60 Years Ago This Week - Enid Blyton's Magazine 1958

[John Pickup]

Thanks Rob and Tony once again. I, too, prefer the magazine illustrations to those in the books especially Aily slithering into the hole. In the Burgess Sharrocks illustration the boy on the left needs his face spreading out.

[Daisy]

Thanks Rob and Tony. I enjoyed the story "Tit for Tat" very much. The magazine seems to have been very good value for money, although when I and my sisters were getting it in 1953 I don't think we appreciated that.

[Rob Houghton]

In the Burgess Sharrocks illustration the boy on the left needs his face spreading out.

Sounds painful, lol!

I agree about the Five Get Into A Fix illustration - I can hardly believe that Soper replaced the exciting one of Aily slithering into the hole with that bland one of her scraping the snow, which is also quite badly drawn!

[Rob Houghton]

Thanks Rob and Tony. I enjoyed the story "Tit for Tat" very much. The magazine seems to have been very good value for money, although when I and my sisters were getting it in 1953 I don't think we appreciated that.

I think it was very good value indeed!

By the way - am I the only person who can't find the 'reply' button any more? Its vanished!

[Daisy]

You mean the "Quick reply" and the "Postreply" boxes below the last post? if you haven't got them, how are you replying?

[Rob Houghton]

I'm having to quote everyone, or use the 'quick' reply. I don't have the normal 'post reply' any more! Maybe its our connection or something - its been slow today.

[Lenoir]

Interesting that the illustrations are different and good to see them.
The children do look older in the later books but Timmy doesn't age.

[Rob Houghton]

Another fortnight gone by, and another Enid Blyton Magazine arrives on the doormat!



Its another great bumper issue! i'm still amazed at what good value the magazines were, with so many stories, puzzles, prizes to be won, and so many chances to win Enid Blyton books!

The cover shows an illustration from the first uncollected short story Lost - A Big Black Dog! - its a really nice story I thought - with some lovely illustrations. I guess, in today's society, the name of the dog - Nigger - is unacceptable - but it did make me realise that mostly this name was given to dogs in Britain because it was looked upon as a friendly name, rather than an insult. You'd hardly call a much-loved dog 'Nigger' if you thought the name had bad connotations. At least, that's the way I see it - which sort of proves that (in Britain at least) the name wasn't viewed in the 1950's in the same negative way it became viewed later. It was such a widespread name, for dogs, the colour of trousers and skirts and coats, etc, that people probably gave the meaning very little thought - except that it meant 'black'.

Anyway, that aside, its an entertaining and heartwarming story - my favourite of this 'number' as Enid called it.

You can read this story and the others by following the link - with many thanks as always to Tony for the scans.

In her Editorial Letter this week, which can be read by following the link, we hear more about those silk worms that children could send away for in the post - and also about a little girl who is a 'Busy Bee' and is offering stick insect eggs. I can't help thinking all this would be frowned on today. Not only the fact that insect eggs might get damaged in the post, but because the children who wrote off for them might ill-treat them, leave them to die, not look after them. I wonder how many children took up the offer and really looked after these insects well? Hopefully a few did, as we are talking about Busy Bees and Enid Blyton fans - but I'm sure there were a few who didn't.

Enid also talks about a broadcast she did regards helping her spastic children. Of course, it was all well-meant, and Enid did a lot to help this cause - but it struck me how times have changed, when Enid quotes herself on the radio as saying "I think most of us have seen some pathetic little spastic children...' While I know she meant 'pathetic' in the sense that it was a shame, it still comes across as rather condescending viewed through today's eyes.

After Our Letters Page - which is entirely given over to Dorothy West's letter about stick insects, which she is giving away to anyone who is a busy bee and wishes to write to her, we have the next instalment of A Puzzle For The Secret Seven - chapter 11. This chapter is quite unusual, in that there is an illustration in the magazine but not in chapter 11 of the book! Not often that happens. Below is the illustration from the magazine - though its not one of the best, even by Sharrocks' usually below-par standards! he manages to make Susie look like a little old lady tottering down the path, lol!



The next story is As Bad As One Another - a comical story about two pixies - Jumpy and Feefo - at least, I presume they are pixies - with an aunt called 'Aunt Frowny' - although they act like little boys and seem to live in a world very much like ours. The story is all about two tickets they have for a pantomime, which seems quite 'human' in tone, except for characters like Dame Frowny and Dame Soapy. Its interesting because the illustrations are by Sylvia Venus, who mainly illustrated Amelia Jane by this time in her career. You can read it in Enid Blyton's Bedtime Annual 1972 (World Distributors 1971).

