The Enid Blyton Society

Just imagine if you could go back in time & bring Enid back to the present day..but She could only stay for 24 hours. Where would you take her for the day & what would you show her to give her inspiration for a new book? For me, it would have to be Sherwood Forest, as it's right on my doorstep. It wouldn't take long to get there & I'd have plenty of time to quiz her about her books, etc. We'd roam through the Forest where outlaws once lurked, seeking out Robin Hoods secret cave & taking shelter in the Major Oak, reputed to be the tree where Robin & his merry men hid from the Sheriff of Nottingham(Boo..Hiss!). Then it's off to Nottingham Castle, after ice-creams of course, to explore the deep caverns of Mortimers hole, that winds deep beneath the Castle. We'd finish off in the Ye olde trip to Jerusalem, reputed to be the oldest pub, where Knights would rest before setting off for the crusades. This pub's rooms are carved out of the Castle rock itself & has many hidden passageways, with a few Ghosts thrown in as well. Just a few of the many places I would've liked to take Enid. Apologises if this thread has been done before.

Gosh, that needs some thought, but a fantastic question, and is going to make some great reading! I think I'd like to take Enid to St. Michael's Mount, show her a real sort of island with a castle on it.

Ooh, may I please come with you and Enid, Julie? I love St Michael's Mount.

For somewhere in my area, well, Enid grew up in Beckenham, only a few miles from where I live, but I'm sure she would be depressed and upset to see it today as part of dreary London suburbia.

No, I think first I'd take her to Ightham Mote, a wonderful ancient manor house near Sevenoaks, parts of which date back 700 years. It's the sort of place where you can almost feel stories and adventures in the air - I'm sure Enid would be able to come up with some of them!

Then we might go south to Sussex and visit Bodiam Castle, which is a genuine but almost incredibly well preserved medieval castle - another place that could easily inspire stories, either ones of long ago or of explorations by children today.

I'm sure we might have time for one more place, but can't think of another good one within reach just now! But if she came in mid-spring, we would also have to spend time just wandering in a bluebell wood - there are several in the area.

A good question, Number 6! I'd like to go to Old Thatch with Enid Blyton if she was happy to go there. Jacky and David Hawthorne aren't opening the gardens any more but they might make an exception for Enid! I'm sure she'd find some things much changed, but others much the same. It would be fascinating to walk round the garden with her and ask where her pond and little island were, and the bridges across the stream, etc.

We'd then go down to the river at the end of Coldmoorholme Lane and have a picnic lunch. I'd bring hard-boiled eggs, cherry cake, etc. but also things like vegetable samosas, slices of cold pizza and houmous, which would have been hard to obtain in Britain in Enid Blyton's day.

Next we'd catch the train into central London. Enid knew London well at one point, and I'm sure she'd be fascinated to see how some parts had altered beyond recognition while some buildings were still instantly recognisable. We'd climb the steps to the top of St. Paul's Cathedral, or perhaps go up the Shard or on the London Eye, to get a view over the city (Enid could choose which of those she'd prefer to do).

After dinner at a restaurant of Enid Blyton's choice, we'd catch the train to Essex and I'd take her to my house where she could have a look at my collection of books. I'd show her clips of the 1970s and 1990s Famous Five TV series and then log onto this website - I'm sure she'd be amazed to see it!

How all this might influence a book I'm not quite sure, but it would be immense fun!

An excellent, thought-provoking question, number 6! Considering Enid's love of nature and the countyside, the first thing that sprung to mind, was a tour of the countryside that surrounds my home, and a picnic in a favourite, sunny spot (with Dino, of course - I'm sure Enid would love him: he is so like Bobs, Enid's own dog). I'm sure Enid would love to come along, for a blissful ramble: on a sunny day, with a refreshing breeze blowing through the trees and fields.

First - along an uneven, natural track... then on through a shaded woodland... then through a tiny clearing, and into a crop field... wading through a meadow, the grass as high as our waists... and finally into a beautiful field which is flooded with sunlight, for a glorious Blyton-inspired picnic! There is a bubbling stream nearby, and a pond with an island in the middle, full of birds.

I think this could all possibly inspire a countryside-themed book? Similar to Enid Blyton's Nature Book/ Rambles With Uncle Nat, etc.

Of course, meanwhile, I'd be asking Enid Blyton all sorts of questions, asking for her autograph, requesting writing-tips, etc, etc... There are so many questions I would ask. Anyway: I look forward to reading some other replies. There are some excellent replies, so far. This is a very interesting topic.

I wouldn't take her any where. I'd ask her to take me, to Kirrin, to Rubadub, to Peterswood and finally to the valley in Austria where we could walk through the treasure caves and dance behind the waterfall like Dinah and Lucy-Ann did.

This IS a lovely topic, I agree - I'm enjoying everyone's responses so much! Do you think we'll have to ask Enid to stay in our time for several days, just to fit everyone's ideas in??

(By the way, I was also thinking - since this is a thread about Enid Blyton, perhaps it could be moved out of General Natter into one of the EB-specific forums. Maybe The Author or Miscellaneous Blyton?)

There are some cracking replies so far, Some really lovely ideas! What a great imagination you've all got.

I would take her to St Andrews to see the town, particularly the castle with its hidden tunnel and the ruined cathedral. It's the perfect place for some smuggling and a mystery or two.

Such great replies, although most of my ideas have been taken - a trip to Old Thatch, and of course a picnic. I would love to walk with Enid across the golf course she once owned. I've walked across it myself a few years ago, but it would be wonderful to do it with Enid, amongst the gorse that smells like vanilla ( as she herself described) and gaze out across the bay to Brown-sea Island. We'd have a picnic overlooking the bay while I asked Enid a hundred questions and maybe coaxed her into telling me a few of her favourite stories. One question I would definitely ask her is 'of all the books you wrote - which one's your favourite?'

I would take her to EBS HQ and ask her to sign all of Tony's Blyton's. He'd be worth a fortune, then.

Great idea Nigel.

I'd arrange an Enid Blyton Day. I'm sure we'd all be more than happy just to have the one guest speaker that day:)

Enid could give us a talk on whatever aspect of her work she wanted, then she could sit and watch an episode of the 1970s FF series and one of the 1990s series for Enid to compare the two. Then maybe she could read something to us, we could ask Georgina Hargreaves to do some illustrations - I'm sure Enid would be interested to see them.

Hopefully Enid would be prepared to sign anything we bought from the books stalls on the day.

Then it would be time for us to watch another TV programme based on her work, not sure which one though, before she could give us yet another talk, maybe a nature one?

Then off for a picnic together - I wonder what Enid would bring?

Moonraker wrote:I would take her to EBS HQ and ask her to sign all of Tony's Blyton's. He'd be worth a fortune, then.

Fancy Nigel coming up with a brilliant idea like that. I'd get her to sign all my books too!

In return for me showing Enid St. Michael's Mount, I would like her to take me back to Green Hedges in it's hayday, and then ask her if she'd put the house in a trust fund for me to use. I'd live in it, and open it up once a year for the Enid Blyton Society Day.

What an awesome topic!
Well, first, I would tell her what a great fan I am of her, and then I would ask her to change the holders of her copyright, or something else to prevent any more of the horrible updating. Then I would introduce her to my father and mother, especially dad, because he is a fan of Enid too.

Then I would ask her what place she would like to go to, and go there. On the way I would ask her how she wrote so many books, what her favourite books were, and other questions. Then I would take her to a meadow near where I live, and ask her what she thinks of it.

After that we would have tea together (with tea items of her choice). Oh - and I would specially ask her to sign all my books too.

Last of all, I would ask her how she came, so that I could bring her to my time again!