The Enid Blyton Society

I enjoyed re-reading this first article written when Enid was just in her twenties:

"Will you write a weekly column for THE TEACHERS WORLD?"
(written 25/6/23)

http://www.enidblytonsociety.co.uk/blyt ... e&perid=65" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;



Enid poses some interesting,stimulating questions to ponder on.
Who were the men and women of genius that Enid had been reading about??

Good to read that again - thanks Pete! I think it would give a lot of her critics pause if they were able to read these pieces - nothing like the person most of them seem to believe Enid Blyton to be!

Interesting and thought provoking piece of writing from Enid.

Thoughtful observations. I love Enid Blyton's 'From My Window' articles. We've got a thread on 'From My Window' here:

http://www.enidblytonsociety.co.uk/foru ... ow#p224680" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Rob Houghton wrote:I think it would give a lot of her critics pause if they were able to read these pieces - nothing like the person most of them seem to believe Enid Blyton to be!

Well said! I hadn't read that first column of Enid's before — quite fascinating and thought-provoking.

A brilliant and thoughtful insight into children's psychological development from Enid. It's interesting to see her involved in this issue of how to maximize children's potential for individual development this early, in 1923. This should be quoted as a rejoinder to those commentators who resort to the simplistic assumption that all Enid was interested in was promoting 1920s-30s social conservatism and a 'nice' suburban lifestyle with children sent off to boarding school and no working married women.
Enid is also clearly on the side of education tailored to individual development as opposed to using primary as well as secondary schools merely as an 'exam factory', to fit them in to the most useful jobs for the economy. This is still relevant in modern education, and quoting Enid on the 'liberal' side of education does a lot for her reputation. I think you can see a clear line of development from this piece to the type of school Enid promoted in the Naughtiest Girl books, which ties in with her interest in the radical educationalist A S Neill of Summerhill School fame. It also puts Enid in the same 'camp' as 1920s progressive thinker and junior school founder (Telegraph House, Sussex) Dorothy Russell, wife of the philosopher Bertrand Russell, and with the prolific but nearly forgotten 1940s-50s school/ family story author Mabel Esther Allan (another Summerhill admirer) who as 'Jean Estoril' wrote the Drina ballet series.
Even at Malory Towers, we have Miss Grayling saying she counts as successes those girls who become strong and confident 'achievers' who the world can rely on,not just the exam successes.

Its amazing how far we've come since - to that state where the only thing we celebrate and admire is exam success. Everything nowadays is geared towards getting straight 'A's' in exams. Nothing else matters, and anyone who can't achieve such lofty heights is generally left behind on the wayside.

The Little Boy in the Looking-Glass
Story: Specially Written 1950

http://www.enidblytonsociety.co.uk/book ... Readers+29" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The Goblin Looking-Glass

Sunny Stories for Little Folks 1933 & The Holiday Book, Sampson Low 1946

http://www.enidblytonsociety.co.uk/maga ... ?magid=176" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I have the second story in The Holiday Book, but I do not have the first story from The Pennant Readers.
Don't know if I will be able to track that one down!

According to The Cave, the Pennant Readers story also appeared in this book in 1983 -



An interesting book title, some might say!!

You can buy it on eBay - but its not cheap!

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Dame-Topples ... Sw-eVaBu9S

Yes,it's a fascinating title Rob, I've not met many people with the surname Topple either.
Many thanks for the link too.

It's just the sort of thing I can imagine Miranda saying...

Or something they'd say on the Bake Off.

It was at this moment that Fatty suddenly felt impelled to be a banshee. The idea came to him in a flash, and he couldn’t stop himself. He opened his mouth and let out a marvellous wail, eerie, long-drawn, high-pitched and really terrifying! “Eeee-ooooo-ohhhhh-eeee-oh-oooOOOOOOO!”

The man and the three women leapt up from the settee as if they had rockets under them. One of the women screamed, and then they all four fled at top speed to the door and out into the great hall to the entrance where the turnstiles stood. Not only the visitors jumped almost out of their skin.

Larry, Daisy,Pip, Bets and Ern jumped too, and clutched in fright at one another, when the eerie wail echoed round them. Larry realized almost at once that it was Fatty, and he gave him a very hard punch.

http://www.enidblytonsociety.co.uk/blyt ... &perid=881" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Love the illustration...though perhaps a bit overly dramatic, lol!

The man in black reminds me of Mr. Meddle albeit a good looking one.

I can't remember what Mr Meddle looks like!