Milton King x Enid Blyton

Posted on May 14, 2026 by Fiona

It’s not only River Island who are bringing Enid Blyton themed designs out now. I saw someone sharing some Enid Blyton wallpaper recently and there’s a whole host of designs. These are ‘inspired by’ so not quite the same as the River Island collaboration, but cool nonetheless.

Sadly they are far, far too expensive for me to be able to afford even one roll, though I’m quite tempted by the samples!

A roll (10m by 61.5cm) is £168. It estimated 11 rolls for Brodie’s bedroom. That’s the best part of £2k!

Here are the seven designed, ranked by me in order of least favourite to most favourite. They all come in at least 6 colours – canvas, blush (or dusky or fairydust), mushroom (or moon), night (or navy), periwinkle and sage, while the Slippery Slip also has a rainbow option. It’s actually hard to choose which colour I’d pick if I did choose a wallpaper.

7

In last place I have the Slippery Slip Wallpaper. It does not actually feature the slippery slip, I assume the name comes from the wiggly vertical design.

While I like some of the motifs (maybe not the legless Moon-Face so much) I’m just not a fan of the stripes or how it looks in the mock-room setup photos. Some of the motifs – like Saucepan Man really stand out and all I can see is the row of them just above the head of the bed.

I think it would look better if every second stripe didn’t line up horizontally though I suppose you could work out how to stagger it when you hang it. Or let’s be realistic, if you’re paying unpards of £2k for wallpaper you’re probably paying someone else to hang it!

6

Next is the Wishing Door Wallpaper. While this is quite pretty I think it’s just a bit dull. The door doesn’t scream ‘enchanted wood’ or ‘Faraway Tree’. Though some folk might like the more subtle nod to the series. Depending on the colour the door also stands out in a very obvious repeated way.

5

After that I have put the Land of Enchantments Wallpaper. While the last one was too subtle, this one is perhaps too in-your-face. The scenes are very large. I’m not sure about the random teddy bear, either. I know he’s on other wallpapers but somehow he seems more prominent here.

4

Coming in at number four (having TOTP flashbacks there) is the Enchanted Keepsakes Wallpaper.

I think this one features all of the motifs that feature across the seven designs and there’s just something nice about the way they are arranged as if they really are a collection of keepsakes in a special keepsakes compartments.

Obviously this design repeats horizontally but I don’t think it’s as obvious as in the Slippery Slip paper as there’s much more to look at.

3

In third place is the Faraway Friends Wallpaper. I like the slightly haphazard arrangement of the motifs here – and the repeat is staggered so it looks much better on the wall.

2

My second-favourite choice is the Faraway Tree Wallpaper. I really like the way the various motifs have been arranged so that they look like they’re part of the same scene(s). I think this captures the books the best as well.

This one instantly reminded me of the Paddington bedding that was always on the bunk beds at my grandparents’ house. Apparently ithad matching wallpaper. Hopefully you can see what I mean when I say it’s all separate scenes but they almost look like one big scene at the same time.

1

In first place I chose the Storybook Meadow Wallpaper. I actually don’t think this necessarily screams ‘Faraway Tree’. But I love the pretty flowers and the prominence of the books, along with the keys and scrolls.

I like it for purely how it looks on its own merit rather than as a representation of the books.

A4 sized samples are only £2.40 so I am very tempted to get some. I have seen someone get a few and frame them and they look very nice – but of course on A4 you don’t get much of the print and the picture I saw of the Storybook Meadow didn’t actually have a book on it. A 1 metre sample is a whopping £36 though! I really can’t justify that for a piece of paper, even if it did have books on it.

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Monday #780

Posted on May 11, 2026 by Fiona

Despite it being May it is still pretty chilly. And rainy. It barely feels like May in fact. At least blogging is an indoor activity!

Milton King x Enid Blyton

and

Five Go Off in a Caravan as watched by Fiona and Stef

There is another new Malory Towers book coming out in September – and it looks like the start of a series. It says inspired by Enid Blyton but to me it seems more like ‘inspired by the Malory Towers TV show which was inspired by Enid Blyton’ but I can see how that would be hard to fit on the cover.

Malory Towers Mystery Club starts with Kidnap at Midnight, and a cast of new characters rather than Darrell et al (though it mentions beloved characters old and new, so perhaps the original cast will appear?)

 

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River Island x Enid Blyton – The Five on a Treasure Island tote

Posted on May 9, 2026 by Fiona

I recently ranked the bags of the River Island x Enid Blyton collection in order of how much I wanted them. Stef thought slightly differently to me and her favourite was the Five on a Treasure Island Tote which is now, like all the rest, out of stock.

I then bought it for her birthday as I was looking for ideas at the time. Stef was generous enough to say I could open it up and take photos etc before I wrapped it and posted it to her. So here is my review of the bag – just remember I’m a book (and sometimes TV) reviewer – not a fashion blogger!

First impressions

The bag in real life looks just like the pictures on the website – which is always good. It felt quite substantial and of decent quality as well.

 

Although described as a tote bag, and having two short handles, it also has a longer detachable strap so that it can be worn cross-body as well. The strap is embossed with the River Island name (I assume that’s common on their bags) but it would have been nice if it had said Enid Blyton or Famous Five.

