Personal Gems From The Cave Of Books

The books! Over seven hundred of them and still counting...
User avatar
Rob Houghton
Posts: 16029
Joined: 26 Feb 2005, 22:38
Favourite book/series: Rubadub Mystery, Famous Five and The Find-Outers
Favourite character: Snubby, Uncle Robert, George, Fatty
Location: Kings Norton, Birmingham

Re: Personal Gems From The Cave Of Books

Post by Rob Houghton »

Katharine wrote: A neighbour was telling me recently, that she 'lost' her sunglasses. She'd hunted down the back of the settee, checked at her daughter's house etc., but no lucky. Then about a week later she noticed a bag of coat hangers in the corner, and sure enough, her sunglasses were amongst them! :lol:
I thought you were going to say - in good old Enid Blyton fashion - that she was wearing them all the time, lol! ;-)
'Oh voice of Spring of Youth
hearts mad delight,
Sing on, sing on, and when the sun is gone
I'll warm me with your echoes
through the night.'

(E. Blyton, Sunday Times, 1951)



Society Member
Tony Summerfield
Posts: 6386
Joined: 26 Dec 2004, 12:20

Re: Personal Gems From The Cave Of Books

Post by Tony Summerfield »

pete9012S wrote:
WHERE ARE THE SECRET SEVEN? 1956
Australian Weeties Strip Books
Story: Specially Written
http://www.enidblytonsociety.co.uk/book ... t+Seven%3F" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Specially for you Pete!

I love the bit on the back page that says many of the stories are entirely new - it depends if you call 'two' many!! Famous Five and Secret Seven are the only new ones.
User avatar
Anita Bensoussane
Forum Administrator
Posts: 26771
Joined: 30 Jan 2005, 23:25
Favourite book/series: Adventure series, Six Cousins books, Six Bad Boys
Favourite character: Jack Trent, Fatty and Elizabeth Allen
Location: UK

Re: Personal Gems From The Cave Of Books

Post by Anita Bensoussane »

Cheers, Tony! These Weeties giveaways look like lovely little booklets and I'm sure youngsters must have been eager to collect as many as possible. 'Where are the Secret Seven?' is quite a simple story but full of atmosphere nevertheless. Hallows Hill is a great name and I love the sound of the mirrored ballroom. What a pity Enid Blyton didn't use that house in a full-length Secret Seven book. It exudes melancholy like Rockingdown Hall (The Rockingdown Mystery) and I'd like to know more about it.
"Heyho for a starry night and a heathery bed!" - Jack, The Secret Island.

"There is no bond like the bond of having read and liked the same books."
- E. Nesbit, The Wonderful Garden.


Society Member
User avatar
Kate Mary
Posts: 1917
Joined: 20 Apr 2007, 06:25
Favourite book/series: The Treasure Hunters/ Five Find Outers
Favourite character: Barney
Location: Kent

Re: Personal Gems From The Cave Of Books

Post by Kate Mary »

Smashing to see this booklet. Thanks very much Tony.
"I love everything that's old: old friends, old times, old manners, old books, old wines." Oliver Goldsmith

Society Member
User avatar
pete9012S
Posts: 17572
Joined: 24 Jan 2010, 15:32
Favourite book/series: Five On A Treasure Island
Favourite character: Frederick Algernon Trotteville
Location: UK

Re: Personal Gems From The Cave Of Books

Post by pete9012S »

What a fantastic surprise! :D :D

Many thanks indeed Tony.I had given up hope of ever seeing these illustrations and the original story.
There was one for sale in the USA but it was way too expensive for me to consider.

Thank you again

Pete
" A kind heart always brings its own reward," said Mrs. Lee.
- The Christmas Tree Aeroplane -

Society Member
User avatar
sixret
Posts: 4130
Joined: 16 Aug 2006, 14:25
Favourite book/series: Five Find-Outers,Mr.Twiddle,Barney R
Favourite character: Mr.Twiddle,Fatty,Saucepan,Snubby

Re: Personal Gems From The Cave Of Books

Post by sixret »

Thank you so much, Tony, Famous Five, please.
I stand with justice and the truth. Palestine will be free from the river to the sea.

Learn the history. Do research.

The hypocrisy, double standard, prejudice and bigotry own by some people is so obvious.Shame on them!
User avatar
Eddie Muir
Posts: 14566
Joined: 13 Oct 2007, 22:28
Favourite book/series: Five Find-Outers and Dog
Favourite character: Fatty
Location: Brighton

Re: Personal Gems From The Cave Of Books

Post by Eddie Muir »

Many thanks, Tony. :D
'Go down to the side-shows by the river this afternoon. I'll meet you somewhere in disguise. Bet you won't know me!' wrote Fatty.

