The Enid Blyton Society

I will be flying to the U.K. next week; will be in your lovely country for just over a month. I'm an Aussie living in New Zealand. And, I'm distantly related to Enid Blyton (she's my 4th cousin 3x removed); my great grandmother was Martha Blyton. I've traced my family tree back to brothers William (born 1750) and Samuel (born 1760) Blyton, both born in Nottingham. Enid's is descended from William, and I am descended from Samuel. (Their father was born 1730.) I am interested in researching what I can about Enid, while in the UK. Especially as I am a writer too. Do you have any suggestions, sights associated with her life etc., where I should go. Do you have an office or place where you meet regularly?

It's interesting that you're distantly related to Enid Blyton, Mumma Moo.

If you went to Bourne End in Buckinghamshire you could walk along Coldmoorholme Lane and see Old Thatch, where Enid Blyton lived from 1929 to 1938. Unfortunately, the gardens are no longer open to the public. At the end of Coldmoorholme Lane is the river, and it's possible to follow the river-path to Marlow as characters sometimes do in the Find-Outers books. It's a lovely walk.

The houses in which Enid Blyton grew up in Beckenham, Kent, also still exist. The addresses are in Barbara Stoney's Biography. Some of us had a walk around the area a couple of years ago. They're quite ordinary houses but it's still interesting to see them.

In Beaconsfield in Buckinghamshire is Blyton Close, where Enid Blyton's house Green Hedges used to stand. Some of us are planning to meet up in Beaconsfield on 17th October to have a pub lunch and see Blyton Close and the model of Green Hedges at the model village, Bekonscot. I'm not 100% sure whether I'll be there myself, but I hope to make it. You're welcome to come along. There's a thread about the gathering here:

http://www.enidblytonsociety.co.uk/foru ... 4&start=90" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

We don't have an office or meeting-place, I'm afraid.

There are also places in Dorset where Enid Blyton went on holiday regularly, but other members know more about those.

Mumma Moo wrote: I am a writer too....

That's fantastic!
What do you write? Can we see your work in print anywhere?

Related to Enid Blyton? That's lovely, Mumma Moo! And you are a writer too; that is really wonderful. Do you write children's stories, like Enid, or do you like writing something else?