Pune International Literary Festival

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Rob Houghton
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Re: Pune International Literary Festival

Post by Rob Houghton »

I agree about the emails - but then there will always be questions that just one person couldn't answer. Everyone has their own area of expertise and questions like 'what Noddy record do the rabbits sing this song in?' are questions unlikely to be answered by anyone, expert or not! I haven't heard anyone come up with an answer yet, anyway! :?
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Re: Pune International Literary Festival

Post by John Pickup »

Perhaps we could have a stock e-mail reply along the lines of "We are sorry but The Enid Blyton Society is unable to answer queries at this time. May we suggest that you register with the online forums where one of our society members might be able to answer your question." At least the enquirer is given an option to go further and we may attract new members as a result.
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Re: Pune International Literary Festival

Post by pete9012S »

I think John's idea is excellent.The enquirer could be given a link to the subscription page too.
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Re: Pune International Literary Festival

Post by Courtenay »

I think that's a good idea too. Unlikely though it looks, the forums really are the best bet for an answer to that enquirer's question about the Noddy record. Even if it's beyond Anita's legendary encyclopaedic knowledge, someone else might know it! :wink:
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Re: Pune International Literary Festival

Post by Anita Bensoussane »

:lol: All I know about Noddy is that he's a wooden doll with a House-for-One and a car which he uses as a taxi. The average three-year-old probably knows more than that!

I agree that a stock email with a link to the forums sounds good. Tony does a tremendous job running the society but a number of the emails he receives are quite vague or ask about obscure topics.
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Re: Pune International Literary Festival

Post by Courtenay »

Anita Bensoussane wrote::lol: All I know about Noddy is that he's a wooden doll with a House-for-One and a car which he uses as a taxi. The average three-year-old probably knows more than that!
And you know that he has a friend called Big-Ears, and that the two of them have been turned into rather scary puppets... :mrgreen: :wink:
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Re: Pune International Literary Festival

Post by Darrell71 »

:lol: :lol:

You guys are sort of hilarious sometimes, though this was one of the tamer examples.

Anyways, I like John's idea as well. Of course, most of these members will just leave once their queries have been answered, but some might stick around, and we don't mind, do we? The more the merrier, as long as there's no broth. :roll: :wink:
floragord wrote:
Machupicchu14 wrote:Where is this festival going to be?
The subject heading has it down as Pune - once Poona where I spent a year at a "branch" of my convent school, St Mary's in Staveley Road :D , when a relative of mine spent some time in nearby Ahmednagar! From friends who live in Mumbai, which isn't too far away, I hear the town has grown out of all recognition, there certainly wouldn't have been a literary festival in our day, nice to know Enid Blyton is so popular.
My dad, who grew up here, also says it has changed beyond recognition. Our old home is in a place where about 10 years ago there was a jungle and no roads, but now there are some of Pune's tallest buildings there! :shock: Were you in the St.Mary's in Pune, Floragord?
EB is popular but once you're my age, you have to either read her books in secret or be called uncool. :roll: However, the younger kids love her books. You know what, the only reason I still read her books is because of you guys. I thought that if adults can still read her books as well, then why can't I?
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Re: Pune International Literary Festival

Post by Anita Bensoussane »

I hope you'll continue reading Enid Blyton all your life, Sunskriti - with other authors in between! I certainly intend to. :D
Darrell71 wrote:The more the merrier, as long as there's no broth. :roll: :wink:
:lol: Though on a Blyton board we'd probably be making something like macaroons or gingerbread, rather than broth!
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Re: Pune International Literary Festival

Post by Darrell71 »

Anita Bensoussane wrote:I hope you'll continue reading Enid Blyton all your life, Sunskriti - with other authors in between! I certainly intend to. :D
'Course I will! :D

Btw, how does gingerbeer sound instead of Broth?
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Anita Bensoussane
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Re: Pune International Literary Festival

Post by Anita Bensoussane »

Sounds good to me!
"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."
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Re: Pune International Literary Festival

Post by Jack400 »

John Pickup wrote:Perhaps we could have a stock e-mail reply along the lines of "We are sorry but The Enid Blyton Society is unable to answer queries at this time. May we suggest that you register with the online forums where one of our society members might be able to answer your question." At least the enquirer is given an option to go further and we may attract new members as a result.
Sounds like a good idea to me.
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Re: Pune International Literary Festival

Post by floragord »

Darrell71 wrote:My dad, who grew up here, also says it has changed beyond recognition. Our old home is in a place where about 10 years ago there was a jungle and no roads, but now there are some of Pune's tallest buildings there! :shock: Were you in the St.Mary's in Pune, Floragord?
I was indeed, Sunskriti! The nuns from St Mary's Wantage where we went ran the Poona "branch" school then (they left India in 1977), and our parents thought it would be fun for us to have a year somewhere completely different but not fall behind on our education. It was a great adventure taking a steam train from Delhi to Mumbai, took 2 days, eating "railway food" and seeing a variety of scenery, and the school took us on interesting outings in the Western Ghats, particularly remember heavenly Lonavla. We had the occasional Saturday morning on Main Street and discovered masala dosas we still enjoy in London, and my cousin met her husband at Bishops School next door, so still a few connections there!
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Re: Pune International Literary Festival

Post by Darrell71 »

I have quite a few friends from Bishop's and Mary's. Your parents seem to be remarkable people who tried to give you as much exposure as possible. A European (I'm assuming you are European) eating railway food and taking a steam train from Delhi to Mumbai, in that day! Something even some Indians don't do! :lol: I live in an area quite far from the Camp area where those two schools are, so I don't really know what 'Main Street' you're talking about, but I can imagine what it must've been like. By the way, was there a eatery named Marzorin in the Camp area in your day?
I'm afraid to say Lonavla has become a heavily tourist influenced spot, and it is not quite so heavenly now. The Western Ghats can give you much better than that! Some parts are still lovely and remote, and if you ever come back I'm sure you'll love it. What was Lonavla like when you saw it?
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