It also has a couple of dangling embellishments – a luggage tag shaped strip and a tassel. If I’m honest those sort of things tend to annoy me and I always end up cutting them off, but they’re obviously popular as they seem to be on everything now.

The tag is also Enid Blyton branded, and I would have kept that even though I probably wouldn’t end up doing anything with it.

The important question

Which is of course ‘how much can I fit in it?’ I’m not great with dimensions online and usually have to get out a tape measure so I can see how big something is going to be. Because with a bag of course you want to know whether your purse, bottle of water, umbrella and jacket are all going to fit in along side your book or e-reader not to mention the lip balm, tissues and nail file and whichever toy your son has insisted he has to bring along only for it to languish in your bag forgotten all day. Oh and the snacks – can’t forget those!

There are many ways you can show scale – actual measurements, of course, or putting the object beside a coin (or a banana!). I chose books.

First I tried to see how many copies of Five on a Treasure Island would fit. As I “only” have four they all fitted in, even the annual (sort of).

Then I wondered how many Famous Five books in general it would hold. The answer turned out to be fifteen Hodder & Stoughton hardbacks, with a very small amount of room to spare. Perhaps enough for a small purse.  (It would be very heavy, though, so I don’t really recommend carrying that many books about.)

There’s also a handy inner pocket perfect for the Famous Five card game.

The fine details

The bag lining is a nautical navy and white pinstripe which fits the Five on a Treasure Island vibe. There’s also a little Enid Blyton x River Island label on the inner pocket, and the Enid Blyton signature embroidered on the back of the bag.

It has a magnetic snap fastening which you can use to close the top of the bag (assuming you haven’t packed 15 hardbacks into it.)

The front of the bag is printed onto the textured canvas of the bag but it’s a very good, very clean print. The book title and the Enid Blyton signature are embroidered on, as are the border and little swirls in the corners.

Over all it’s a very nice bag and I think it’s well worth the £44 price (though it’s not worth the £150 it’s now on eBay for!). Looking at River Island’s other bags they seem to be priced mostly between £39 and £46 so it doesn’t seem that there has been any extra costs added for the licensing.

I can’t wait for my birthday so I can get my Smuggler’s Top clutch (and review it, of course.)

I hope that River Island will restock these bags, or do a new collection. They sold out within a week so I’m sure they’d have no problem selling more.

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April 2026 round up

Posted on May 6, 2026 by Fiona

They said ‘It’s gonna be May’ and they were right. It is May.

What I read

More than I thought, given that one of them was a smidge over 1000 pages.

Quick stats:
17 books read
64 out of 150 so far
14 ahead of schedule
1 (!) BABAL* (One about a magazine, and two where the MC happens to own a bookshop, but it’s not really important to the plot).
0 Val McDermids
3 new authors
5 library books

April’s five star reads:

None!

April’s four star reads:

The Rockingdown Mystery
The first of the Barney Mysteries, which introduces us to Roger, Diana, the irrepressible Snubby, the mad Looney, Barney and Miranda. Not my favourite of the series, but a solid start with a good mystery and a classic bit of misdirection.

Alchemised – SenLinYu
This was the 1,000 page book. Originally, this was a Draco/Hermione fanfic – and yes, of course I had already read it. At first I struggled to get into it, as I kept trying to remember/work out who all the characters had originally been. Obviously, Helena was Hermione, and Kaine was Draco. As it turns out, though, many of the other characters were not just renamed – their roles were altered, divided and otherwise rewritten, which is why I was having so much trouble identifying them.

Beyond that, I found it a little harder to care about the characters. Reading it as a fanfic following on from the seven Harry Potter books, I knew the characters and cared what happened to them. I didn’t have that connection to these new characters.

Saying that I did end up loving the world-building in the book, and also ended up caring a lot about the characters. I don’t know if my experience of the book would have been different had I not read the fanfiction before it.

Dear Miss Lake (Emmy Lake #4) – AJ Pearce
The final book in the series about Emmy and the good folk at Women’s Friend magazine, as the war draws slowly to an end. A great blend of light-hearted moments and heartbreak, just like the other books in the series. I was so attached to the characters already that I shed several tears while reading, and I wish there was still another book to come!

The Warwick Shield (Curse Breaker Witches #4) – Claire Robyns
This one takes place almost entirely in a dungeon – and is a magical locked room mystery. Ross now believes in magic (to a degree) but is still sceptical about almost every magical thing that they encounter, from the invisible barrier keeping Maddie and all the other magical suspects in the dungeon to the enchanted medieval horror museum props down there with them.

Subtle Blood (Will Darling Adventures #3) – KJ Charles
The final book in the Will Darling trilogy. This time, Kim’s boorish brother has been accused of murder. Kim can’t let him hang because then he’d inherit the family mansion and the title that goes along with it, and that would ruin what he has with working-class bookshop owner Will. Another clever mystery, and good to see Kim finally coming up trumps against his awful father and brother.

Wayward Son (Simon Snow #2) – Rainbow Rowell
I really enjoyed the first Simon Snow book, but I read it ages ago, so thankfully, there are at least a few reminders in this one as to what happened in it! This time, Simon, Baz and Penny are off on a road trip across America – it reminded me just slightly of the second arc of the Miss Peregrine’s books – and learn (often the hard way) that the magical structure of the US is very different to that in the UK. This was a fun read, and the multiple POVs in short sections made it even harder to put down.

