At last! An Enid Blyton tribute in Beaconsfield

[redlionweb]

I thought subscribers to this site might like to read this feature which will be appearing in the Bucks Free Press next week. It contains details of a new Enid Blyton Room at The Red Lion pub in Knotty Green, just down the road from where Green Hedges used to be. The idea for this tribute (there's little else to mark her living there) was spawned by a recent discussion on this very forum.
If anyone would like to contribute unwanted Enid Blyton books for the new room, please send them to: The Enid Blyton Room, The Red Lion, Penn Road, Knotty Green, Beaconsfield, HP9 2TN. Thanks to everyone on this site who have given their advice, support... and books! Please keep them coming...

Here's the article:

THE DELIGHTS of a traditional country pub are alive and well at the newly refurbished Red Lion in Knotty Green.
At the heart of the village, on the outskirts of Beaconsfield, the Red Lion is one of the finest and oldest pubs in the area, with records showing it dates back to at least 1753.
And, despite a new extensive makeover, landlady Tina Massie has ensured that the pub has retained its traditional charm, which makes it so popular with locals of all ages, and visitiors from further afield.
Outside and inside have been redone, with the original front entrance, dating from the 19th Century, restored, and the front of the historic building is now home to a decking area and beer garden, whilst a large car park is now situated at the rear of the pub.
Walking inside, the interior is much brighter and there are new attractions for everyone. The separate sports bar area at the rear contains a pool table, darts board and big-screen televisions to watch the latest sporting action.
In contrast, the pub’s main bar has an open fire and tranquil decor, all making a convivial atmosphere perfect for a drink or a meal.
And a unique addition to the Red Lion is the ‘Enid Blyton Room’. The world-famous children’s author lived most of her life along the road from the pub in a house called Green Hedges and her visit to nearby Bekonscot Model Village in Beaconsfield was the inspiration for the Noddy series of books. The room has original prints of book covers from the 1940s and 1950s on display, as well as a range of Enid’s stories which customers can sit and read. There will also be a Noddy play area for children outside in the Blyton-themed garden.
Food at the Red Lion is a traditional home-cooked pub menu, with dishes including scampi, cod and chips, ham egg and chips, all day breakfasts, steak and ale pie, and light bites like baguettes and jacket potatoes for lunch, with sea bass, casserole, duck, chicken tikka and chilli con carne among the dinner options. They also offer roast dinners on a Sunday.
The Red Lion are inviting people to a weekend celebration to mark their reopening. The fun kicks off on Friday, November 16 with a celebration disco, and Saturday, November 17 sees the official reopening, with a performance from the Wraggle Taggle Band. Entrance on the Saturday is free, but by ticket only (please order your tickets in advance). And on Sunday, November 18, all roast dinners are on offer for just
£5.
Ideal for all the family, and any occasion, the Red Lion is a real gem in the community of Knotty Green and Beaconsfield, and well worth a visit.

[Ming]

Oh, congrats! Best of luck with the Blyton room - I'm sure it will be a success!

[Petermax]

Redlionweb, You should really post a full drinks list. What fine ales are available I wonder? The Enid Blyton Room sounds like a great idea, I will have to search my collection and see if I can find some suitable volumes. Not so sure about the big screen TVs though, the pubs in my area with these devices tend to be a bit boistorous!

[redlionweb]

Petermax - we offer a range of guest ales which rotate. The first one when we reopen will be Broadside along with one other which we have yet to choose.

And if you are thinking of paying us a visit, please don't worry about the televisions - they are all in the separate sports bar area at the rear of the pub.

Hope to see you in the new Enid Blyton room at The Red Lion, Knotty Green.

Kind regards,

[Anita Bensoussane]

The Enid Blyton Room sounds great! Good luck with the reopening. I hope to visit one Saturday in the spring, and I'll certainly bring along some spare Enid Blyton books.

Anita

[redlionweb]

Thanks Anita - much appreciated.

We look forward to welcoming you to the new Beaconsfield Enid Blyton room at The Red Lion, Knotty Green.

Kind regards,

[Lucky Star]

It sounds fantastic. Best of luck with the opening and I will hopefully get over that way at some stage.

[redlionweb]

Well, we've now been back open for a couple of months since the refit and I am pleased to report that the new Enid Blyton Room (an idea suggested here by Society subscribers) has gone down a storm. We've had many visitors including, I'm delighted to say, 'Green Hedges' - one of the Society members who originally suggested creating the library and gallery to mark the fact that the Green Hedges house used to be sited just across the road from the pub. He and his wife came all the way from Scotland just before Christmas and it was a delightful surprise. We've now had the local tourist office in touch so, with a bit of luck, we may even get a mention in the new Tourism England guide. So a huge thank you to everyone for the suggestion.
Many thanks too, to all those of you who donated old Enid Blyton books - they look great on the shelves and (I hope this doesn't sound cheeky) we've got space left for more if you have any. Please post them to The Red Lion, Penn Road, Knotty Green, Beaconsfield, HP9 2TN.
With Spring and Summer on the way, Tina and I hope that many more Society members will pay us a visit over the coming months. Maybe you could combine it with coming to the Enid Blyton day in May as we're not that far awar. Please introduce yourself and I'll happily buy you a pint - or whatever other tipple takes your fancy.
Thanks again to everyone for the insipiration and for being so supportive. We are very, very grateful and look forward to either hearing from you - or getting to meet you in person.
Best wishes to everyone,
http://www.redlionweb.com" target="_blank

[redlionweb]

Thought forum members might like to read the new entry on the official tourism site for buckinghamshire: http://www.visitbucks.org about the new Enid Blyton room in Beaconsfield:-

Enid Blyton (1897-1968)
Enid Blyton, one of the most successful children's authors of the last century moved to a house named Old Thatch on Coldmoorholme Lane in Bourne End in 1929 with her husband, Hugh Pollock. Place names from around about Bourne End provided inspiration for places in some of her books. For example, places called Marlow, Maidenhead and Sheepridge (the name of the road opposite Coldmoorholme Lane) appear in her 'Mystery' series. In 1938 the family (now with two young daughters) moved to a larger house in Beaconsfield which was called Green Hedges after she invited readers to suggest a name. It was here that Enid wrote some of her most famous books, including the Famous Five and Secret Seven series. Green Hedges is immortalised in minature at Bekonscot Model Village, a place which itself featured in Enid's story The Enchanted Village, and which inspired the Noddy Towtown stories. Although Green Hedges no longer exists, there is an Enid Blyton Room nearby within The Red Lion pub in Knotty Green, which has a gallery of photographs and original prints along with a library of the author's books, donated by members of the Enid Blyton Society.

Places to visit:
Old Thatch, Bourne End
Bekonscot Model Village
The Red Lion, Knotty Green