Small Paul

[tix]

In September of 2000 a proposition was put forth that Noddy may have received his moniker from the author's recollection of a story entitled 'The Teapot Ball,' which starred a boy named 'Noddy.' EB herself had a couple of tales plus a poem in the publication (Blue Book of Stories for Children).

The hypothesis was set out in a fourteen-page 'Green Hedges Magazine' article and dealt with the idea that Enid Blyton possibly drew on her memory of the above-named character when creating Noddy.

Here's another shot in the dark.

In 'Bo-Peep's Bumper Book' (circa 1926) Enid Blyton has penned three tales - 'The Magic Broom,' 'The Forgotten Party,' and 'The Bear who lost his Growl.'

There's also a story entitled - 'Prince Paul and the Puddings,' by H. E. Boyten.

Now where have we heard those names before?

By any chance could 'H.E' have shortened the initials to just 'E' at a later date?

Recalling the turn-of-century article's conjecture, might EB have filed away Boyten's 'Prince Paul' to be used a decade or so later? Mike, Nora, Peggy and Jack befriended a Baronian of that appellation in their Spiggy Holes caper (1939).

Dedicated Analysts to the left, and Conspiracy Theorists to the right!

[pete9012S]

Most interesting sleuthing and hypothesis Tix - I enjoyed that - many thanks.
Now of course I'm going to have to dig those stories out!
(whilst eating Google Buns of course)

Regards

Pete

[timv]

H E Boyten 's real name was Horace Eli Boyten (b 1901); he was one of the group of experienced boys' story writers on 1920s-30s boys' school story magazines who was recruited to provide stories for a new girls' equivalent, 'School Friend', around 1945. Like most of their male authors he wrote under a female pseudonym, and initially called himself 'Enid Boyten' - apparently leading to confusion with Enid Blyton. Enid or her agent/ editor may have thought this a deliberate attempt to cash in on her fame, and apparently in 1953 her solicitors wrote to 'School Friend' demanding that Mr Boyten choose a different pseudonym. Thereafter he usually wrote as 'Hilda Boyten', probably in tribute to the founder of the 'boys ' comic writer uses female name for his contributions to girls' comics' Charles Hamilton (aka Frank Richards, creator of Billy Bunter) who wrote as 'Hilda Richards'.

Boyten was the creator and main writer of the long-running 'School Friend' crime-solving serial 'The Silent Three', featuring three schoolfriends who dressed up in robes, hoods and masks (a common feature of crime and school stories in 1930s comics) to solve puzzles, defeat crooked and bullying prefects, and find treasure. The series was highly popular if very formulaic, and some 'School Friend' and 'Girls' Crystal' magazine school and local town mystery series had similarities (coincidental or not) to contemporary Secret Seven and Five Find Outers stories. A suburban/ small town and riverside setting like 'Peterswood' was common, especially in GC's 1950s 'Trixie's Diary' serial - but the slang used was more that of 1930s adults than 1950s teenagers. The tone was a good deal more sensational than Enid's Malory Towers and St Clare's stories, but circus girls, runaway pupils, kidnappings, and bullying were also major issues.

Boyten also wrote a number of 'holiday mystery' serials, mostly set in the Alps or on the Riviera, which were again full of re-used storylines to a point where you could easily predict what was going to happen! After fashions in comics changes in the early 1960s Boyten seems to have sunk out of view.

[Kate Mary]

Horace Boyten continued to write for Fleetway annuals into the 1960s but he used other more modern-sounding pseudonyms, I think Helen Crawford was one that he used.