Our Puzzle Page

SUNBEAMS PRIZE PUZZLE -

From the groups of letter below, take the letters of the name of one animal and leave the name of another. There are four animals to find -

MCOAUTSE
TLIIGOENR

FAMOUS FIVE PRIZE PUZZLE -

Can you spot the odd word in each group of words below -

a) Jam, Lemon, Honey, Treacle
b) Alsatian, Retriever, Pekinese, Siamese
c) Frog, Wasp, Bee, Butterfly

PUZZLE FOR MY BUSY BEES -

What is the total if you add together the days of March, April and November?

One thing I noticed about the Puzzle Page this issue is that Enid has added a note to each puzzle, such as remember - if you send the correct answer to me, you may win a prize! I wonder why she felt the need to do this? Maybe we are witnessing the start of Enid's magazine becoming slightly less popular, with less people bothering to enter the competitions?

Next we have the continuation of the picture strip story Rumble and Chuff which can be read by following the link. Once again, I am really puzzled as to why this story is published in March but is all about Father Christmas! I wouldn't have wanted to read about Father Christmas in spring, and it seems a very odd thing to have in a magazine for March. Feels like a printing error!

next we have the continuing saga of Five Get Into A Fix - Chapter 18. there are two lovely illustrations this week, which I will include below as well as the equivalent illustration from the book for Chapter 18. I really do prefer the magazine illustrations! They seem to be more full of action. The first two are from the magazine, the third one from the novel. As you can see, its very similar, but not identical to the magazine version - but the second magazine illustration ('Aily stood at the top listening') wasn't included in the book.







After a nice painting competition, featuring daffodils, crocuses and tulips, we come to the second uncollected short story of this issue - Ian's Pound Note. Its another good story but one that Enid told many times in various ways, sometimes with a ten shilling note, sometimes with some circus tickets (I think). I found it quite interesting that they could take an envelope of torn up pound note and get it exchanged for a new one - after having a personal meeting with the bank manager! I wonder what would happen these days if you took an envelope with torn up/nibbled bits of a fiver in it?!

Underneath this short story there's a puzzle for 'My Overseas Readers' - which can be read after the story on the link below. I found question 4 a bit puzzling. Enid is obviously alluding to Noddy - and question 4 is What is the name of his dog? I know 'Bumpy Dog' was in Noddy...but I didn't think he belonged to Noddy! Didn't he live with Tessie Bear, or maybe the Tubby Bears?

Here is the link to follow for this weeks stories -

http://www.enidblytonsociety.co.uk/maga ... ?magid=932

Till next time!

[Eddie Muir]

Thanks, Rob. I look forward to reading your latest contribution tomorrow.

[Kate Mary]

Thank you Rob, I thought the competions were easier this week, perhaps as you say fewer children were entering them and Enid was trying to drum up some interest. I enjoyed the stories though, we are so lucky to be able to read them thanks to Tony.

[John Pickup]

Thanks Rob for the review and Tony for the scans. I enjoyed both stories and I agree about Sharrocks illustration featuring Susie, she looks more like an Avon lady than a schoolgirl.

[pete9012S]

Many thanks yet again to Rob and Tony for this most enjoyable resume.

Sorry if it's been asked before Rob,but does the Fix story in the mag mention The Barnards at all?

[Rob Houghton]

I presume so, Pete, as the magazine version was exactly the same as the book version, usually. Whereabout does the Barnard reference occur? Is it near the start?

[Daisy]

Yes, Rob, before the children set off for Wales.

[Rob Houghton]

Thanks Daisy!

Interestingly enough, the book is slightly different to the magazine - but not much. Barnard is actually used more often in the magazine chapter.

In the book, Enid writes - 'In a minute or two the door opened and the doctor came into the room with the mother of Julian, Dick and Anne. She looked tired - and no wonder!

But in the magazine version, Enid had written - In a minute or two the doctor came into the room with Mrs Barnard, the mother of Julian, Dick and Anne. She looked tired - and no wonder!

The rest is pretty similar, with their mother being called Mrs Barnard throughout the chapter.

There are also a few other small changes - such as Jenkins carrying a basket of ripe, yellow apples and some plump yellow-brown pears in the book, but in the magazine these are described only as a basket of ripe, yellow apples, and some plump, yellow pears

In the magazine, Jenkins says Her farm's on the hillside, man - and the slope runs right down to the sea. A fine place it is in summer - but they'll be nothing but snow there now... whereas in the book he says a bit more - Her farm's on the hillside, man - and the slope runs right down to the sea. A fine place it is in summer - but they'll be nothing but snow there now, sure as I'm telling you.

I'm surprised because I didn't realise there were differences between magazine versions and the novel version - even if only small changes.