Society Member
User avatar
John Pickup
Posts: 4876
Joined: 30 Oct 2013, 21:29
Favourite book/series: Barney mysteries
Favourite character: Snubby
Location: Notts

Re: Personal Gems From The Cave Of Books

Post by John Pickup »

Thanks for the link, Tony. An enjoyable little story and something I would have been excited to collect at the time.
Society Member
User avatar
Julie2owlsdene
Posts: 15244
Joined: 24 Jul 2007, 20:15
Favourite book/series: F.F. and Mystery Series - Five get into Trouble
Favourite character: Dick
Location: Cornwall

Re: Personal Gems From The Cave Of Books

Post by Julie2owlsdene »

I enjoyed reading that little story. :D

8)
Julian gave an exclamation and nudged George.
"See that? It's the black Bentley again. KMF 102!"

Society Member
User avatar
Courtenay
Posts: 19274
Joined: 07 Feb 2014, 01:22
Favourite book/series: The Adventure Series, Galliano's Circus
Favourite character: Lotta
Location: Both Aussie and British; living in Cheshire

Re: Personal Gems From The Cave Of Books

Post by Courtenay »

I enjoyed it too, although I shivered a bit at the story of the man who fell down the stairs and the dog who barked and barked to try to attract help. Enid doesn't let on how it ended and whether they were rescued, which rather implies that they both died there and that's why the ghost of the barking dog is said to haunt the house... :shock: :(
Society Member

It was a nuisance. An adventure was one thing - but an adventure without anything to eat was quite another thing. That wouldn't do at all. (The Valley of Adventure)
Aussie Sue
Posts: 456
Joined: 15 Apr 2008, 13:54
Favourite book/series: Secret Island, Faraway Tree & FindOuter Series
Location: Australia

Re: Personal Gems From The Cave Of Books

Post by Aussie Sue »

After many years on this forum, I think I have at last learned how to add a picture!!!

As a person who bought weeties to get the Enid Blyton booklet I can confirm that it was very exciting as a child to get these tiny Enid Blyton books from our cereal packet.

I thought some of you may like to see the actual Weeties packet they arrived in, here is the front & back of box:

Image

Image
Society Member
User avatar
Anita Bensoussane
Forum Administrator
Posts: 26771
Joined: 30 Jan 2005, 23:25
Favourite book/series: Adventure series, Six Cousins books, Six Bad Boys
Favourite character: Jack Trent, Fatty and Elizabeth Allen
Location: UK

Re: Personal Gems From The Cave Of Books

Post by Anita Bensoussane »

That's great - thanks, Sue!
"Heyho for a starry night and a heathery bed!" - Jack, The Secret Island.

"There is no bond like the bond of having read and liked the same books."
- E. Nesbit, The Wonderful Garden.


Society Member
User avatar
pete9012S
Posts: 17572
Joined: 24 Jan 2010, 15:32
Favourite book/series: Five On A Treasure Island
Favourite character: Frederick Algernon Trotteville
Location: UK

Re: Personal Gems From The Cave Of Books

Post by pete9012S »

Marvelous! This thread just keeps getting better and better.
Many thanks Sue.
" A kind heart always brings its own reward," said Mrs. Lee.
- The Christmas Tree Aeroplane -

Society Member
User avatar
pete9012S
Posts: 17572
Joined: 24 Jan 2010, 15:32
Favourite book/series: Five On A Treasure Island
Favourite character: Frederick Algernon Trotteville
Location: UK

Re: Personal Gems From The Cave Of Books

Post by pete9012S »

Image
http://www.enidblytonsociety.co.uk/book ... d+Shoelace" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
First edition: 1956
Publisher: Herald Gravure
Illustrator: Uncredited
Category: Australian Weeties Strip Books
These little free give away booklets have certainly shot up in value:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/WEETIES-AUSTR ... 1590327565" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Image

I thought at first with a character included called Skippy, Enid may have been aiming at the Australian market,but it seems the original story was published in 1943 and the Weeties strip was released much later in 1956.

Image
Anecdotally:
'Could Enid have subliminally influenced the name Skippy on the Australian subconscious back in 1956 ultimately leading to the appearance of the popular Australian 1967 tv series by John McCallum?'
" A kind heart always brings its own reward," said Mrs. Lee.
- The Christmas Tree Aeroplane -

Society Member
Aussie Sue
Posts: 456
Joined: 15 Apr 2008, 13:54
Favourite book/series: Secret Island, Faraway Tree & FindOuter Series
Location: Australia

Re: Personal Gems From The Cave Of Books

Post by Aussie Sue »

It's not surprising that the Weeties booklets are expensive as they are very fragile items used by children. Its amazing that any have survived all these years in good condition. Even being in Australia it took me a long time to get them all in good condition for my collection. (I have no idea where my original one's from childhood ended up).

Pete, I can't really see any connection with Enid's Skippy the Pixie and Australia's Skippy the Kangaroo no matter how far I try and stretch my imagination.

cheers
Sue
Society Member
Post Reply