The Enid Blyton Society

Moonraker wrote:

Eddie Muir wrote: won't embarrass the dealer in question, but a book I would quite like to own has been on offer at £95 for the past three years and, sure enough, it was still on the dealer's stall for the same price this year.

I wonder what the dealer's reaction would have been if you had pointed it out to him, and offered to pay him £40 just to get it off his hands? I have always believed that an item is worth what someone will pay for it. Clearly, this book can't have been worth £95.

I dont know which dealer is being talked about here but on one stall there was a copy of The Castle of Adventure priced at £320. There was a post-it note stuck to the book, next to the price tag, which said " please do not ask me to sell this book for any less". Clearly that dealer at least would not have contemplated selling at reduced prices.

I have been to three Enid Blyton Days and I enjoyed them all. It is a shame to think we might have no more. I would be happy to hear more general talks on children's books and authors. We are all enthusiasts for vintage children's books but for most people, as for me, I am sure their interest goes beyond Blyton. Of course we would still need a Blyton-themed event, but a screening of a TV or Radio show would fit the bill, like we had this year and in previous years. It would be great to see the TVS documentary about Enid screened in 1987 again - if it could be winkled out of the archives. But this just pie-in-the-sky, the bottom line is if people coming to the day don't buy, the dealers won't come, ergo no Enid Blyton Day.

The Society is very fortunate to have a fantastic website with a wonderful online archive of images and, in some cases, texts in the Cave, which are freely available to all. We also have a lively forum that anyone can join. Perhaps it might be better to concentrate on these and let small informal gatherings happen or not as may be. It is not worth Tony working himself into a frazzle organizing the Day, which seems to be an increasingly onerous and thankless task.

Kate.

Kate Mary wrote:It is not worth Tony working himself into a frazzle organizing the Day, which seems to be an increasingly onerous and thankless task.

Kate.

Not too much of a frazzle this year as by and large it went fairly smoothly, so it wasn't too onerous and so long as people enjoy it, it isn't a thankless task. Speakers are the main worry and have added a few more grey hairs in the past! A number have backed out when it is too late to replace them and there was the infamous year when the main speaker didn't turn up. Because of this I do get a bit nervous when they turn up about five minutes before they are due on stage.

I'm glad to hear that it wasn't too stressful this year, Tony, and you certainly didn't look frazzled.

Kate.

It would seem that we are being prepared for the fact that the May 15th 2010 Blyton Day was something of a swansong. Such a pity if that is indeed the case, as I was hoping to attend a Blyton Day picnic following my two previous failed attempts!

With near record attendance figures, I was very surprised that very little money was spent at the Society stand or indeed at the very well stocked bookstalls. There were certainly many over priced items for sale but this was balanced by a good number of lower priced reading copies of Blyton books from as little as £2.00. Surely this would have been the perfect opportunity for a Blyton fan to replenish one's collection? Evidently not. Myself, I made some pleasing purchases including the Five Fall Into Adventure TV script.

As others have already said, the main problem seems to be getting hold of a big name speaker who can commit to attending a Blyton Day. Many names have already been suggested, but I suspect that Tony has already left no stone unturned. Add this problem to the possible none return of specialist childrens book vendors to the Loddon Hall one can quite easily see where all this is heading.

Twyford seems to be the perfect location with its close proximity to road, rail and air links. Could future lower key Blyton days still be held at the Loddon Hall or would the economics of reduced numbers of attendees simply not add up?

Did all of the book dealers report reduced takings or was it just some of them? And have the profits been falling continuously over a number of years or was this a one off? If this was merely a case of one year where spending was down then the book dealers would probably do well to give it another chance. We all know that people are, in general, being cautious about their spending at the moment. And, as has been pointed out a number of times, those with cheaper prices seemed to be seeing a lot more customers than those who were more expensive. I had to QUEUE to pay at Colin Harding's stall.

The speaker problem seems pretty unsolveable. At least we have now been discussing it in one form or another for 12 months and still the only solution seems to be to sit back and hope that poor old Tony organises it again. It seems to me that the event will come to an end when Tony decides to "retire" from its organisation unless a similarly dedicated replacement can be found. Which will be a great shame but it makes me heartily glad that I been to four of these wonderful events, hopefully five by this time next year.

It certainly sounds like I missed out on the last ever EB day...

The only upside of this thread is that 'Once Upon a Time' usually ends up with a happy ending...

Robert Houghton wrote:
The only upside of this thread is that 'Once Upon a Time' usually ends up with a happy ending...

This is true, Robert. So let's hope that's what will happen. I'd be heart broken if there was no E.B. Day next year. Maybe we should put some names in a hat and the chosen person has to speak on the day, of what Enid Blyton means for them and how their lives were changed by reading her books.

I believe that you and Nigel were both suggested as expert speakers on Keith's site, Julie!

Going back to what Petermax said, I have indeed tried and failed with numerous possible speakers over the last few years, many of the names that get suggested have already said no, but I don't tend to dwell on that. The other thing to remember is that most 'big' names who would attract a large audience, also want 'big' fees and if you start having to work through agents you can bet your bottom dollar that the Day is heading for a financial loss. We have now had seventeen EB Days and although I have sometimes had to pay travel expenses, all our speakers have generously appeared for free.

Tony Summerfield wrote:I believe that you and Nigel were both suggested as expert speakers on Keith's site, Julie!

I have replied to that post, Tony! Maybe Julie and I could do a double act along the lines of ??Smith & someone - I've forgotten their names! Whether or not the (mainly non-Forum) audience would appreciate it is another matter!

Moonraker wrote:Whether or not the (mainly non-Forum) audience would appreciate it is another matter!

I'm glad you said that, I didn't like to! It is true that over 80% of the audience never come anywhere near the forums and wouldn't have a clue who either of you were. You will have noticed that there were a large number of cameras in action at this year's EB Day, but nobody other than Forum members has offered me any photos. Going a step further nobody other than Forum members has said anything about the Day, I have had no letters or emails at all.

Tony Summerfield wrote: You will have noticed that there were a large number of cameras in action at this year's EB Day, but nobody other than Forum members has offered me any photos. Going a step further nobody other than Forum members has said anything about the Day, I have had no letters or emails at all.

Maybe no news is good news, Tony.

Moonraker wrote:

Tony Summerfield wrote:I believe that you and Nigel were both suggested as expert speakers on Keith's site, Julie!

I have replied to that post, Tony!

I hadn't read the new one by Dave Blundell on EnidBlyton.net when I wrote that, I was referring to something said a week or two ago. It now appears that you will have to fly in from the USA, pity that you will have to fly out there before you can do that!

Looks like Dave actually reads our Forums, but he only posts on the main Enid Blyton site - I will try not to get jealous!

Tony Summerfield wrote:
Looks like Dave actually reads our Forums, but he only posts on the main Enid Blyton site - I will try not to get jealous!

I'll just fly over there now, and get Dave to post on this site. What time are the planes anyone!