Who’s Been Sleeping in My Porridge – Colin McNaughton
I found this in a charity shop, which I only popped into to kill time before my bus was due. I recognised it immediately from the houses printed down the side, as we have There’s An Awful Lot of Weirdos In Our Neighbourhood and have read it nearly to death. (I’m not kidding – it’s practically falling apart.) This is another fun collection of bizarre poems for children with wonderfully detailed illustrations.

Have You Seen Who’s Just Moved in Next Door to Us? – Colin McNaughton
After discovering that There’s an Awful…etc was not the only Colin McNaughton poetry collection, Brodie persuaded me to look and see what else there was, and within a few days, this one arrived from eBay. It’s one long poem that tells the story of who’s moved into the neighbourhood. Although there isn’t much reading on each page – just 4-8 lines – we spent ages poring over the illustrations and reading all the speech bubbles, signs and posters.

The Grumbly Jumbly – Don S Roth
Full review is here.

March’s three star reads:

A Farewell to Charms (Mystic Bayou #8) – Molly Harper
I think this series has maybe gone on a bit too long, as without the main plot of the dangerous rift in the bayou, there’s not as much going on. I had a hard time with the pairing in this one as Alex was painted as a bit of an idiot, and not all that nice (not to mention lusting after another character) in a couple of the earlier books, while Eve didn’t seem like she’d be a romantic interest.

Arson at the Ashmolean (Oxford Keys Mysteries #3) – Lynn Morrison
This was fine, but a bit repetitive at times, and it also seemed like the main characters didn’t take it seriously enough that a woman had been wrongfully arrested for murder. They were 100% sure she was innocent, and very gung-ho about investigating, so it felt incongruous when they kicked back and joked about in between. Also had some annoying Americanisms from supposedly British characters.

The Coo of Warning (Chronicles of St Mary’s short story) – Jodi Taylor
A rare near-miss for one of my favourite authors. Story was a bit too silly – but it does hint at the end that it was an April Fool’s.

Secret Seven on the Trail (Secret Seven #4)
The Secret Seven were never my favourite, and in this one, they are particularly slow on the uptake. The girls are left at home for the main action, too.

Plot and Bothered (Nevermore Bookshop #10) – Steffanie Holmes
Another series which maybe should have ended already. Mina is getting married – to her three fictional book boyfriends come to life no less – but someone is out to ruin the wedding. Somehow these nasty pieces of sabotage get mixed up with accidental duck damage and although they check to see if any of the people they’ve had arrested/convicted for murder have been released or escaped, none of them connect the dots between the dangerous escapee from a secure institution and the sabotage?

Dust Off Your Magic (Shadow Vale Witches #1) – Claire Robyns
I liked the idea of this – a reaper witch being haunted by her ex-husband – but that was rather a background plot which I assume will be properly dealt with in a later book. The main story was about Heather – a former high school mean girl and now mean woman – who is killed and somehow our main character gets accused. This is a short book so there wasn’t much time to develop a real mystery, there were only about three suspects and the guilty one came and attacked Kristen thus proving their guilt.

First edition dust jacket illustrated by George Brook

April’s two star reads

Flying Angels – Danielle Steel
On paper something I should have liked. Now I know why Danielle Steel has the reputation she has. This was lacklustre at best. Lots of telling and hardly any showing. We spent several chapters getting to know various characters who would then die in a brief paragraph, then we’re told how sad everyone is. This could have been really interesting as this is an element of WWII that I haven’t read much about, but instead it was repetitive and lacked detail.

April’s one star reads

Five Go Off in a Caravan Graphic Novel – Beja and Natael
Full review here – but definitely the worst one so far. Barely resembled the original book.

Not yet rated, as I didn’t finish them in April:

  • The Borrowers (Borrowers #1) – Mary Norton
  • Rivers of London (Rivers of London #1) – Ben Aaronovitch
  • Any Way the Wind Blows (Simon Snow #3) – Rainbow Rowell
  • Women Don’t Owe You Pretty – Florence Given

What I watched

Another month where I’ve hardly had the TV on.

  • A few episodes of The Simpsons
  • A few episodes of Richard Osman’s House of Games
  • The latest series of Taskmaster
  • A truly terribly shark movie called Thrash

What I did

  • Started on a bookshop model I got for Christmas. So far, I’ve put together some of the furniture.
  • Found 16 geocaches over a few different walks, including one where we saw newts and a pine marten.
  • Went beachcombing in St Andrews and had a wander around the University Museum
  • Visited House of Dun
  • Visited Fife Zoo
  • Went to see the Magic Faraway Tree movie
  • Bought myself a Zuru Max brick build of a little bookshelf, and built it.

What I bought

The two Colin McNaughton books, obviously. But they were for Brodie more than me, so do they really count?

I also managed to find the final issue of the Enid Blyton Magazine. Sadly a little damaged on the front but it’s the only copy I’ve seen fore sale in the several years I’ve been collecting so I’m unlikely to find a better one any time soon! I now only need two more to complete the collection.

 

How was your April?

