there in the end!
Rob Houghton wrote:I enjoyed looking at the puzzle page, finding things beginning with 'P' - although I think some of them are open to interpretation...which is why I'm never 100% sure about these things...I mean - that bucket is presumably a 'pail' and the newspaper is a 'paper' and then is the girl wearing a 'plait' or can we also call it a 'pigtail'? Hard to tell from the illustration! Good fun though!
I went with "pail", "paper" and "pigtail", but I know what you mean about it being unclear. Can we have "pile" for the pile of wood (or whatever it is)? Can the hens be "poultry"? What about "planks" (in the fence) or "pupils" (in the animals' eyes)?
Rob Houghton wrote:Love the poem about pockets, too - a great example of how Enid could shove facts at us in such an entertaining way that we didn't realise we were being taught something! :-)
Yes, that's one of her great strengths.
"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.


Society Member
User avatar
John Pickup
Posts: 4876
Joined: 30 Oct 2013, 21:29
Favourite book/series: Barney mysteries
Favourite character: Snubby
Location: Notts

Re: 80 Years Ago This Month - Sunny Stories 1937

Post by John Pickup »

I enjoy reading this thread and Rob's too and wouldn't want them to fall by the wayside. I always try to leave a comment just so that Tony and Rob are aware that their time isn't being wasted.
I love the drawing of Purrkins the cat and the look on his face as he watches the goldfish in the bowl.
Society Member
Aussie Sue
Posts: 456
Joined: 15 Apr 2008, 13:54
Favourite book/series: Secret Island, Faraway Tree & FindOuter Series
Location: Australia

Re: 80 Years Ago This Month - Sunny Stories 1937

Post by Aussie Sue »

Tony, I have scanned you a copy of Sunny Stories no.5 hope it comes through okay, it is quite a large document.
Society Member
Tony Summerfield
Posts: 6386
Joined: 26 Dec 2004, 12:20

Re: 80 Years Ago This Month - Sunny Stories 1937

Post by Tony Summerfield »

Yes, Sue, it has come through without any problem, but as it is a PDF file I am not sure if I can manage to turn any pages into jpg files which is what they have to be if I am to load them into the Cave. It is probably an easy thing to do, but I am bordering on totally incompetent when it comes to things like this! There are three or four pages in it that would be good additions to the Cave.

I think in future I will add the letter pages, the children's contribution page, any full page illustration (nice ones by E H Davie on pages 7 and 31) and the Hidden Words Competition page at the end.

Perhaps some 'tech wizard' can tell me what to do! :D
User avatar
Fiona1986
Posts: 10527
Joined: 01 Dec 2007, 15:35
Favourite book/series: Five Go to Smuggler's Top
Favourite character: Julian Kirrin
Location: Dundee, Scotland
Contact:

Re: 80 Years Ago This Month - Sunny Stories 1937

Post by Fiona1986 »

I'm no expert but it would be straightforward enough to bring up the image/page you wanted in the PDF, and if large enough, you could just press the Print Screen button and paste it into paint to save it as a jpg. Not a very technical way of doing it and maybe not the best but maybe worth a go?
"It's the ash! It's falling!" yelled Julian, almost startling Dick out of his wits...
"Listen to its terrible groans and creaks!" yelled Julian, almost beside himself with impatience.


World of Blyton Blog

Society Member
Post Reply