80 Years Ago This Month - Sunny Stories 1937

Discuss Blyton's magazines, short stories and poetry here.
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Rob Houghton
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Re: 80 Years Ago This Month - Sunny Stories 1937

Post by Rob Houghton »

I've only ever seen a collar stud once - on my dad's old shirt he wore in the RAF in the 1950's. He still has all his 'kit' . :D
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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)



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Re: 80 Years Ago This Month - Sunny Stories 1937

Post by Anita Bensoussane »

Kate Mary wrote:Another peep into the pages of Sunny Stories, no uncollected stories this month but plenty of pictures, poems and puzzles. The readers' poems are amusing as well, Hazel Huddart's in issue 14 made me laugh and Dorothy Flann's in issue 16 is very good, it could almost have been written by Enid herself.

http://www.enidblytonsociety.co.uk/maga ... ?magid=263" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Another wonderful glimpse of bygone days with letters and poems to enjoy, picture strips to chuckle over, puzzles to do and illustrations to admire - including enlarged cover illustrations. E. H. Davie was obviously used a lot at this time and it's also great to see the illustrations by Marjorie Thorp, J. Rickard, Marguerite Agopian, Gordon Robinson, G. F. Christie and others.

I agree that Dorothy Flann's poem 'The Muffin Man' is very good indeed, Kate. I also like Enid's poem 'The Rainbow' and the picture strip 'Monty Monkey's Latest Trick'.

It's lovely when Enid says to her prize-winners: "Well done, all of you. Did you feel excited when you had your prize! It is a nice feeling to see your name printed in a book, too, isn't it? It seems to look quite different in print." She obviously understands exactly how they feel and shares their excitement, recalling the time when it was a novelty to see her own early poems and stories in print.

Thanks for these fascinating additions to the Cave, 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.


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Re: 80 Years Ago This Month - Sunny Stories 1937

Post by Moonraker »

Wonderful additions. I have got so much reading to do. Let's hope I live long enough!
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Re: 80 Years Ago This Month - Sunny Stories 1937

Post by John Pickup »

I like the picture strips. They remind me of the comics I had as a child.
Didn't realise Tony used to go fishing! :D
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Re: 80 Years Ago This Month - Sunny Stories 1937

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Probably like me, he goes fishing for compliments! :wink:
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Re: 80 Years Ago This Month - Sunny Stories 1937

Post by Tony Summerfield »

I stopped doing this after the April issues as I had taken a great deal of time and trouble over them and there was virtually no interest. This was probably because although I had given brief tasters and all the illustrations from every story, there weren't any uncollected stories.

I have scaled back on this and have now only bothered about adding the uncollected stuff (mostly poems) and odds and ends, but I have done this for all issues from May and June.
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Re: 80 Years Ago This Month - Sunny Stories 1937

Post by Kate Mary »

Hurrah! Thank you, thank you Tony. I love the poems and little picture-strip stories. You never labour in vain in the Cave as far as I'm concerned. I hope other people enjoy them too.
"I love everything that's old: old friends, old times, old manners, old books, old wines." Oliver Goldsmith

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Re: 80 Years Ago This Month - Sunny Stories 1937

Post by Rob Houghton »

Thank you tony. :-D

Might I suggest a link from this thread each time new stuff is added? that's what I do with the 60 Years Ago thread, and hopefully people follow it...sometimes! ;-)
'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)



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Re: 80 Years Ago This Month - Sunny Stories 1937

Post by Anita Bensoussane »

Thanks, Tony - that's brilliant! Here's a link to the first May issue. People can click on the arrows to move to subsequent issues:

http://www.enidblytonsociety.co.uk/maga ... ?magid=268" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I'm absolutely loving all the E. H. Davie illustrations. I hadn't realised that s/he was an illustrator of such variety. It's amusing to see the man in the poem 'Where, Oh, Where?' reading a copy of Sunny Stories! He sounds very much like Mr. Twiddle.

Gordon Robinson, Sylvia Venus and G. F. Christie have done some great illustrations too.

'Brer Rabbit Tricks Brer Wolf' is an enjoyable story. I had to laugh at Brer Wolf roaring at Brer Rabbit, "I'll bite your head off, you skinny, twisty little rabbit!"

'Music Hath Charms!' is rather a quaint story, with the bull being soothed by violin music!

It's funny how American 'The Bunnies' Party' sounds:

"So Mrs. Bunny and the girls
Made cookies, cakes and candy,
And jellies too of every hue
That looked both cool and dandy."

I've only read the May issues so far but I'll take a look at the June ones shortly.
"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: 80 Years Ago This Month - Sunny Stories 1937

Post by pete9012S »

I love this thread! :D

Many thanks Tony.
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Re: 80 Years Ago This Month - Sunny Stories 1937

Post by Anita Bensoussane »

Just read the June issues. Wonderful - I feel as though I'm being taken back in time (and down in age!)

I very much like the language of 'Brer Rabbit and Miss Cow, e.g. "blam!", "blim!", "blip!", "kerblam!" and the description of Brer Bull "ramping and roaring". The Brer Rabbit stories are so full of verve.

The poem 'Fox Gloves' has a lovely jaunty rhythm and 'My Silver Sixpence' is most amusing.

It's great to see the enlarged cover pictures and the extra Wishing-Chair illustrations. Jennifer M. Rickard's cover showing a scene from 'Miss Waddle-Toes' (June 25th, 1937) is particularly attractive.

The picture-strips don't have much story to them but the artwork makes them fun to read and look at. I love the little car in 'Mary is Up to Date!'
"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: 80 Years Ago This Month - Sunny Stories 1937

Post by sixret »

Thank you, Tony. Very much appreciated.

For those who like to read, click the link below. There are 4 issues in June. Click the "next" button for next issue.

http://www.enidblytonsociety.co.uk/maga ... ?magid=272" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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Re: 80 Years Ago This Month - Sunny Stories 1937

Post by John Pickup »

Thanks for the links. It makes it so much easier to enjoy this thread. I like Gordon Robinson's Elfin Dance Band.
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Re: 80 Years Ago This Month - Sunny Stories 1937

Post by Kate Mary »

Tony has been kind enough to add another months worth of Sunny Stories ephemera from July 1937. There are some particularly fine uncollected poems in this selection decorated with lovely illustations. I liked The Hungry Mouse, The Butterfly and I Wish I Were a Signalman. It's great to be able to see this material from 80 years ago.
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Re: 80 Years Ago This Month - Sunny Stories 1937

Post by Anita Bensoussane »

Brilliant! Thanks, Tony!

I love 'The Hungry Mouse' too, Kate. A whimsical poem with a gorgeous illustration by E. H. Davie. And yes, 'The Butterfly' and 'I Wish I Were a Signalman' are lovely as well.

Once again, the enlarged covers are extremely attractive. The red and blue tones always work well - and what a great selection of artists: Dorothy Wheeler, Marjorie Thorp, Joyce Johnson, Sylvia Venus and Jennifer Rickard. I very much like Marjorie Thorp's furry white cat and Joyce Johnson's slinky black ones.

As always, it's good to see Hilda McGavin's extra Wishing-Chair illustrations.

The link below leads to the first July issue. Use the arrow at the top to move on to the other four.

http://www.enidblytonsociety.co.uk/maga ... ?magid=276" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
"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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