*Books About Bookshops and Libraries

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Monday #789

Posted on May 4, 2026 by Fiona

It’s a long weekend here as it’s the start of May. Tomorrow – may the fourth be with you! – is a bank holiday.

We have a new member of the household – a plush snake who had no name but is longer than Brodie is tall. This is what happens when he’s allowed to spend his own money on a day trip!

April round-up

and

River Island x Enid Blyton – Five on a Treasure Island bag
I know this is a recent one, but here’s a reminder of the whole River Island collection, or a first look if you missed it earlier!

River Island x Enid Blyton

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Famous Five 90s Style – Our live reactions to Five Go to Smuggler’s Top part two

Posted on May 3, 2026 by Fiona

Last time we ended with me asking why it’s George giving Anne a cuddy back (other regional variations are available!) – I have since worked out it’s because George is ‘as good as a boy’ and so wouldn’t expect the boys to do it over herself!

Today, we start with us grappling with YouTube’s algorithms and enjoying the opening credits.

Stef: Hang on, need to find part 2.

Fiona: Hold on, it wants me to watch Hike next.

Fiona: Aww, we get the opening credits this time.

Fiona: I do like them.

Stef: They are good credits.

Stef: I mean, I do like the 70s song, but this is more in keeping with the time period.

Fiona: Yeah.

Stef: Forgot we’ve got a recap.

Stef: Spose on the telly there was a week in between episodes.

Fiona: Thirty years ago, we would have…

Fiona: Yes. Had to wait a week.

[George is marched off by Block for breaking the vase at the end of part one. She locates the very obviously labelled FIRE ESCAPE ROPE and tells the others she’s going to use it to escape. Anne thinks that sounds dangerous.]

Stef: Julian and Dick must know she’s being punished. They wouldn’t step in, would they?


Stef: Handy fire escape rope.


Stef: Anne, the voice of reason.

Fiona: Had to have an excuse for it somehow.

[Quentin arrives and Mr Lenoir discovers George is short for Georgina, and says he will let her out at once. Quentin says “No, no, no, girl or not she must stay in her room until she apologises.”]

Fiona: ‘Oh no, I treated her like a boy, the poor little girl.’

Stef: Lol

Fiona: Very feminist, Quentin.

Stef: At least he’s got equal opportunity punishment.

[Quentin gathers the children to tell them the bad news that Timmy’s disappeared.]

Stef: Why is Sooty there?!

Stef: This is a family meeting, surely.

Fiona: Poor Quentin.

Fiona: He does seem genuinely upset.

Stef: Jeez. Quentin can be taken in so easily.

Stef: I think when he’s not working, he’s quite fine with Tim.

Stef: And he probably doesn’t *like*upsetting George.

[George escapes and sees Barling and Block talking together and reports to the others. She’s desperate to get to Timmy, but her father has been given Pete’s room and so Pete says he’ll sneak in at night.]

Fiona: Is there only one street in the town?

Stef: Yes

Stef: They probably only shot in one street.

Stef: Supposition – big word for Julian.

Stef: Quentin isn’t in the room in the day!!

Stef: No mention of the warning alarm being disconnected.

[Pete sneaks in that night and sees Mr Barling kidnap Uncle Quentin. George comes through a moment later and they’re all gone.]

Fiona: That’s it – shine your torch in his face.

Fiona: That won’t wake him.

Stef: Why are they fully dressed?!

Fiona: Chloroform really doesn’t work like that.

Stef: Nope.

Fiona: Which spoils so many plots.

Stef: That was a very, very quick disappearance.

Stef: For two people.

Fiona: It is faithful to the book at least.

Stef: Three, including Barling.

Fiona: OK, they skipped some of the catacombs stuff, but they’ve had everything else.

Stef: Spose catacombs might have been very tricky to do.

[The others appear and we see Quentin and Pete being carried through the catacombs.]

Fiona: Everyone is dressed in the night.

Stef: “Where’s Pete?” What about Uncle Quentin?!

Fiona: How undignified for Quentin.

Stef: That’s a bit stupid for Julian.

Fiona: He sounded like that ad, “Calm down, dear it’s only a commercial.”

Stef: Absolutely.

[Block finds George out of her room in the morning.]

Stef: “How did you escape?” NEXT TIME YOU LOCK SOMEONE IN A ROOM, DON’T LEAVE THEM A ROPE LADDER.

Fiona: Haha, sound advice.

[Mr Lenoir interrogates them on the stairs. George says she doesn’t know where her father is and Pete’s gone too. Mr Lenoir demands an explanation from Julian who says Uncle Quentin is gone and Pete too. He then takes them to another room where they refuse to speak if it’s in front of Block.]

Stef: They just told you that!

Fiona: Julian repeats the exact same as…

Fiona: Stop beating me to it!

Stef: Sorry.

Stef: It’s cause he’s the oldest.

Fiona: And a boy

Fiona: Then you’re a fool

Fiona: (For trusting Block)

Stef: Absolutely.

Fiona: HE’S DEAF

Fiona: How does muttering in his ear work, then?

Stef: “Little bit of lip reading.”

Stef: No idea.

Fiona: He wasn’t looking at his mouth.

Stef: I know.

Stef: He’s mad.

Stef: In a different way to Barling.

Stef: “If we have discovered nothing by lunch time” THEY’RE CHILDREN.

Fiona: Very competent children.

