Busy Bees

[jackie]

Hello everyone

I've recently borrowed Barbara Stoney's biography of Enid Blyton from the library and have particularly enjoyed reading about the Enid Blyton magazine and the clubs she started, especially the Busy Bees.
I work in the library but write in my spare time and would really love to write a piece about the Busy Bees.
It would be great to hear from anyone who used to be a Busy Bee and could tell me what it was like. Did anyone actually meet Enid Blyton?

[Tony Summerfield]

Hello Jackie, welcome to the forums. Enid didn't actually start the Busy Bees, it was run by the PDSA and Enid came on board as the Queen Bee in April 1952. She wrote a monthly letter in the magazine and from July 1952 through the 50s each issue included an Enid Blyton short story. Although the stories stopped Enid remained Queen Bee until her death in November 1968 and the final letter was published in December 1968. Due to her state of health it is highly debatable as to whether she wrote the later letters, but they still carried her name. Although the badges are relatively common and frequently appear on the secondhand market I have never met anybody who actually claimed to have been a Busy Bee - hopefully somebody here will come forward!