Wanted: Enid Blyton prints, illustrations and photographs

[redlionweb]

We own The Red Lion pub in Knotty Green near Beaconsfield (http://www.redlionweb.com" target="_blank) which is situated just opposite where Enid Blyton used to live at Green Hedges. The pub is currently undergoing extensive refurbishment and, when we reopen, we would like to theme one of the rooms as the 'Enid Blyton Room'. In order to do this, we need to find prints/illustrations from Enid Blyton books and/or copies of photographs of the author hereself. We've tried internet searches, ebay etc but with little success. Please can anyone help point us in the right direction?

[Ming]

I should think you ought to look right here on this website! Click on "Home" at the top and you'll find illustrations and stuff in the Book listing. If you have subscribed to the Society you can see the photos, in "Photo Album".

[Moonraker]

Ah, an Enid Blyton room in a pub. Pure Heaven!

[Mollybob]

I bought some on ebay recently for my baby's nursery. I searched for Eileen Soper who illustrated many of Blyton's books, rather than searching for Enid Blyton. Have you tried searching for the various illustrators' names?

Edited to say I have just done a search and I can't find any now. I must have been lucky when I did my search as there were lots listed that week.

[Green Hedges]

What a great idea to have an Enid Blyton room in a Beaconsfield pub. The town does very little to recognise the fact that Enid Blyton used to do fantastic things in a mansion on its northern edge, up where you are. Long live the memory of Green Hedges (the house not my EBS Forums pseudynom).

Have you considered dedicating a whole wall in the Red Lion to the books themselves? I'm sure people would donate copies. I'd send you a brand new copy of 'Looking For Enid' if it was thought worthy of a place on such hallowed shelves. But secondhand paperbacks of Blyton books would look good en masse. Eight copies of Five on a Treasure Island, next to nine copies of Five Have Plenty of Fun, next to ten copies of Five are Together Again. What could be more decorative? It might be a good idea to call the beer names like 'Mystery Moor' and 'Finniston Farm'. That would surely draw in the punters:
Noddy: "A pint of Smuggler's Top, please, bar lady.'
Big-Ears: "You're too young to drink real ale, Noddy. You know that"
Noddy: "I'm buying it for YOU, Big-Ears. I'll just have a sip."

There is also a very important pub four miles away from you in Bourne End, on Coldmoorholme Lane right next door to Old Thatch where Enid lived for nine years before she moved to Beaconsfield. I think it's called The Spade Oak but it ought to be called The Peterswood Arms since Bourne End is to all intents and purposes the Peterswood of the Mystery books. Actually, it ought to be called The Theophilus Goon, and here's why:
Fatty: "He's been in there for three hours now."
Bets: 'What can Mr Goon possibly be doing that takes all afternoon?"
Fatty: "He's getting slaughtered."
Bets: "What does 'getting slaughtered' mean?"
Fatty: "For a start it means going red in the face. Just you wait and see. When he comes out of there his face will be the colour of beetroot. But the fun really starts when he tries to get on his bike to cycle home."
Bets: "But we'll help him if he falls off, won't we? We won't just laugh at poor Mr Goon."
Fatty: "Of course we'll help him, Little Bunny. Peterswood simply wouldn't be the same without our dear Mr Goon."

[Moonraker]

Great post, Duncan! What a great book a post schooldays mystery would make. Imagine the state that a tipsy Goon would get into!

A splendid website, redlionweb! Slightly nostalgic to see the Ind Coope lettering on the wall. A Double Diamond Works Wonders....it certainly helped if you were constipated! Regarding proper beer, Ind Coope Burton Ale was a particular favourite of mine.

If only you weren't so far away, I'd certainly drop in for a pint of Kirrin's Revenge!

[Green Hedges]

Moonraker, your big friendly face encourages me to take this further:

In Beaconsfield's finest pub - deep within the Red Lion's unique Enid Blyton room - Big-Ears and Noddy are sitting at a table. Noddy has been plucking his own books from the shelves and reading them with delight, while Big-Ears has been drinking pints of Kirrin's Revenge. After a long silence, they talk:
Noddy: "I've read Noddy Goes to Toyland. I've read Noddy Goes to School. And I've read You Funny Little Noddy. And I have to say they're all brilliant. But I'm ready to get back to House-For-One now."
Big-Ears: "I'll just have one more pint of Kirrin's Revenge, first. Then you can take me to Toadstool House in your taxi and make us both a lovely cherry-pie dinner."
Noddy: "One more! You've had eight big pints already. And I feel as if I'm made out of lime and soda. So PLEASE Big-Ears, let's go."