Stef: Mostly.

Stef: Mr Lenoir doesn’t help his case for being shifty.

[After finding out that Mr Barling has gone away they investigate Pete’s room and the window seat. Mr Lenoir comes to tell them that Block denies everything & takes Uncle Quentin’s briefcase away.]

Stef: Health and safety danger.

Fiona: Yes, go jump on the secret bottom.

Stef: Like magic.

Fiona: Always ends well.

Fiona: Well, of course, he doesn’t.

Fiona: He couldn’t possibly be lying.

Fiona: Moron.

Stef: Absolutely.

Stef: He shouldn’t be taking anything from the room.

Stef: Anne, the voice of reason, yet again.

[Pete manages to wake Uncle Quentin.]

Stef: Major panic from Quentin, as expected, a human reaction.

[Julian tells the others that Block is definitely in his room – he’s the Blockhead obviously – and they go through the window seat.]

Stef: He’s letting George go first?!

Fiona: Nice brick wall.

Stef: Probably the same undersea tunnels as Demon’s rocks and Kirrin Island Again.

Fiona: Yeah, can’t be tons of tunnels big enough to film in.

[Pete and Uncle Quentin stand off against Mr Barling.]

Fiona: Don’t sit down.

Fiona: He lost all force when he sat down.

Stef: “You rogue!”

Fiona: Scoundrel!

Fiona: Ne’er do well!

Fiona: I’ve run out of camp exclamations!

[Julian finally discovers that Block is not, in fact, in bed.]

Stef: “We’re the Blockheads!”

[Timmy comes to the rescue of Pete and Uncle Quentin.]

Stef: Timmmmyyyy.

Fiona: Connall must have been enjoying a long rest during these episodes.

Stef: Must have been.

Stef: That’s why he’s so excited.

Fiona: IT’S MY STARRING SCENE FINALLY.

Fiona: I get to run and bark, the two things I’m really, really good at.

[Back in the house Mr Lenoir is still having trouble getting his head around things.]

Stef: How did they get out of the catacombs so fast!!

[The police come after Barling and his man, both of whom whip their coats off as they try to escape & Barling tosses his at a policeman.]

Fiona: I throw my coat at you.

Fiona: At you, sir. [I think I was misquoting Shakespeare – Do you bite your thumb at us, sir? A bit more high-brow than my usual quotes!]

[Pete and Uncle Quentin make it out of the catacombs and the others exit the secret passage towards the marshes. They spot Barling escaping and Timmy scares him into falling into quicksand and leaps in straight after him.]

Stef: It really is Tim’s book, isn’t it?

Fiona: THE MARSHES.

Stef: That’s one happy Timmy.

Stef: The quicksand!

Stef: Stupid Tim.

Fiona: More like porridge.

Stef: He’s going to be hell to wash.

Stef: He’s all dry!!!!!!

[Back at the house everyone’s in their Sunday best except for George and Aunt Fanny turns up.]

Fiona: Suave.

Fiona: With the suits.

Stef: Magic cleaning grass.

Stef: Very true.

Stef: Why isn’t George dressed up?

Stef: Thank god for Aunt Fanny missing the drama again.

Fiona: Wouldn’t be any drama if she was there.

Stef: True.

Fiona: Barling couldn’t have drugged them both.

Stef: Not that she’s good at keeping them out of it.

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The Grumbly Jumbly by Don Roth

Posted on April 30, 2026 by Fiona

Recently, Don, a member of my Enid Blyton Club on Facebook, asked me if it would be OK for him to share a link to his book in the group, as his writing was influenced by Enid Blyton. While I would generally discourage self-promotion, I don’t mind if it’s tangentially related to Blyton, so I said yes.

Don then offered me a digital copy of the book and asked if I would review it. Have I ever said no to a free book? (Well, yes, actually, but it’s a very rare occurrence!) Now that I’ve done my ethical duty in disclosing the gifting of the book, let’s get to the review. It should be short, because it’s a short book.

The Grumbly Jumbly

I have to admit that does sound like something Blyton would name one of her characters. She did like rhymes, alliteration and strange names for her fantasy characters. It’s no Kollamoolitumarellipawkyrollo, but I can only say that’s a good thing as I can actually pronounce and remember Grumbly Jumbly.

Blyton mostly used pixies, gnomes, fairies, brownies and other established creatures in her book, but the Grumbly Jumbly is something quite new. He reminds me of a toddler, the kind who’s having a rage about something ridiculous and you have to try very hard not to laugh because they are both cute and frustrating.

The Grumbly Jumbly is raging because Wiggle Waggle is making a new fairy and –

The rule is, every time a Fairy is created, all Jumblys must have a bath. Grumbly Jumbly did not like this rule – not one little bit.

Just like that raging toddler, Grumbly Jumbly does not want to take a bath. (It’s funny how I keep saying toddler but I have an 8 year old who all of this still very much applies to at times!)

As Wiggle Waggle, aided by little Aggie and the wee drookit dug, harvest all the necessary ingredients to make a new fairy while the Grumbly Jumbly stamps and grumbles about like a toddler (or a certain 8 year old) because he really doesn’t want that bath.

He goes fishing for compliments – with an actual net – which I thought was very funny, but he catches nothing. Probably because he is being all grumbly and jumbly.

