The Enid Blyton Society

I love the cover for Journal 45. I'm particularly looking forward to reading Angela Canning's The Mystery of the Missing Letters and Enid Blyton's An Unusual Reception. I'm wondering whether Anita's article A Club of Our Own has anything to do with the Society and the forums? Either way, it's sure to be a gem.

Nice review of A Picnic Party with Enid Blyton, too, I enjoyed reading it. There are far too many wonders to be found in the Cave, so obviously I've not seen them all, but when a review comes up I do read it - the first edition cover is so much brighter than the reprint one!

Journal 45 sounds an exciting read. I'm trying to remember where I've seen that picture of the small dog on the front cover of the journal. Can anyone enlighten me. It's not Shadow the Sheep Dog, or is it??

Glad you enjoyed the review of A Picnic Party with Enid Blyton, Ming. I agree that the Cave is just a treasure trove!

The cover picture is taken from the frontis of Shadow the Sheep-Dog, published by Collins in October 1950, illustrated by G.W. Backhouse. The 1st edition wrapper is shown on the centre pages.

Voila!

Ming wrote:I'm wondering whether Anita's article A Club of Our Own has anything to do with the Society and the forums?

You'll have to wait and see, Ming!

Julie2owlsdene wrote:I'm trying to remember where I've seen that picture of the small dog on the front cover of the journal. Can anyone enlighten me. It's not Shadow the Sheep Dog, or is it??

Yes, it is Shadow the Sheep-Dog. Our own Shadow uses that picture as her avatar.

Like Ming, I enjoyed Julie's write-up (in the Cave) of A Picnic Party with Enid Blyton. I'd have loved that book and A Story Party at Green Hedges if I'd come across them as a youngster. The idea of receiving an "invitation" from Enid Blyton is thrilling.

Yes, of course, it's Shadow's avatar. Knew I'd seen it somewhere before!

I also love the cover for Journal 45. Perfect for summer. The contents list looks mouthwatering as usual. A pleasureable weekends reading is coming up.

Journal 45 has left the building!

Tony Summerfield wrote:Journal 45 has left the building!

Hurray!!

Tony Summerfield wrote:Journal 45 has left the building!

Yippee!!

The Journal's on the wing,
Its pages impearled,
Tony's in his Cave -
All's right with the world!

(Apologies to Robert Browning!)

My copy of Journal 45 had just arrived in the post. It looks great with 84 pages packed with goodies. I shall give it my undivided attention this evening. Many thanks indeed, Tony.

My copy has also arrived safely. I shall be studying it indepth between now and the weekend. As Eddie said it look packed with the usual mouthwatering array of stories, features and pictures.

My copy came this morning! Looking foward to reading it!

I'm really enjoying journal 45....and I have re-subscribed this morning!

I just loved Robert Houghtons comment on 'trippers' on page 9!!!

-trippers seem to be a race of their own-not people like her main children who are on holiday-but a dirty,noisy and unappreciative group of inner-city folk who don't care at all about the beauties of the countryside.

I realise I have been influenced and shaped by Enid and her view of the 'tripper'......

Roberts definition above seems much better than the dictionary definition!


British Informal . a person who goes on a pleasure trip or excursion; excursionist.

Also enjoying Anitas exploits in the Fantastic Four with their detection,disguises,and meetings in the garden shed!

One thing I would love to see in the journal or even on this site is more scans,features and articles for those who love Betty Maxey? (but maybe thats already been covered in previous journals?)

Would love to see her illustrations scanned and collected on this site....One of the things I loved doing was comparing her illustrations with Eileen Sopers!.......

Anyway excellent journal-very good value for money-thank you for all the hard work involved in getting it to us so we can sit back in the garden,relax and read it!

Regards

Pete

I have done something I haven't done before: I have read the whole Journal in one sitting! Well, I say the whole Journal, I didn't read John Lester's Shadow the Sheepdog article, as the book is sitting on my shelves, and I don't think I've ever read it, so I will read it next. I think being about a dog has always put me off!

What a wonderful edition. There wasn't one article that didn't enthral me. I loved William Ferguson's My Childhood in the Spirit of Enid Blyton. What a truly wonderful nostalgic piece of journalism. Even the several typos added a touch of magic! In a similar vein was Anita's ramblings of her childhood clubs. The photos that Anita included added realism to her article. We are well used to Anita's writings - two in this issue - so the praise she deserves tends to diminish in repetition.

Rob Houghton's sixth installment on the Pollock books was a gem. Smuggler Ben (I only read this for the first time recently) is a great story. Rob's thoughts on it made it even more of a gem.

Bill's Diary is another gem. What an original idea. I loved the avatar sized picture of Bill - a spitting image of me!

We are indebted to David Chambers for his work on periodicals, and it was a pleasure to read his article.

Fascinating too, to see that Enid's letters were auctioned at our local auctioneers (where both our sons worked), Wooley & Wallis. A great article, Angela.

These are just a few of my thoughts. Jane was over the moon to see her name credited to one of the pictures on the back cover. She's telling people now that she's an accredited press photographer!

Oh, and like Pete, I re-subscribed this morning as well!