Meanwhile, a few short miles away in The Peterswood Arms, Fatty and Goon are sitting side-by-side on barstools. Fatty is disguised as a tramp, and so Goon, as ever, does not know who it is that he's passing the time of day with. Goon has been downing pints, while Fatty has been nursing a lemonade shandy while giving the impression that he's drinking Kirrin's Revenge at twice the rate of Goon, an impression that's only partly due to the lipstick blush that Fatty's given to his nose, cheeks and forehead. The following exchange takes place:
Goon: "Cor! - You can certainly put it away. I admire a man who can hold his liquor."
Fatty: "Yes, I had my fifth pint when you were answering that fake emergency call. And my sixth when you were getting those kids to clear orf."
Goon: "Don't mention those kids. I come in her to get away from the thought of them. Especially the fat one."
Fatty: "The fat clever-looking one?"
Goon: "Clever? If he's so blooming clever then why is it not HIM who's in here having a crafty pint when officially he should be on duty?"
Fatty: "You run rings round that fat lad, Mr Goon. Even when you're just sitting here getting slowly plastered. Run rings round him you do."

[Ming]

That is well funny! If that is what is at the end of each chapter, I will enjoy the book!

[Green Hedges]

Ming, your yellow-crested cockatoo is just as inspiring as Moonraker's red face. So here goes:

Big-Ears came into Noddy's house looking very hot and bothered. He had left his bicycle by the gate.
"Noddy! I'm so glad you're at home."
"Big-Ears, what's the matter? You do look scared."
"I am," said Big-Ears, taking out an enormous hanky and mopping his head. "Mr Goon fell down outside the Peterswood Arms - right from the top to the bottom step - BUMP!"
"Good gracious!" said Noddy, in alarm. "Is he hurt?"
"I don't know," said Big-Ears. "He'll have to go to the Enid Blyton room at the Red Lion for a check-up. Will you take him there in your car? It's very important."
"Of course I will!" said Noddy. "Oh, poor Mr Goon! I hope he hasn't broken himself anywhere. I'll get my car and we'll go back to the Red Lion in Beaconsfield at once. Does anyone else know?"
"Oh yes - everybody," said Big-Ears. "And I'm sorry to say that Fatty and his Find-Outers aren't very sorry."
"Well - I'm VERY VERY sorry," said Noddy. "Mr Goon is cross with me sometimes, but I do like him, Big-Ears, and I think he's a fantastic policeman. I'm SO sorry he's fallen out of the Peterswood Arms. I'll take him to the Red Lion at once in my car."
"Who will be the policeman until he's fit for work again?" asked Tessie Bear.
"I shall," said Big-Ears, in such a stern voice that Noddy felt quite
afraid. "So just you behave yourselves, Tessie and Noddy. No hanky-panky!"
Noddy ran to get his car, and soon he and Big-Ears were speeding through the village of Peterswood. In no time at all poor Mr Goon was gently lifted into the car, and Noddy drove him very very carefully to the Red Lion in Beaconsfield.
Noddy was afraid he might be given another lime and soda to drink in the Enid Blyton lounge. But of course he was more concerned with his patient's welfare. Poor Mr Goon - would he be better again soon?
Mr Goon was very brave. Actually, Noddy thought the policeman was wonderful.He didn't groan or grumble or sigh when he was given a pint of Kirrin's Revenge. All he said was that he was sorry, very sorry, about one thing.
"What's that?" asked Noddy.
"It's that fat boy," said Mr Goon. "He needs locking up. I'm worried about letting him run loose, what with his terrible drinking problem. I'm very worried about that. Big-Ears, I hope you'll see what can be done about him."
They left poor Mr Goon at the Red Lion, in charge of a kind-looking proprietor and two bar ladies wearing very short skirts. "Come and see me tomorrow," said Mr Goon to Big-Ears. "I'll be lonely and sad. And catch that toad of a fat boy if you can, Big-Ears. His most recent alias is Frederick Algernon Trotskyite. He was last seen at the Peterswood Arms drinking rum and Kiki-cola."
On the way home Big-Ears suddenly shouted. "Hey, Noddy - where are you going? I want to go to Peterswood police-station, not to Toadstool House!"
So Noddy drove Big-Ears to the police-station - and dear me, when Big-Ears had put on Mr Goon's spare helmet, and sat up on his high stool, he really looked rather alarming.
"I don't like you in that helmet," said Noddy. "You look as though you want to lock me up or something. Big-Ears, you will be a kind policeman, won't you?"
"I shall be kind to good people but I shall be very FIERCE with bad ones," said Big-ears. "Now let's get after that toad of a fat boy."
"Maybe he'll be hiding in Toadstool House."
"What?! My Toadstool and that toad together? Come on Noddy. Let's get over there and catch this so-called Frederick before he's sick in my bed or in that bucket of cherries I've got marked down for our dinner."

