Enid Blyton Day 2013?

[Julie2owlsdene]

Maybe picnic at Bourne End instead of Dinton in that case then!

Great idea Stef. We may even all end up in the pub!!

[Moonraker]

Not if you're all following me!

[Pippa-Stef]

Thats true! I think next time people better follow someone OTHER than Nigel!

Although tell him that we're heading towards a pub and he's your man!

[pete9012S]

Once ensconced at the pub,there could be a 'mega' Enid Blyton quiz perhaps?

[Eddie Muir]

I'm also hoping that there will be an Enid Blyton Day next year but, if not, it would be great to meet up at Old Thatch, Sally.

[Katharine]

A Bourne End based day sounds a great idea to me. I've sure I'll never get tired of visiting Old Thatch, and although I've used the loos in The Spade Oak, I've yet to sample any of their food or drink. I'd also love to have a proper look round, as I only caught glimpses of the town as I raced to catch my train home. As I'd be coming by train it would be much easier for me if the day were based in one place, rather than having to hope that someone could give me a lift to the picnic. Although obviously if Tony (or anyone else) can organise an Enid Blyton Day in Twyford, I certainly wouldn't complain.

[Sally]

Let's all hope for a Blyton day, but if not we obviously have a contingency plan which takes little organisation. If we aimed for late June(a good time for gardens) we could all bring a picnic and meet up by the river near Barker's Field - and then go to Old Thatch for afternoon tea. Happy thoughts!

[Francis]

I would love to join up - couldn't face not having some meeting. I will
do my best to be there (with Izzy).

[Anita Bensoussane]

If there's no Enid Blyton Day in 2013 it would be great to have another meeting of some kind. Old Thatch is one idea, but I thought I'd just throw out another one. Some forumites will know Cliff Watkins, who attends Enid Blyton Days regularly (he was there this year with the team who are making a film about Enid Blyton's Beckenham years). Well, he has been thinking for some time of organising a Blytonian day in Beckenham, where we could meet up and walk round looking at the various houses in which Enid Blyton lived. There are five quite close together (in Chaffinch Road, Clockhouse Road [two], Elm Road and Westfield Road) and then it would be a short tram ride to Oakwood Avenue (where Enid lived with the Attenboroughs) and Elfin Cottage (where she lived for some years with her first husband Hugh Pollock before they moved to Old Thatch). Cliff had in mind a Saturday in June - though no firm date has been fixed yet - and it would also be good to have either a picnic, pub lunch or afternoon tea, depending on weather and timing. Anyway, I thought I'd mention this here to see what people think. I've long wanted to visit Beckenham and to do so in the company of fellow Blytonites would be fantastic.

[Moonraker]

Sorry to dampen your fire, Anita, but tramping round looking at houses doesn't float my boat. For me, OT + SO + BF gets my vote!

[Tony Summerfield]

I must admit that I would always prefer to see something new that just repeat what I have done before and for this reason I would lean strongly towards what Anita is suggesting. As an Enid Blyton Day didn't look all that likely I had already been discussing this with Cliff as a possible alternative, but I appreciate that it wouldn't be everybody's cup of tea (or flagon of beer!). I had rather thought from the discussions that a visit to Bourne End was also going to involve trailing round houses, but maybe I have read this wrongly. If this were the case I would far rather look at houses that we know Enid Blyton lived in, than to trail around Bourne End looking at houses that are the subject of a thread that is just a bit of fun speculation and unlikely to have any fact behind it at all. Each to their own and obviously if everybody wanted to go to Bourne End, so be it, but I wouldn't be joining you.

[Moonraker]

Looks like there'll be a few EBDs next year, then!

I must admit that I would always prefer to see something new that just repeat what I have done before

Like travelling to Loddon Hall and Dinton Park.....

[Julie2owlsdene]

Looks like there may be a difference of opinions on this thread now. But it's nice if we could all do something that everyone wants. So if there is to be no E.B. Day next year, how about giving everyone a choice and then each one joining which group they want. Anita has already suggested one choice. So we need to know who is going along with Anita and Tony that day when it's all sorted. And Sally has suggested another choice of Old Thatch, and a possible picnic or even going to the Spade Oak again. So how does two choices sound?

[Tony Summerfield]

Looks like there'll be a few EBDs next year, then!

I must admit that I would always prefer to see something new that just repeat what I have done before

Like travelling to Loddon Hall and Dinton Park.....

I would have hoped that nobody was going to an Enid Blyton Day simply to see Loddon Hall and Dinton Pastures, but what do I know!

[Moonraker]

Funny you should say that, Julie; I've just been thinking along similar lines whilst listening to The Archers omnibus, in the summerhouse. We could have lots of little gatherings, taking part in Scotland, the West Country, Buckinghamshire and so on. Of course, the main downside is that we wouldn't get the chance to all meet up together!

I had rather thought from the discussions that a visit to Bourne End was also going to involve trailing round houses

Ah, I missed that. Maybe it isn't for me, either! How about finding a field where we could all camp, maybe pitching up to nearby circus folk....