Enid's Car

[Pippa-Stef]

I was thinking of doing a blog post on Enid's car- you know the one that some were lucky enough to see when we all met up at Old Thatch a few years ago, and was wondering where would be the best place to find the best information...

I admit I haven't been through the society website with a fine toothed comb yet, but I'm sure Tony has enough on his plate with the books than to focus on the car, one detail on Enid's life.

If anyone can recommend or can tell me if they know of where any details of the car could be found, I would be most grateful.

[pete9012S]

Wasn't this one was it?




http://www.myfinepix.co.uk/gallery/13410/108281" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

or this one?



http://www.flickr.com/photos/zacks_clas ... 7261898506" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

think its the same car...

[Tony Summerfield]

That's it, Stef, the one that Pete's just posted. I have a picture of Viv and her nephew beside it at Old Thatch (Spade Oak) which I will try and dig out.

[Pippa-Stef]

Yes that's the one!

[Tony Summerfield]

Despite what you might read, it wasn't actually owned by Enid Blyton, it was a Darrell Waters Company car. Enid certainly never drove it, but it is possible that she may have travelled in it at some stage, but they had a whole fleet of cars owned by the company.

[Pippa-Stef]

Oh I see. I do remember being told that at one point.

Do we know if Enid ever owned/drove a car and had a driving liscence?

I think my blog idea might be slightly redundant now...

[Poppy]

I was looking at some pictures the other day, of the society day, and saw one of Enid's car - possibly outside Old Thatch. I wondered if Enid actually could drive - or maybe it really belonged to her husband and was more of a 'family car'. It doesn't look like the car is outside Old Thatch on the pictures, Pete posted. If not - does it tour around?

[Wolfgang]

In Stoney's biography we learn that Enid Blyton had a driver's licence, she learned it at the same time as her husband who seemed to have a better learning curve in this field (if I remember correctly).

[Katharine]

Isn't there a reference somewhere to Enid stopping her car when she saw a castle while on her way back from somewhere. Sorry, that's very vague I know, but it might jog someone's memory. I might have read it in an early Journal, as I thought it was in a letter Enid had written for Teacher's World or something like that. Although whether it mentioned the actual car I can't remember.

If not I suspect Barbara Stoney's biography is probably the best source of information.

[Tony Summerfield]

In the late 40s and early 50s Enid owned a little sports car which she used to drive, but when she sold that she didn't drive again - she did of course have a chauffeur which might have helped!

[David Chambers]

I'm pretty sure Enid does say when she buys her first car and during the early 1930s she often talks of her excursions. In 1931 as well as her car she owned a camera and added photographs to her Teachers World page until just after Gillian was born. There are a few pictures of Enid herself on these pages I've not seen anywhere else and a few of them show her in her car.
I've just added what I'm afraid is a poor reproduction of one of these to the relevant Teachers World entry on the site at http://www.enidblytonsociety.co.uk/blyt ... &perid=895
I have a feeling Enid mentions the registration number at one point, but it may take some digging to find that.

[Soenke Rahn]

Wow, are there exists pictures from inside the car or a video?

[Eddie Muir]

Thanks for the information and link, David. Most interesting.

[Katharine]

Thanks for the link David.

[David Chambers]

I've just found the registration number I remembered but by July 12th 1933 it seems Enid has changed her car as she describes a different colour. In her letter she is about to head off for that holiday in Scotland and she says:

When you get this letter I expect I shall have started, so look out for me. The car is dark blue, and the number is G.P. 7179.
There will only be Gillian's Daddy and me in the car, because Gillian and her nurse are going away to a nursery school, where for two or three weeks Gillian will have as many little boys and girls to play with as she likes. We shall miss her very much, but it is too far away to take her to Scotland.