The Enid Blyton Society

Are there any eb books which feature christmas time in them such as five go adventuring again.
I never understood why the tv series featured this as spring so therefore no christmas. Shame.

There are many books where christmas is featured and more again where it is mentioned. Some off the top of my head would be:

Five get into a fix
The Mystery of the Secret Room
Six Bad Boys
The Secret Island
Santa Claus and the Wishing Chair
The Children of Cherry-Tree Farm
The Children of Willow Farm
And at the end of The Twins At St Clares they're looking forward to being at home for the christmas holidays.

I'm sure there are many others too.

Add to Raci's list

Six Cousins Again
Tales of Toyland

Enid Blyton's Omnibus! contains a 4-chapter Faraway Tree story which features Father Christmas.

Many of Enid Blyton's short stories are set at Christmas-time too, eg. "Little Mrs. Millikin" (Everyday Stories, Purnell) and "Santa Claus is Surprising" (Sunshine Book, Dean & Son Ltd).

Anita

Anita Bensoussane wrote:Enid Blyton's Omnibus! contains a 4-chapter Faraway Tree story which features Father Christmas.

How could I have forgotten this one? LOL!
I was so pleased when I bought a copy earlier in the year!

great thanks for you help
merry christmas.

I thought I would read a book set at Christmas as it is now the season of goodwill (Bah, humbug).

I chose The Mystery of the Secret Room.

We started with the Hilton kids and the Daykins doing their Christmas cards. Very seasonal and nostalgic as they paint their own.

Chapter 2 gives a brief description - visits from the postman, cards everywhere, parcels hidden away, large turkeys hung in larders. Bets says that she "loves Christmas" a hundred times a day, and hopes she gets a doll. Instead, she gets a work-basket and difficult jig-saw puzzle (no thrills there, then), but Fatty comes to the rescue and gives her a splendid doll!

Before we know it, "the Christmas trees [were] taken down...cards sent away to a children's hospital".

So, that was Christmas!

No mention here of Father Christmas, so I wondered if Enid ever wrote a Christmas story; featuring Father Christmas, presents and so on, all set at the Christmas period.

Anyone know...(Anita)?

Yes, there was one called (I think) The Christmas Book which featured a family of 3 or 4, coming home from boarding school at Christmas. From memory, I think when they put the tree up, buy the presents,etc, etc, the mother tells them of the origin of these customs, and of course, the Christmas Story.

Have just had a look on amazon and the one I think it is, is called 'Christmas Book' published by Piccolo books, 1971. It's expensive---£20.00!!!

Hope this helps!

Enid Blyton doesn't tend to mention Father Christmas in her fiction books for older children, but he does feature frequently in her short stories. Some good Christmas-themed stories I recall from childhood are "Little Mrs. Millikin," "A Hole in Her Stocking" and "The Disappearing Presents" (Everyday Stories, Purnell), "The Christmas Tree Aeroplane" (Fireside Tales, Purnell), "The Little Carol Singer" and "No Present for Benny" (Funtime Tales, Purnell), "He Didn't Say Thank You" (Goodnight Stories, Purnell) and "Santa Claus is Surprising" (Sunshine Book, Dean & Son Ltd.) Most of these stories also appeared in the Holiday Books. Father Christmas plays an important part at the end of Tales of Toyland too.

A marvellous story for New Year's Eve is "Father Time and His Pattern Book" from Sunshine Book.

Anita

I also noticed in The Mystery of the Secret Room that the children take brushes and paint and make their own Christmas cards. Was this normal in those days? Why would'nt they just buy some, they were not poor.

It does seem a really nice idea though, albeit a time consuming one.

Anita Bensoussane wrote:Enid Blyton doesn't tend to mention Father Christmas in her fiction books for older children, but he does feature frequently in her short stories. Some good Christmas-themed stories I recall from childhood are "Little Mrs. Millikin," "A Hole in Her Stocking" and "The Disappearing Presents" (Everyday Stories, Purnell), "The Christmas Tree Aeroplane" (Fireside Tales, Purnell), "The Little Carol Singer" and "No Present for Benny" (Funtime Tales, Purnell), "He Didn't Say Thank You" (Goodnight Stories, Purnell) and "Santa Claus is Surprising" (Sunshine Book, Dean & Son Ltd.) Most of these stories also appeared in the Holiday Books. Father Christmas plays an important part at the end of Tales of Toyland too.

A marvellous story for New Year's Eve is "Father Time and His Pattern Book" from Sunshine Book.

Anita

Yes, many of her short stories do feature these things. I think I've read all those you mentioned, except No Present for Benny, He didn't say Thank You, and some more.

lucky star wrote:I also noticed in The Mystery of the Secret Room that the children take brushes and paint and make their own Christmas cards. Was this normal in those days? Why would'nt they just buy some, they were not poor.

It does seem a really nice idea though, albeit a time consuming one.

It may be, but some people are more happy to recieve these cards as the sender had worked hard and had thought of them and tried to make them as good as they could. But buying the cards is just walking into the shop, choosing them, writing a wish and delivering it. Not a spot of hard work, but just readymade.

And Nigel, new avatar! - with moonraker on it!

lucky star wrote:I also noticed in The Mystery of the Secret Room that the children take brushes and paint and make their own Christmas cards. Was this normal in those days? Why would'nt they just buy some, they were not poor.

It does seem a really nice idea though, albeit a time consuming one.

It may be, but some people are more happy to recieve these cards as the sender had worked hard and had thought of them and tried to make them as good as they could. But buying the cards is just walking into the shop, choosing them, writing a wish and delivering it. Not a spot of hard work, but just readymade.

quote] (By Ming)


I have made my own cards for a number of years, and each one is different, with colour, texture, design, greeting, chosen to suit the recipient. I know that these are appreciated because of the time and effort which goes into making them, and I very rarely resort to bought cards.

I should think that children would enjoy making cards for other people, and it is something to be encouraged---thinking of others instead of themselves, developing artistic skills, realising that money can't buy everything.

Ming wrote: And Nigel, new avatar! - with moonraker on it!

It's the pumclip of Moonraker Bitter, brewed by J W Lees of Manchester. Moonraker is a strong ale (7.5%), so, like me, can only be taken in small amounts.

http://www.jwlees.co.uk/

I agree with the comments above - it was purely The Mystery of the Secret Room that inspired me, as a child, for many years, to design and hand paint my Christmas cards and wrapping paper, and it was great fun! Unfortunately, I just don't have the time these days. But I retain the ability to draw incredibly life-like holly, etc, at a moment's notice!

moonraker wrote:

Ming wrote: And Nigel, new avatar! - with moonraker on it!

It's the pumclip of Moonraker Bitter

Ah, so now we know the real reason behind your username!

Although Dictionary.com gives another definition:
moon·rak·er /ˈmunˌreɪkər [moon-rey-ker]
"“noun
1. Also called moonsail /ˈmunsəl, -ˌseɪl [moon-suhl, -seyl] Nautical. a light square sail set above a skysail.
2. a simpleton.



Sorry, just had to post it.

Yes, I've never hidden the fact that my nom de plume denotes a breed of simpletons. I do read Enid Blyton, after all.