Teachers World Letters, Jan 1930 - July 1934

Discuss Blyton's magazines, short stories and poetry here.
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Kate Mary
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Re: Enid Blyton's Weekly Letters in Teachers World

Post by Kate Mary »

I like to have bowls of bulbs in the house too but not having what Enid calls a 'green thumb' I buy mine ready done. Another excellent poem, Enid was very adept at getting her message across to her audience.
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Rob Houghton
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Re: Enid Blyton's Weekly Letters in Teachers World

Post by Rob Houghton »

I always thought 'green thumb' was an Americanism, as I've only ever heard the term 'green fingers' in UK...although I think we talked of this before and some people say 'thumb' - but it seems a bit odd to me that Enid should use that expression and not 'green fingers' lol! :lol:
'Oh voice of Spring of Youth
hearts mad delight,
Sing on, sing on, and when the sun is gone
I'll warm me with your echoes
through the night.'

(E. Blyton, Sunday Times, 1951)



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Re: Enid Blyton's Weekly Letters in Teachers World

Post by Anita Bensoussane »

We say 'green thumb' in our family but I'm familiar with 'green fingers' too.
"Heyho for a starry night and a heathery bed!" - Jack, The Secret Island.

"There is no bond like the bond of having read and liked the same books."
- E. Nesbit, The Wonderful Garden.


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Re: Enid Blyton's Weekly Letters in Teachers World

Post by Anita Bensoussane »

http://www.enidblytonsociety.co.uk/blyt ... perid=1131" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Bobs has sold almost 20,000 copies of his book already. It seems Enid Blyton has a rival! :wink: I love his amusing letter and Enid's rhythmic poem about catching autumn leaves.

I hope the tin of preserved rosebuds won't be discovered by Bobs and Sandy as I recall that they dug it up one year, bit off the lid and tipped out the rosebuds, which were dead by the time Enid Blyton found them.

Brer Rabbit's trick with the onions is a convincing one - it's used by other characters too in other Blyton tales.
"Heyho for a starry night and a heathery bed!" - Jack, The Secret Island.

"There is no bond like the bond of having read and liked the same books."
- E. Nesbit, The Wonderful Garden.


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Re: Enid Blyton's Weekly Letters in Teachers World

Post by Courtenay »

Another lovely page from Enid — I do remember her talking about the preserved rosebuds in a previous year and how Bobs and Sandy dug some of them up. It seems funny to think of burying the sealed tin box in the garden; I'm guessing that was to keep the rosebuds cold enough that they would stay fresh and wouldn't start opening, in the days before refrigerators were widely available. Of course these days you can buy roses and many other flowers almost year-round, which is nice, but it does rather take away the magic that Enid found in having "beautiful roses for the Christmas table"!

The incident with all the kittens and puppies in Gillian's dolls' pram is funny — and how generous of Bobs to give Enid a whole pound from his book sales! :wink:

I love the poem "Happy Days!" — was it ever reprinted elsewhere?
Anita Bensoussane wrote: Brer Rabbit's trick with the onions is a convincing one - it's used by other characters too in other Blyton tales.
Yes, I remember it from one of the Mr Pink-Whistle stories in which a crooked shopkeeper does the same when counting out fruit and vegetables for his customers — as well as other tricks like dodgy weighing scales and so on. Of course, Pink-Whistle catches him out and gives him some nasty shocks! :P
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Re: Enid Blyton's Weekly Letters in Teachers World

Post by Anita Bensoussane »

That was one of my favourite Mr. Pink-Whistle stories when I was a child. I remember that the stallholder was called Twisty and had eyes set very close together (usually a sign of wickedness in Blyton books!) so it seems he was destined to be crooked! :lol: :wink:
"Heyho for a starry night and a heathery bed!" - Jack, The Secret Island.

"There is no bond like the bond of having read and liked the same books."
- E. Nesbit, The Wonderful Garden.


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Re: Enid Blyton's Weekly Letters in Teachers World

Post by Courtenay »

Oh yes, I was trying to remember his name — I knew it was something of a give-away! :wink: I seem to recall his wife was equally crooked, too.
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Re: Enid Blyton's Weekly Letters in Teachers World

Post by Moonraker »

Always a delight to read. Thanks for continuing to put these up weekly, Tony.
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Anita Bensoussane
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Re: Enid Blyton's Weekly Letters in Teachers World

Post by Anita Bensoussane »

http://www.enidblytonsociety.co.uk/blyt ... perid=1132" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Sad news about Bimbo. Pets bring a lot of joy but also a lot of worry.

A lovely picture of Dilly's little house. She must have felt very proud of having a house of her own!

