The Enid Blyton Society

Anita Bensoussane wrote: Rudd writes that The Circus of Adventure was the second most popular Jackanory reading ever, just behind Roald Dahl. Does anyone here remember seeing that? I'd be interested to know when The Circus of Adventure featured on the programme, who read the book and who did the illustrations.

I have never heard of Jackanory, but I Googled it after reading this thread (thanks Pete for bumping it up ). Here is a link with a picture from the Circus of Adventure: http://www.thistlefineart.com/WilkinsonBarry.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; Apparently the illustrations were done by someone called Barry Thomas Wilkinson. I have never heard of him, but I suppose people from the UK have.

PS: Apologies if this was already known, but it is the first time I am reading this thread.

Thanks very much, 70s-child - a fantastic spot of Find-Outing! The name Barry Thomas Wilkinson doesn't mean anything to me either, but it's great to see the illustration. I am familiar with Joanna Monro, who (as I now know!) read The Circus of Adventure on Jackanory in 1986. She was a presenter on That's Life and has been in many TV series including Angels.

1986 eh? I was well past the Jackanory stage then. Way past the Blyton stage as well (or so I thought ). I would love to have heard it though. I did love Jackanory when I was smaller, back in the 70's.

Anita Bensoussane wrote:Thanks very much, 70s-child - a fantastic spot of Find-Outing!

*trying desperately to look modest at being compared with Fatty and Co., though the credit goes to Google.

Anyway, another piece of trivia Google turned up is that the Jackanory "Island of Adventure" was read by someone called Peter Gilmore (again, I have no idea who he is): http://www.gilmore-stallybrass.eu/html/ ... y_year.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; (do a 'find' or 'search' on the linked page for "Island of Adventure")

I wish someone would make these programs more widely available. Even DVDs don't seem to exist of either reading.

70s-child wrote:...another piece of trivia Google turned up is that the Jackanory "Island of Adventure" was read by someone called Peter Gilmore (again, I have no idea who he is): http://www.gilmore-stallybrass.eu/html/ ... y_year.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; (do a 'find' or 'search' on the linked page for "Island of Adventure")

Brilliant! Coo - you're a wonder and a marvel, 70s-child, that's what you are! The link even has the dates of transmission - 30th September-4th October 1974.

70s-child wrote:I wish someone would make these programs more widely available. Even DVDs don't seem to exist of either reading.

I used to love Jackanory as a child (I watched it from the mid 1970s to about 1981 so missed the Adventure books) and would be keen to buy a boxed set of the entire programme if available, though I expect it would set me back a bob or two!

This is the cheapest price I've seen for this book.Has anyone seen it for sale cheaper??????

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Enid-Blyton-a ... 1c289de103" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I bought my copy of David Rudd's Enid Blyton and the Mystery of Children's Literature direct from Macmillan Press in 2000. I can't remember how much I paid for it, as it doesn't have a cover price, but I'm sure it was a sensible amount of money. I certainly wouldn't have paid anything like the ridiculous price being asked for it on ebay. Words fail me!

Eighty three pounds and six pence???? Leaving aside the fact that its an overall outrageous price for a book; why the Six Pence? Surely just eighty three or eighty four pounds would suffice? Its not only an outrageous price, its a silly one too.

Especially since the seller has 10 available!

Anita Bensoussane wrote:David Rudd mentions, towards the end of Chapter 3, that The Circus of Adventure was read out on Jackanory.

Ming wrote:Another by the way point: it's in the middle of Chapter 3, to be very accurate, it's on age 36.

Of course I had to turn to page 36 of the book to read about the Jackanory account.You can read the excerpt here:

http://imgur.com/a/D2mBE" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;