Enid Blyton's Dorset

[callmemadam]

So I went to the Enid Blyton talk on Tuesday, with a friend. To be honest, I wouldn't have bothered if it hadn't been for Enid Blyton's strong local connections. Viv is a real Blyton enthusiast who's been collecting her books since reading Mr Galliano's Circus as a child. Now, she knows all Blyton's Dorset locations, has opened the Ginger Pop shop in Corfe Castle village and has a new venture, Eileen Soper’s Illustrated Worlds down on Poole Quay.

There was no need for Viv to say a great deal about Blyton's life as it turned out everyone there had watched the BBC4 programme (and everyone had an opinion). Things I learned: the Mary Mouse strip books were written in the 1940s to make use of publishers' offcuts which would otherwise have been wasted at a time of paper shortages; Blyton's nature knowledge was so good that she became associated with the Warne 'Wayside and Woodland' series.

For a book collector, the slides of cover designs were slightly disappointing. I'm not a Blyton collector, probably only have about a dozen of her books to Viv's hundreds but I do have a full set of original Malory Towers hardbacks with the weird but so distinctive ilustrations by Stanley Lloyd. Only one of mine has a dustwrapper, alas, but I don't think I could enjoy the books in any other format. Unfortunately, these original books are now very expensive, in spite of the large number of reprints.

I'm certainly planning a trip to the Eileen Soper gallery next summer when it's open again. For people who can't wait, the web is simply heaving with Blyton information! I was hoping to post a picture I love, which shows Enid Blyton with Richmal Crompton and Malcolm Saville at a theatre. It's printed in Barbara Stoney's biography, which I no longer have. While searching in vain I found this fun Children’s Literature Quiz. Have a go!

Comments

[slemslempike.livejournal.com]

Great quiz! I got 20 out of 25. I haven't read Swallows and Amazons, or much children's historical lit.

[callmemadam.livejournal.com]

It was much better than I expected! I got two wrong. One was Geoffrey Trease whom I dislike and the other I can't remember.

[lethe1]

I didn't do the quiz, only looked at the questions, and the only ones I knew for certain were 12 and 22. And I haven't even read Carrie's War, tssk.

I must say though, in translated children's books the names are usually 'translated' as well, so if f.e. Ethel Brown was an Enid Blyton character she would probably have been called something else here.

[callmemadam.livejournal.com]

I made some excellent, informed guesses!

It's strange how names are changed. Jennings is Bennett in France and Stompa (I think) in Norway. Very popular in bothe countries.

[ramblingfancy.livejournal.com]

Yes I love Eileen Soper's illustrations. Didn't Enid play golf nearby or possibly one of her husbands? I must admit reading them as a child and even on occasion sitting under Corfe Castle as I read, I never pictured them as being local at all! Obviously I wasn't the brightest spark even then :)

[callmemadam.livejournal.com]

Enid and her second husband bought the golf course for a song and then spent a lot of money on it. She was very good at all games.

The New Eileen Soper Gallery

[(Anonymous)]

Viv should be commended for opening up that new Eileen Soper gallery/museum.

Stephen Isabirye, author of The Famous Five: A Personal Anecdotage (www.bbotw.com).

Re: The New Eileen Soper Gallery

[callmemadam.livejournal.com]

Yes indeed, and for rescuing a nice old building.