I’m intrigued to know about the other Jumblys (or should that be Jumblies? I guess it depends if it’s a name or a species!). Are there non-grumbly Jumblys? Maybe Don will write another book which will answer that question.

I thought that this was a very good first children’s book from Don. It doesn’t – in my opinion – try to imitate Blyton’s style, instead it has its own nice flow, with several parts which I felt had a particularly pleasant rhythm for reading out loud. The story is simple, but with a whimsical quality that stuck with me after reading it.

I did intend to read it to Brodie but never managed to find the time. He is at the top end of the suggested age range the book is for, and he does still enjoy picture books as well as novels. If I do, later, I can update this to say what he thought.

 

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(Belated) Monday #788

Posted on April 28, 2026 by Fiona

Got distracted last night and completely forgot about writing this.

The Grumbly Jumbly by Don Roth

and

Five Go to Smuggler’s Top as watched by Fiona & Stef
We have just started reading The Borrowers at bedtime this week. I thought Brodie would like it – but then I worried it was a bit too wordy and complicated. He is loving it, though!

If you like Blyton: The Borrowers by Mary Norton

 

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Famous Five 90s Style – Our live reactions to Five Go to Smuggler’s Top part one

Posted on April 26, 2026 by Fiona

We are back with another talk-along as we watched Five Go to Smuggler’s Top. Stay tuned to read how we compare clothing to ice-cream flavours and discuss how much makeup Block is wearing.

[The episode opens with men in historical soldiers’ uniforms trying to stop some men who were unloading barrels from a boat.]

Stef: I like the scene setting.

Stef: A bit of background is good.

Fiona: It’s like a historical reenactment.

Fiona: Quicksand!!!

Stef: Very very quicksand.

Fiona: Life just doesn’t contain as much quicksand as children’s TV would make you believe.

[Kirrin Cottage. It’s very windy. Julian wakes up and looks out of the window before yelling to everyone to get downstairs as a tree is coming down on the cottage.]

Stef: Oh no the storm!

Stef: How can anyone sleep through Timmy barking?!

Fiona: Sorry Marco but you don’t do the book lines justice there.

Stef: No, not enough urgency.

Stef: How does Julian know that tree is falling?

Fiona: HE CAN HEAR ITS TERRIBLE GROANS AND CREAKS.

Stef: They’re in the study!

Fiona: I wasn’t looking, sorry. [Obviously I was too busy quoting the book to be watching the screen]

Stef: Looks like Miss Havisham’s house

Stef: All the lace flying everywhere.

Stef: WHY IS FRANCES ALLOWED TO GO UPSTAIRS FOR BLANKETS WHEN THERE IS A STRUCTURAL DAMAGE ISSUE?

Fiona: Hahaha.

Fiona: She’s expendable.

[Quentin pulls out a letter from Mr Lenoir and decides the children can go and stay with him, though there’s an argument about Timmy not being allowed.]

Fiona: Pete [as opposed to Sooty] ugh.

Stef: Look at UQ coming up with an idea.

Fiona: Foisting the children on someone else is probably always on his mind.

Stef: Ugly Pull Over time

Stef: Why can’t J, D & A’s parents have them?

Fiona: George has her mint choc chip cardi on.

Stef: Matching set.

Fiona: Frances must have gone back up again to get all the clothes.

Stef: How stupid do they have to be to realise that George won’t go without Tim?

Fiona: Isn’t the bathroom upstairs too?

Stef: Probably

Fiona: I know, but it’s the same in the book.

[They head off sans Timmy to Smuggler’s Top.]

Stef: Open boot for the car!

Stef: They really don’t care about Tim

Stef: Good old Alf.

Fiona: They barely went round the corner.

Stef: Cursory Alf sighting.

Fiona: The book makes it seem much more sneaky.

Stef: Yes it does.

Fiona: WTF is that?

Stef: Which bit?

Fiona: “Smuggler’s Top”

Stef: Yeah it’s bad.

Fiona: It ain’t smuggly and it’s not top.

Stef: Nope

Stef: Mr Barling

Fiona: Also unconvincing marshes.

Stef: Looks like a castle. Thanks Dick, took the words right out of my text.

[Arriving at Smuggler’s Top and go through a very visible hole in the wall which is apparently a secret passage, then up to ‘Pete’s’ room via a more secret secret passage.]

Fiona: Looks better on the inside.

Stef: They aren’t subtle about hiding Timmy!

Stef: No Mirabelle.

Fiona: Ohh I remember now how annoying Sooty’s voice is.

Stef: Yes. Is not the best Sooty.

Stef: Anne not quibbling about secret passages for a change.

Fiona: They do love a whacking great open hole instead of a secret passage.

Fiona: That’s better. Actually secret.

Stef: Julian with a torch handy as always.

Stef: HOW DOES HE MISS THE HANDLE! HE’S GOT THE TORCH!

Fiona: Indeed. I wouldn’t be surprised if there was a rope about him somewhere too.

Stef: Wound around his waist!

Fiona: Sooty’s room is very small and cluttered.

Stef: Yes. For a whole wing to himself.

Fiona: But at least it has a window seat.

Stef: Why did she bring Timmy in the first place when she knew Mr Lenoir doesn’t want Timmy there?!

