The Enid Blyton Society

A.A. Milne's books like Winnie the Pooh are enduring classics, and for good reason. I just love the way Milne plays with language in both his poetry and prose. He masters word play in a manner that few other authors, except perhaps for Roald Dahl, can match (though doubtless other people will think of authors with similar gifts to Milne and Dahl). Although I discovered some authors through TV series, I was introduced to Milne by my Standard One teacher (in New Zealand, Standard One, now known as Year Three, was the third year of primary school), who read Winnie the Pooh to us. (Actually, that teacher introduced me to a number of my favourite children's books and characters, including Pippi Longstocking and the hilarious Bottersnikes and Gumbles series by Australian author S.A. Wakefield.) I then borrowed it from the school library, and it wasn't too long thereafter that I had my own copy.

Recently, whilst reading Barbara Stoney's biography of Enid Blyton, I was thrilled to discover that Blyton once met A.A. Milne. She wrote about it in her diary, and thankfully, this was a portion of Blyton's diary that survived. I think she met Milne in September or October 1926 and interviewed him. At the end of the encounter, Blyton wrote that Milne presented her with an advance copy of his latest book - Winnie the Pooh! What I wouldn't give to go back in time and be a fly on the wall in the room where those two great 20th Century children's authors met! I'll bet that advance copy, if it still exists, must be worth a princely, nay, a kingly sum! I'm not sure whether Blyton and Milne ever met up again, but that fact that they even had that one encounter just kind of blew my mind!

Anyway, I'm sure there must be other Milne fans here, so please share your views of his writings.

I missed out on the Winnie the Pooh books as a child - I only ever read one or two of the stories in anthologies. I did love my copy of When We Were Very Young though, especially the poem that begins, "Sir Brian had a battleaxe with great big knobs on;/He went among the villagers and blipped them on the head..." I was quite little and didn't understand all the poems, but I did enjoy the rhythms and the sounds of the words.

Anita

I remember once I read about Winnie the Pooh and Piglet getting stranded somewhere as it was pouring with rain, so Pooh opened his umbrella and they both got in and used it as a boat to sail down the stream.

I loved the poems especially the one about snow, it always makes me laugh.

The more it snows tiddly pom
The more it goes tiddly pom
The more it goes tiddly pom
On Snowing
and nobody knows tiddly pom
how cold my toes tiddly pom
how cold my toes tiddly pom
are growing.

Although I haven't read the origional books actually written by A.A. Milne but I have a fairly large collection of the Ladybird books based on the Disney adaptations of the books.

I started collecting the books when I was about seven or eight. I simply couldn't help. Their colorful spines and stunning illustrations nearly captured my mind!

I'm simply in love with the Disney's adaptations of the books, The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, Piglet's Big Movie, and of course The Tigger Movie which is my favorite!

However, I am angry because Disney has altered some characters from the real books...

When I was young, I liked this book very much! I could read it for hours...
(I hope, you understand me )

All right, everyone who's within reach of London and loves Winnie-the-Pooh (I'm sure I can't be the only one )... I've just got back from a wonderful exhibition at the V&A, "Winnie-the-Pooh: Exploring a Classic". Just wanted to let others know about it, as I would highly, highly recommend it to anyone who's interested and can get there. You do need to pay to see the exhibition, but it's well worth it (and of course there's plenty more to see at the museum for free if you want to make a day of it).

I liked how the exhibition is set out in engaging and imaginative ways — it's obviously designed to appeal to young children as well as grown-ups — and there's lots to see, including manuscripts and notes by A.A. Milne and so many wonderful original sketches by E.H. Shepard, showing how closely the two of them worked together to create the books. I was especially moved by a long section near the end that explores the different ways in which the words and pictures work together to bring the characters and their adventures to life. It's certainly made me love them more than ever, which is saying something!

The gift shop also has lots of lovely souvenirs as you go out — I couldn't resist buying the book of the exhibition, which is just gorgeous. There were plenty of other interesting Pooh/Milne/Shepard-related books there, and prints of Shepard's sketches as well as toys and other gifts, but I managed to restrain myself! But again, if you also love Pooh Bear or classic children's books in general, this is really worth making a trip to London for.

Sounds excellent, Courtenay! I'm hoping to go to that exhibition at some point.

Thought you would, Anita. I'm sure you'll enjoy it too. I liked it so much I wouldn't mind going again before it closes — it's on till April.