[Anita Bensoussane]

[Duncan:] Have you considered dedicating a whole wall in the Red Lion to the books themselves? I'm sure people would donate copies.

That sounds like a great idea. Cheap and cheerful copies would do fine - in fact they'd be preferable to valuable first editions because then customers could leaf through them while drinking.

Anita

[Green Hedges]

Another practical suggestion is prints from some of the more lavishly illustrated books. Though this does mean taking books apart which is always a shame and sometimes a sacrilege.

Each of the 8 or so Big Noddy Books contain within them several full-page illustrations by Beek. Each is framed by red or blue lines about an inch in from the page edge. Many of these are reprinted in more recent editions, but the paper quality, the proportions of the image on the page and the colour reproduction are all a bit iffy. The editions produced in the seventies might be all right, I haven't seen them (but Tony will know). Certainly the books from the fifties are beautiful. The pages (A4 width, but a bit less than A4 height) would look lovely behind glass in even quite simple picture frames.

These might be particularly appropriate for the Red Lion EB room given that Bekenscot model village is only just down the road from you, and that (I feel) inspired Enid to write about Noddy in Toyland. Though of course she was also bearing in mind Beek's luscious artwork right from the start of this series.

In one of the Big Noddy books I've got, Mr Plod is laughing at Noddy because Noddy has the idea that he's going to catch the moon in a pond with a fishing net. Noddy doesn't understand that what he sees as the moon is only a reflection. Partly I like this (though the image itself is just gorgeous) because it reminds me of a scene in The Mystery of the Strange Bundle where Fatty, having pitched a bundle of something into the river, makes Mr Goon so mad that he physically assaults him. Yes, the fat policeman was a match for Noddy when he was about four years old. But by the time Enid's protagonist is thirteen or so, he's the one that holds all the aces. And some critics maintain that Enid didn't go in for character development!

Look for books on abebooks.co.uk, if you fancy this. Choose Advanced search. And then fill in the fields: 'Enid Blyton', 'Big Noddy Book', pre-1980. £6 or so + £3 postage. What bargains!

Duncan

[Ming]

Those are good ones! Duncan, you should write a bit for the "Write a story!" thread in the Games forum!

[Moonraker]

In one of the Big Noddy books I've got, Mr Plod is laughing at Noddy because Noddy has the idea that he's going to catch the moon in a pond with a fishing net. Noddy doesn't understand that what he sees as the moon is only a reflection.

I never knew that Enid had used a variation of the Wiltshire Moonraker story in one of her books. Obviously, Dorset wasn't her only inspiration!

[Anita Bensoussane]

There's a similar story in Brer Rabbit's a Rascal ("Brer Rabbit and the Moon") so trying to "catch" the moon's reflection is probably an ingredient of traditional tales from various cultures.

Anita

[redlionweb]

Ming - I can't find any details on this site as to where we can buy prints and photos???

Green Hedges - like your idea of a whole wall of books - do you know anywhere we could buy a whole load to fill the shelves (and with the refurb having cost a few hundred thousand, want to keep costs down).

It appears this thread may have been hijacked (just a little) by the storytellers. Neverththeless, am still looking for an easy and low-cost way to generage a stack of Enid Blyton photographs and illustrations.

Thanks for your help - anyone.