Fiona: Mr Barling looks insane.

[Block comes to tell them they are expected downstairs.]

Fiona: Block is pretty decent.

Stef: This Block is very creepy.

Fiona: Hahah @ Dick.

Stef: “Ever since they dug him up.”

Fiona: He does look like something out of an old horror movie.

Fiona: Maybe more desiccated vampire.

Stef: Yes, loudly shout about your father’s temperament.

Stef: She’s very robust for Mrs Lenoir.

Fiona: I was just thinking that.

Fiona: Not sure George is looking her most boyish despite the clothes.

Stef: Agreed.

Stef: George taking all the sandwiches for Tim.

[At this point Stef sends me a voice memo which is her attempting to imitate Sooty except I can’t work out what on earth it is cause it’s just noise.]

Fiona: Also isn’t it catacombs not catacoombs?

[Pete shows them the catacombs so Timmy can go out for a walk.]

Stef: Rather sensible for Julian asking if Pete knows the way.

Fiona: Real caves/tunnels.

Stef: Julian always grabs Dick’s jumper to help out of the holes and tunnels.

[They bump into Mr Barling in the town.]

Stef: Barling isn’t eccentric enough.

Fiona: I’d say he is quite eccentric.

Stef: They are too loose lipped. Why isn’t Julian correcting them both?

[Meal time because the Five always have to eat.]

Stef: The door hadn’t closed before he said he’d get some for Timmy.

Stef: What happened to raiding the larder?

Fiona: How is he going to sneak a bowl of stew?

Stef: EXACTLY

Stef: They buy Timmy meat in the book don’t they?

Fiona: Yeah I think so.

Fiona: Though I think they also say it would be suss to go buying meat.

[Julian and Dick wake Pete to show him a light flashing from the tower, and they go to check it’s not Block.]

Stef: Worried stare out the window from Julian again. Becomes a bit of a trade mark.

Fiona: He’s EMOTING.

Fiona: Or constipated.

Stef: That’s not a sleeping person.

Fiona: Why would there be a guest in Block’s room?

Stef: I don’t understand how they have seen that light because the layout of this house isn’t clear!

Stef: FFS, the moment I saw that silhouette I could see that was Block.

Fiona: In the book there’s only one place the tower can be seen from because of the angle it’s built at. Riddle that also.

Stef: Exactly.

Stef: Julian didn’t get caught in the curtain either.

Stef: And suddenly the door squeaks.

Fiona: Yet Dick is getting to be heroic.

Stef: Foreshadowing for Julian being in plaster.

Stef: Pete only mentions the repeated flashing NOW.

Fiona: you followed Block to his room fgs.

[Breakfast. George is annoyed at missing all the fun and Timmy starts barking in the distance.]

Fiona: And you’re GIRLS.

Stef: Tiiiimmmmyyyyyyyy.

[Mr Lenoir: Do you think I am a fool?]

Stef: Yes you are a fool.

[Block hides badly behind a curtain and the Five go on the attack.]

Stef: So very very hidden.

Fiona: Do we think the actor is naturally that pale?

Fiona: Or is that a ton of makeup?

Fiona: It doesn’t look cakey.

Stef: Very loud whispering… Spose they think he’s deaf.

Stef: I think it’s makeup.

Fiona: Probably.

Fiona: Otherwise he probably wasn’t at all well.

Stef: Anne being told to stay back.

Fiona: Anne, you get to have good ideas but you don’t get to carry them out.

Stef: Chaos reigns.

Fiona: Control your dog, George!

Stef: Exactly.

Stef: That’s not a dog bite!

Fiona: I’m glad they included all that stuff. [Meaning Block getting attacked and Sooty/Pete pretending he may have bitten him.]

Fiona: They probably wouldn’t if it had been a one-parter.

[Uncle Quentin rings Lenoir to say he’s coming tomorrow, and he’s to stay in Pete’s room.]

Stef: That’s right, leave Fanny alone to deal with the house.

Fiona: The noise will be driving him mad.

Fiona: A house that massive and they’re running out of bedrooms.

Stef: Don’t they have enough rooms to give Quentin a different room?!

Stef: I know it’s plot but…

Fiona: It’s the opposite of those houses in soaps where all the waifs and strays move in.

[End credits]

Fiona: How is it George who ends up carrying Anne?

 

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Letters to Enid part 82: From volume 4, issue 19.

Posted on April 22, 2026 by Fiona

Previous letters pages can be found here.

Letters page from Volume 4, issue 19.
October 10th – 23rd, 1956.

OUR

LETTER PAGE

A letter from Margaret Robin and her friends Christine, Jacqueline, Ann, Roger and David, Battle, Sussex.
Dear Enid Blyton,
Some of my friends and I decided to hold a fete to collect some money for the Spastics. So we found a lot of our old toys and books and put them together. With these we had a lucky dip and a jumble sale. Others we gave for prizes at a hoopla stall. We had some sticks in a box of sand and the people took these out, and won whatever it said on the bottom of the sticks. There was also a refreshment stall. Everything cost one penny, apart from some of the jumble sale articles. We had a raffle as well for a cake, and the second prize was meringues. The tickets were twopence each. We dressed up as gipsies, and altogether we collected £3 10s. od. for the Spastics.
Yours sincerely,
Margaret Robin and her Friends.

