Journal 52

[Daisy]

MIne also arrived today. It looks great as usual but so far I've resisted more than a swift peep.

[Carlotta King]

Well so far I have read the Golly and Jumpy article, Julie's Cliff Castle review, The Manky-Petoddles, and the Brownie Pedlar, and they are all fab!

It was really interesting to read the Golly and Jumpy article, after the discussions we have all had on the forums regarding this kind of thing. It was lovely to see the old cartoons and newspaper clippings - I am trying to find a magnifying glass so I can read them!

Julie's Cliff castle review was really great and I really enjoyed reading it. Thanks, Julie! As with Smuggler Ben, I have not read Cliff Castle and am looking forward to reading them when I can get hold of a copy. It sounds so thrilling - exactly the type of adventure I love!

The Manky-Petoddles was hilarious - I loved all their jokes and tricks! Being a bit of a practical-joker myself, it was great to read this little story and laugh at the jokes. And it had a happy ending too - Pat laughed!

The Brownie Pedlar was so charming - what an amazing poem! The words really conjure up this mysterious pedlar who sells his wares to mysterious unknown folk. The descriptions of the kingfisher and the pool, the rainbow, the snow and the moon are absolutely beautiful and so magical, as is the image you get of the gold and silver coins jingling (which reminds me of pixie/fairy-folk and gypsies!).
I love the way the ending makes you wonder who would buy his wares as he disappears into the distance - some magical woodland folk perhaps?

Am going to carry on reading this afternoon, the next article is Seckford Hall which I am really looking forward to reading, as an obsessions of mine is old manor houses!

[Spitfire]

Yay, I am be-journaled again! Thank you, Tony - and thanks to all the contributers. Methinks I saw your name, Poppy, as I was flicking through, as well as some of the more regular regulars? Looking forward to reading your article.

I've had the Manky Petoddles for lunch, and they will be coming back to work with me this afternoon - just what the doctor ordered to beat the work blues!

Speaking of doctors, I'm off to renew my journal prescription...

[Francis]

Another magnificent production - in my opinion the society journals are the best I have seen for any society. The plaudits for this should go particularly to Tony and all the contributors who have made these journals so splendid and informative. Number 52 is as good as all the others. I particularly loved 'Enid at Seckford Hall' - how that lovely lady, Angela Canning, gets around! I also loved Julie's article on 'The Secret of Cliff Castle' and Anita's and Poppy's articles - plenty more to read!

[Eddie Muir]

Another magnificent production - in my opinion the society journals are the best I have seen for any society.

Hear! Hear!

I've now had the chance to read it from cover to cover and thoroughly enjoyed doing so. Congratulations to all the contributors who provided some very readable and thought-provoking articles. I've not read The Enid Blyton Book of Brownies, but Anita's article has set me off in search of a copy. It is years since I read The Secret of Cliff Castle but, after reading Julie's review of the book, a reread is on the cards. Similarly, I shall be returning to Just a Spot of Bother! after enjoying Poppy's article. All in all a superb edition of the Journal to add to my full collection. Thanks again, to Tony and to everyone who provided items for it.

[Julie2owlsdene]

Another great Journal. Nice to see your photos at the end page, Eddie. I really must try and get to see Beckonscot Village next year.

Lovely article by Angela Canning, and nice to read about the Beaconsfield Society's - Enid Blyton Week.

I was interested to read what they said about one lady coming all the way from Cornwall, and whose family lived next door to Enid herself when she was at Green Hedges. The lady's name was Lucy Nottingham, and it also says she wrote a small article for the Journal herself. So I've looked at all the copies of the Journals contents on the website, and for some reason, I just can't see in which Journal she wrote this article. Somehow, I must keep missing it, as I'm looking down the lists of contents. Does anyone know which number Journal this article is in?

Great contributions as always and a great read by all.

Thanks, Tony.

[Tony Summerfield]

You need to use Lenoir's splendid index - I use it all the time!

Nottingham, Lucy
Lucy Loud–Voice: Sunny Stories 1948 8:35

[Anita Bensoussane]

What a mouthwatering assortment of articles in Journal 52. 'The Manky-Petoddles' is quite bizarre and if I'd read the story as a child I think I'd have found Lola Onslow's pictures alluring yet creepy, with the solemn little boy surrounded by manically-grinning faces. The Twisty Way sounds like an early version of the Slippery-Slip.

I like the way David Chambers included newspaper clippings to show what else was being printed at the time that Enid Blyton was writing about Golly and Jumpy, etc. It really helped put her work into context. I agree with David that the prevailing attitudes and language of the period need to be taken into account when appraising Enid's output. Enid Blyton wasn't writing in isolation but she is often judged unfairly - simply because her work is still popular today while other writers who wrote on similar themes and created comparable characters have largely been forgotten.