I'm glad Enid Blyton had plenty of keen puzzle-solvers among her readers, who begged her for harder puzzles. I enjoyed the two she set this week.

'The Field of Thistles' is a good story with a clear moral.

Thanks as always to Tony for making these letters available. I look forward to reading them every Wednesday.
"Heyho for a starry night and a heathery bed!" - Jack, The Secret Island.

"There is no bond like the bond of having read and liked the same books."
- E. Nesbit, The Wonderful Garden.


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Kate Mary
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Re: Enid Blyton's Weekly Letters in Teachers World

Post by Kate Mary »

It's so sad to lose a pet and not know what happened to it. I wonder if Bimbo turns up, we'll find out in a future column perhaps. If he doesn't Enid probably won't mention him again, she didn't like unpleasant things in her life.
I sometimes wonder what became of Dion the gardener's dog. Sandy continues to be 'gender fluid' s/he is a she in Enid's letter and a he in Bobs', Enid couldn't know how very modern that is! I hope Sandy gets his/her bark back, sitting under a tree sounds like a good plan.
"I love everything that's old: old friends, old times, old manners, old books, old wines." Oliver Goldsmith

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Re: Enid Blyton's Weekly Letters in Teachers World

Post by Anita Bensoussane »

Kate Mary wrote:Sandy continues to be 'gender fluid' s/he is a she in Enid's letter and a he in Bobs', Enid couldn't know how very modern that is!
Well spotted!
"Heyho for a starry night and a heathery bed!" - Jack, The Secret Island.

"There is no bond like the bond of having read and liked the same books."
- E. Nesbit, The Wonderful Garden.


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Re: Enid Blyton's Weekly Letters in Teachers World

Post by Courtenay »

Kate Mary wrote:Sandy continues to be 'gender fluid' s/he is a she in Enid's letter and a he in Bobs', Enid couldn't know how very modern that is!
Gosh-a-roonie, yes!! :shock: I'm still wondering what on earth Enid was thinking in the first place by referring to Sandy as a "he" all that long time if Sandy was really a she — especially if Enid had always intended to have both a male and a female terrier with the hope that they would have puppies.

Very sad about Bimbo, I agree, but I had to raise an eyebrow at Enid's description of him: "You will know Bimbo by his big, brilliant blue eyes, and his dark brown face, ears, paws and tail. The rest of him is paler brown, creamy underneath." Um... EVERY seal point Siamese cat in the world would match that description!! :lol: (Well, she does add "He will come if you call him Bimbo," but I'm not sure if that's a guarantee. He might come if Enid called him Bimbo, since she's his "Mistress" (and food-provider), but cats are notorious for not coming when called unless they actually want to... :wink: )

I really enjoyed "The Field of Thistles" — had to laugh halfway through when it became clear what the result of Jock's search for the gold would be! I'm surprised it seems Enid never reprinted or re-used that one. It's a simple but clever and memorable little story.
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Re: Enid Blyton's Weekly Letters in Teachers World

Post by Anita Bensoussane »

I did wonder who had the job of tying all the threads and handkerchiefs on the thistles. Maybe it was done by magic? If not, it would have been a lot easier simply to remove the thread/handkerchief from the first thistle!
"Heyho for a starry night and a heathery bed!" - Jack, The Secret Island.

"There is no bond like the bond of having read and liked the same books."
- E. Nesbit, The Wonderful Garden.


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Re: Enid Blyton's Weekly Letters in Teachers World

Post by Courtenay »

I would guess it had to have been done by magic — the "little man" was one of the fairy folk, after all, and having a thread or a handkerchief tied to every thistle would prove that there was something magical going on and the original thread or handkerchief didn't simply fall off or get stolen by someone in the meantime.
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It was a nuisance. An adventure was one thing - but an adventure without anything to eat was quite another thing. That wouldn't do at all. (The Valley of Adventure)
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Anita Bensoussane
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Re: Enid Blyton's Weekly Letters in Teachers World

Post by Anita Bensoussane »

http://www.enidblytonsociety.co.uk/blyt ... perid=1133" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Sadly, it's looking as though Bimbo might have disappeared for good. :(

I like the sound of the "Little Bridges" walk. I wonder whether the marsh and the bridges still exist. Enid's comment that "Although it is November you can still find little bits of summer" reminds me that roses are still in bloom in my local park and there are quite a few butterflies to be seen on warmer days.
"Heyho for a starry night and a heathery bed!" - Jack, The Secret Island.

"There is no bond like the bond of having read and liked the same books."
- E. Nesbit, The Wonderful Garden.


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