Journal 65

[Anita Bensoussane]

Thanks for the comments on my article Pete, Rob and Nigel. I loved writing it as it was a great excuse to spread all the Purnell Sunshine Library books out around me and wallow in nostalgia! It's lovely that Tony has included so many illustrations from the books. I particularly like the picture of Untidy William, which reminds me of Richmal Crompton's "Just William"!

I'm glad you've been inspired to read/reread some of the stories, Rob, and I know what you mean about the illustrations. They take me back strongly to the 1970s and to the house where we lived until I was six. They also remind me of when my children were little and enjoyed the books too. I recall that my daughter loved 'Sulky Susan' and my son loved 'The Other Little Boy' and '"I Dare You To!"'.

I had to smile when reading Anita's favourite stories, from Enid Blyton's Happy Adventure Tales:

"The Prisoner in the Cave"
"Adventure for Two"

I immediately thought of Tony unable to get out, and Anita jumping on a train to New Sarum so that she could rescue him.

[Moonraker]

I thought you would come straight back to me, so I rushed to your original in my files:-

Yes, you can always rely on Rob for a speedy response. He had this come up on his computer screen the other day:

[Anita Bensoussane]

I'm another person who very much enjoyed John Lester's article about his favourite illustrations - and wondered why Horace Tipperlong had become Horace Turnbull!

This is one of my all-time favourites. I have loved it since I first saw it as a child.

Same here. I always lingered over that picture when reading the book as a child - and still do. Some of my other favourite Blyton illustrations also come from The Sea of Adventure:













Amazing illustrations which capture the essence of the book perfectly.

[Moonraker]

Amazing, indeed. John Pickup in the third, and me in the sixth! Tresilian's illustrations are so atmospheric and add so much to the stories. How (most) modern reprints suffer by not being illustrated.

I had to smile when I read:

...[the] Find-Outers stories had more than one illustrator which may explain why I can't instantly recall any pictures from [the] series

Maybe it didn't help that so any were pretty dreadful! Having said that, I find even the worst to be nostalgically beautiful.

[Anita Bensoussane]

Amazing, indeed. John Pickup in the third, and me in the sixth!

Just picking out a couple more pieces from Journal 65 for now, but will have more to say another time. Two of the articles I enjoyed most were Rob's delicious 'Adventure Cake' and Tony's look at Enid Blyton's Magazine. Sadly, my Journal is one of the dud ones with four pages missing so I wasn't able to read those contributions in their entirety - though Tony is kindly giving me a replacement copy so I'll be able to read them in full soon.

Rob often gives his articles a personal touch, talking about childhood activities that were inspired by the books, and I like that. I agree that The Secret Mountain is one of Enid Blyton's best books and that the episode involving the flooded secret passage is a riveting read.

Tony's article on Enid Blyton's Magazine is fascinating. It's wonderful to see the letters and the minutes, which reveal a great deal about the process of producing the magazine and the related annuals. What a lot to discuss - the size of the annuals, the grade of paper used for the magazines, the club and badges, the colour of the cover, collectable pictures, competitions, advertising, the effect of the railway strike, etc. Who'd have thought that so much went on behind the scenes? Very interesting indeed.

[Moonraker]

What a lot to discuss - the size of the annuals, the grade of paper used for the magazines,

I have been fascinated by paper for years! I have some very old EB annuals and the paper is like sugar paper. Really thick and rough. I have yet to read the article, but have always thought it might have been a wartime measure to use lower quality paper.

[Rob Houghton]

Thank you Anita! Hope you enjoy the rest of my article when it arrives!

If we are talking Find Outer illustrations, I have no hesitation at finding a few of my faves - they are basically those drawn by Lilian Buchanan, who to me perfectly depicts the characters as I see them.

[Rob Houghton]

What a lot to discuss - the size of the annuals, the grade of paper used for the magazines,

I have been fascinated by paper for years! I have some very old EB annuals and the paper is like sugar paper. Really thick and rough. I have yet to read the article, but have always thought it might have been a wartime measure to use lower quality paper.

It seems strange discussing paper, but I have an interest in it too, when It comes to books. Its not until you really get into collecting that you begin to realise the different thicknesses and 'weights'.

However, my experience seems the opposite of yours! I always associate the thinner paper - almost brittle - with wartime economy standards. The thicker paper is more often associated with pre and post war books...

Some of the most impressive thick paper I have come across is in the 'Boys and Girls News Chronicle' annuals of the 1930's, which have pages so thick that they are almost like thin card! Similar paper exists in my early copy of The Secret Island.

[Chrissie777]

Are others in this thread also experiencing this weird little blue window message:
"You have been online for 1 year. Do you wish to log off and have a LIFE?"
I only am online when I receive new notifications from EBS, so I haven't been online for a year.
My husband thinks it's embedded in this thread, but no virus.
Any opinions?

[Jack400]

I have now read the whole journal (the first that I have managed to find the time- or manage my time (?) well enough). The items are worthy of comment- but, having read them on night shift I think I'll wait for the benefit of more sleep first! Many thanks to all the contributors.

[Julie2owlsdene]

I thought you would come straight back to me, so I rushed to your original in my files:-

Yes, you can always rely on Rob for a speedy response. He had this come up on his computer screen the other day:

If this is what you are referring too, Chrissie, Nigel posted this, as a jokey thing, as Robert is nearly always on line!

[Jack400]

Oh, I thought that Chrissie had seen this on her computer and was asking for help! More sleep needed after my night shifts perhaps.

[Chrissie777]

Thank you, Julie, for enlightening me.
So glad it's not a virus!

[Chrissie777]

Oh, I thought that Chrissie had seen this on her computer and was asking for help! More sleep needed after my night shifts perhaps.

[Rob Houghton]

Its quite true as well - I really do have 'no life' and spend way too long online.