Angela Canning's article on Seckford Hall taught me several things I hadn't known before. What a magnificent building, and how it must have stirred Enid's imagination.

In the Uncle Nat story I liked the poetic description of the animals as "Sleeping Beauties, waiting for the Prince Sunshine to wake them up with a warm kiss."

On reading Julie's enjoyable account of The Secret of Cliff Castle I remembered that when I read Enid Blyton as a youngster I too used to wonder how characters living miles apart could share a reward like a boat! I must read Cliff Castle again as I had completely forgotten about the electric car. What exactly would a children's electric car of those days have been like, I wonder?

Secretbear (Olivia Cannings) hasn't posted on the forums for a while but it was nice to see her photo in Kari Dorme's write-up of the Enid Blyton Week in Beaconsfield. Interesting to see Lucy Nottingham as well, the unwitting inspiration for the story 'Lucy Loud-Voice'! I enjoyed reading Kari's detailed run-through of the week's events.

Looking at Eddie's photos of the model of Green Hedges at Bekonscot, I was wondering whether the house was such a startling red in real life! I had imagined it as rather more mellow.

Enid Blyton's Teachers World letter is interesting, from December 1941. Her daughters are mentioned but not their Daddy (Hugh), who might have left by then I think. And Enid was not yet married to Kenneth, though she had been seeing him since the spring.

A lovely letter from Elke Siekmann, with the Braille writing. I often wonder what became of all the good-hearted and enthusiastic boys and girls who wrote in to Enid Blyton's Magazine. Elke would be about 69 now.

I learnt a new word from Terry Gustafson - "gangue". I've seen the New Zealand Adventure adaptations and liked some more than others, but I was puzzled as to why the producers portrayed the children as English (as in the books) yet left them to speak with New Zealand accents.

Sweet illustrations for Bobtail's Adventures in the centre pages. I always love to hear of long-lost Birn books coming to light.

Thanks for another great Journal, Tony!

[Pippa-Stef]

Mine arrived Thursday (worst day for me as its home to change from work and straight back out again) but I look forward to a nice quiet read tomorrow.

And I recieved my white slip so have resubscribed, like any good girl. I shall try and review it at some point, but I suspect that everyone will have said everything about it when I get to it!

[sixret]

After reading all your reviews and comments here, I really can't wait to receive mine. Hope the journal will arrive on the very first day of next week i.e Monday which is next day!

Thank you so much to Tony and all the contributors for making the publication of the journals possible!

[sixret]

With the story titled Manky-Petoddles, I really can't wait because it makes me curious!

[John Pickup]

As this was my first ever journal I took my time working through it and the highlights for me were just about everything! Most of my Enid Blyton books are the series such as the FF, Adventure and Barney and I was unaware that there was so much material out there I hadn't heard of.
I did like the letter from Bobs though when he said I've been collecting paper for Salvage but he didn't really know who Mr Salvage is.
Thanks to Julie I will certainly be looking out for The Secret Of Cliff Castle as well as Smuggler Ben.
The journal is very well put together, thank you very much Tony and all the contributors, too.

[Moonraker]

Another terrific, block-busting edition. Thanks to all contributors and to Tony for glueing it all together.

Anita has said most of what I was going to say, so I won't add to much more. Julie's review was excellent, a true review where the plot isn't given away. It has whetted my appetite to re-read it, so I will be searching my shelves later!

Kari Dorme's article on the Beaconsfield week was fascinating. However, I was confused to start with concerning references to "the Society" - thinking that she was referring to our society! Also, although Blyton children drank lemonade, I think ginger beer is the preferred drink in most stories.

I must also say what a ridiculous figure Noddy appeared to be! He looked more like one of those absurd figures you see at football matches!

A great Journal which again begs the question, why aren't we all subscribers?

[Eddie Muir]

A great Journal which again begs the question, why aren't we all subscribers?

My feeling too, Nigel and, at £10 for three issues (UK), a real bargain!

[Poppy]

I have more or less completed reading this fantastic journal and it was a wonderful read! Julies article was a great recount of The Secret of Cliff Castle, and as Nigel said, cleverly written so as not to give many details of the plot away. I must get out my copy and reread it sometime.

I enjoyed Kari Dorme's interesting piece; I didn't realise at first that Olivia was secret bear. It sounded like a wonderful event. I haven't read Anita's article yet, because I haven't read the book of brownies before. I have got it, however and intend to read it as soon as possible and enjoy Anita's article afterwards!

Thanks Tony and to all the other contributors!