"The Enid" Award

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Ming
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"The Enid" Award

Post by Ming »

The Award is mentioned both in the Chronology page, and also in the book Tell Me About Enid Blyton by Gillian Baverstock. However, having Google-d and Yahoo-ed for an age, I came up with no information. All I know is that this award is given to "a person judged to have contributed outstanding service to children." [found it right here, of course!]

So, did the Awards go on, since 1996? I don't seem to have heard of it anywhere - is the Award still going?

I really can't explain what I mean. :roll:
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Re: "The Enid" Award

Post by Anita Bensoussane »

Good question, Ming! It would be interesting to know more. Gillian Baverstock says that the award consists of a silver model of Enid Blyton's favourite garden statue (of a girl reading a book).

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Re: "The Enid" Award

Post by Tony Summerfield »

I have a sneaky sort of feeling that it actually has never been awarded, one of those things that seemed a good idea ten years ago, but I don't think anything further was done. I will make enquiries so watch this space!!
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Re: "The Enid" Award

Post by Ming »

I always thought the Award was given out maybe once or twice, and then the thing just dropped. Somehow I felt that the award should be publicised (?).
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Re: "The Enid" Award

Post by Anita Bensoussane »

I've just found out that Enid Blyton herself was the first recipient of the award! :lol: I'm not normally a reader of Hello! magazine, but I bought a copy dated 2nd November 1996 which contains an interview with Gillian Baverstock. The article says: "Last week Enid Blyton posthumously became the first winner of the Enid Blyton Award for Lifetime Contribution to Children, an annual award honouring those who have shown outstanding commitment to children's culture, welfare or education. The elder of her two daughters, Gillian, collected the award at a special dinner at the Victoria & Albert Museum." Gillian is quoted as saying, "I am so thrilled about the new Enid Blyton Award and very touched to receive it on behalf of my mother." The interviewer (Peter Robertson) asks,"The award is based on a statue in your garden?" and Gillian replies, "Yes, it's the most beautiful little girl reading a book very serenely. My mother and I bought it from Syon House and she had it in the garden of Green Hedges, her home in Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire, until she died. Now The Reader is sitting by the little round pond in my own garden. I adore her."

I couldn't help noticing that Gillian Baverstock's account of how The Reader arrived at Green Hedges conflicts with Enid Blyton's account in The Story of My Life. Enid Blyton tells us that she wanted a new statue for the garden but couldn't find one she liked:

"And then one Easter, when I was out, two men arrived with something wrapped up in sacking. Carefully they unwrapped it, took out what was inside, set it up on a little pedestal, and left it there.

When I came home with my shopping, what did I see? In the greatest amazement and delight I saw a little white figure of a child, sitting on the pedestal-stone, reading a book!...

...My husband had gone hunting round and had suddenly found her in a place where there were thousands of statues, figures, pillars, urns and goodness knows what!...And so he had secretly arranged for her to be brought to Green Hedges just before Easter, for a real Easter surprise - and there I saw her, sitting at the end of the pond all by herself - reading her book
!"

It's a bit of a mystery but perhaps Gillian had forgotten that it was actually Kenneth, and not her mother, who took her shopping for the statue? Or maybe Gillian was getting mixed up with another statue?

Anyway, the fact remains that the Enid Blyton Award was presented on at least one occasion - posthumously, to Enid Blyton herself!

Edit: It's amazing that Gillian carried on the tradition of having a little round pond in the garden at her own Yorkshire home. Enid Blyton created little round ponds in her gardens at Elfin Cottage, Old Thatch and Green Hedges.

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Re: "The Enid" Award

Post by Lucky Star »

Its a nice story Anita. Both versions, whichever is true. I wonder what will happen to the statue now that Gillian has passed on? Did she have children? It would be nice to think that it will remain in the family, sitting by a little round pond as always.
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Re: "The Enid" Award

Post by Anita Bensoussane »

It sat by the larger rectangular pond in Enid Blyton's garden at Green Hedges, but yes, I hope the statue continues to be cherished wherever it is.

Two of Gillian's children are still with us, Sara and Owain. Sadly her other two children, Glyn and Sian, died before she did.

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Silver figure presented to Enid Blyton's daughter

Post by pete9012S »

Merged with an older topic.

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http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/bradford/hi ... 973938.stm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Silver figure presented to Enid Blyton's daughter Gillian for her mother's "outstanding contribution to children ... "
I wonder how much it achieved at auction and who bought it? The estimate of £150-250 seemed very low.
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Re: Silver figure presented to Enid Blyton's daughter

Post by John Pickup »

Yes, it does seem low, Pete. But estimates can be hopelessly wrong. It would be interesting to know what the items made at auction.
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Re: Silver figure presented to Enid Blyton's daughter

Post by Tony Summerfield »

I had all the prices that things fetched at one stage, but not any more. I believe I am not wrong in saying that it fetched about £500, which I know was considerably less than it cost to have it made! This was set up to be awarded annually as you can read on it with Enid being the first to receive it and Gillian accepted it for her posthumously - and then kept it so that it was never awarded again! :roll:
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