The Enid Blyton Society

This is a pleasant diversion from my Cave duties (working on the Collins Annuals at present trying to put in some of the out of print stories!) and I am taking this thread way of course, but I thought I would just show a page from another book I have. This one is foolscap in size and runs to over 100 pages. We are back in 1944 now when Enid was at her most efficient, recording the contents of all her short story books, where they came from and the number of words. Really helpful for someone doing a bibliography until I came across page 49 below. A book of short stories sent to the National Magazine Company called Once Upon a Time. I had never heard of it and I eventually decided it was never published. So many of the short stories listed here have never been used in a book - that is of course assuming that there isn't a book out there that I have never seen!



So if anybody wants to read about 'Timothy's Tame Mouse' - bad luck! They all come from Sunny Stories for Little Folks which are almost impossible to find, so I have never read the story either!

I want to read Bobtail's Red Car'

These pages of notes are fascinating. I did struggle to decipher some of the words in the first one but easily read Good Luck Secret Seven. As a fan of this series I wish she had had the capabilities to write it. On the second page I notice Rat Tat Tat. I wonder what that story was about as I immediately thought of The Rat-A-Tat Mystery. Thanks for posting those, Tony.

Thanks, Tony - these notes are very interesting indeed.

Tony Summerfield wrote:Ewart is gasping for them - pretty good otherwise Rob 10/10! Ewart Roker was the managing editor at Brockhampton.

Was it Ewart Roker, or Ewart Wharmby? I remember Barbara Stoney mentioning Ewart Wharmby in her book.

Yes, it might well have been Wharmby; Roker was the managing editor at Brockhampton and I assumed it was him who was chomping at the bit!

Robert Houghton wrote:I want to read Bobtail's Red Car'

I'm afraid that one is not available! However some of these stories were used by the National Magazine Co. in The Good Morning Book in 1949, and it was knowing this that confirmed my opinion that Once Upon a Time was never actually published, as they wouldn't have used the same stories twice just a short while later.

Amazing and also slightly sad. Thanks for sharing these pages with us Tony. If ever I own a copy of 'Timothy's Tame Mouse' - I promise I'll scan it for you to share with everyone.

Thanks for posting these pages, Tony. They are really fascinating.

I'll just echo everyone else by saying Thanks Tony for sharing these pages. They are truly fascinating and somehow bring Enid "alive" in a way that just reading her stories doesn't.

As this now has its own thread and you are all getting better at reading Enid's writing, I thought I would give you a slightly harder challenge. Not a workbook this time but a couple of pages from a five year diary, although only four years are filled in, 1937 to 1940, and you can see what Enid was up to at this time of the year. For some reason she has gone back to July 15th in 1938 which was Gillian's 7th birthday. In case you are wondering, she was on holiday in the Isle of Wight in 1937 with the two girls and their nanny. Happy reading!!

Very interesting indeed! Love the mention of Enid getting a new bottom plate and finding it comfy! Also interesting to see Enid's discipline with working each morning, walking, sewing till bed.

Robert Houghton wrote: Love the mention of Enid getting a new bottom plate and finding it comfy!

Oh, "getting a new bottom plate" as in a dental one (I only just found the reference). For a moment there, I thought... oh, never mind.

Courtenay wrote:Oh, "getting a new bottom plate" as in a dental one (I only just found the reference). For a moment there, I thought... oh, never mind.

That made me giggle.
Interesting entries.... the layout makes it quite enlightening for the diarist to compare what was happening on previous years on that day.

Courtenay wrote:

Robert Houghton wrote: Love the mention of Enid getting a new bottom plate and finding it comfy!

Oh, "getting a new bottom plate" as in a dental one (I only just found the reference). For a moment there, I thought... oh, never mind.

I really did laugh out loud!

The night of July 17, 1938 must have been eventful with the tank overflowing and the ceiling falling down. At least the plumber was promptly on the scene. These diary entries really are fascinating.

Struggled through as usual, but I'm getting there with Enid's writing.

Top entry interesting entry. If I'm reading it correctly - Had children till 6pm. I expect she meant her own children, but didn't mention them by name. Struck me as a bit sad really. Did she not see them after that then! It was as though she was baby sitting someone else's children!

But there again, we all know that Enid was a dedicated writer and maybe not such a dedicated mother.

July 17th top, bad day warm but rainy and dull.

So she must have been on hols.