(I have chosen your letter, Margaret, for my letter-prize this week, because you described your fete so well, and I am sure it will help other children to try to run one too. You are a kind little band of children. Well done!)

Dear Enid Blyton,
Maureen and I were in a field when we saw a hurt jackdaw. We took it home and put it in a big box. After tea we took it to the vet, and he told us how to look after it. After a few days it got stronger. We fed Jack on bread and milk, cooked eggs and meat. We took him into the garden for a few days, and he began to fly.
Best wishes from
Christine Cox and Maureen Barton
(Busy Bees)

(What an interesting letter, children! I’m proud of two such kind Busy Bees!)

Dear Enid Blyton,
I thought you might like to hear about my doll’s house. My great-grandfather made it. It has four rooms downstairs and three attic rooms. There are three bedrooms, one bathroom (with cold running water), one dining-room, one nursery and a kitchen which has a fitted dresser going from ceiling to floor. It has a stable at the side. I have it on a table on a green cloth, which looks like a garden.
Love from
Glennys Flodman.

(What a lovely doll’s house, Glennys. You must be very proud of it!)

Two letters on popular themes this week – one a fundraiser, and the other an animal rescue.

We’ve seen a lot of bird-watch letters in the past but recently quite a few on rescuing wild birds. There are almost always fundraising letters too, as Blyton probably hoped they would inspire other children to copy the ideas in them!

Glennys’ letter is slight more unusual. Her doll’s house sounds great – especially the running water! (I’m fairly sure if I’d had that in my doll’s house I’d have gotten it all damp and ruined it.)

As a side note, for some reason the ‘letter from’ details are missing from the last two letters. Perhaps just to fit everything in, but it’s unusual!

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Monday #787

Posted on April 21, 2026 by Fiona

Schools are back this week so it’s back to ordinary life. At least it was sunny today instead of rainy like the forecast promised!

Letters to Enid part 82

and

Five Go to Smuggler’s Top, 90s style

Bizarely Stef never reviewed Five Go to Smuggler’s Top from the 90s series back when she did the other episodes. You’ll have to make do with her reviews of the 70s series instead!

Famous Five 70’s Style Five Go to Smugger’s Top, part 1

Famous Five 70s Style: Five Go to Smuggler’s Top, part 2

Famous five 70s uncle quentin smuggler's top

 

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Five Go Off in a Caravan: The graphic novel

Posted on April 18, 2026 by Fiona

I’ve found these graphic novels to be a mixed bag. One decent-ish one, and three which were disappointing in various ways.

A misleading beginning

The first page shows us the Five lounging about on a sunny afternoon in the garden at Julian et al’s house. The garden slopes down to the road. So far so good. Dick is lying out on a tree branch, which is an amusing twist. I had reasonable hopes…

A waste of paper

Two pages are spent on jokes about Dick’s perch and him jumping/falling out of the tree.

Four pages are dedicated to the circus, though there are only about two panels which actually further the story, with Nobby suggesting they follow the circus. The rest are spent showing Nobby flipping around doing circus tricks.

Five pages pass while they persuade their mother to let them go, mixed with Dick doing acrobatics in a tree.

We are a quarter of the way into the book at this point and we see the caravans for the first time. Three pages later they set off.

While in the original novel we of course enjoy their meandering route, a further 16 pages of this graphic novel are used before they reach the circus. Several of those pages are used to show them nearly crashing into a cyclist (which seems to be a popular plot point in these adaptations).

Even Dick questions why they’re then hanging from a tree while claiming to be helping the cyclist.

So we’re over half-way through, and leaving less than 30 pages for the main adventure…

The long-awaited adventure?

Sadly, no. Instead we get nine pages of trampolining, elephant tennis, a chimp which looks like a small monkey… Again, lots of fun in the book where we had enough pages to dedicate to fun and jokes. It feels utterly wasted when we only have 64 pages.

Then it’s noted that Lou is missing and this is bad. Dan (not Tiger), uses eight pages to tell us that Lou’s in debt and was supposed to be paying it off with a cheque, having been recognised in a will after rescuing a woman from a fire.

We see his memory of Lou arriving back in the middle of the night, and he is very clearly the cyclist the Five ran into earlier.

Three pages are wasted as they realise that Lou is in his caravan, and then he smashes out of the door instead of just opening it like a normal person.

He rages a bit. Timmy runs off. Timmy returns later with Lou’s wallet and the cheque. End of story.

It’s not just Lou who’s raging

While the other graphic novels in the series annoyed me with pointless changes, this one makes them look like fine literature.

This is an atrocious adaptation which removes 99% of the original story and replaces it with tripe. Obviously fitting a 180 page novel into 64 pages with 4-6 panels on each requires a lot of abridgement, but the entire story has been abridged out of existence here, and replaced with a plot barely worthy of a short story. The storyline is so thin it can’t even support a graphic novel without dozens of pages of padding where nothing happens except people turning upside down then the right way up again. Oh and a three page argument about macaroni, don’t forget that.

 

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Review – The Magic Faraway Tree film

Posted on April 17, 2026 by Fiona

On a somewhat rainy Saturday afternoon, Brodie and I finally went to see the film I’ve been talking about on here for ages.

First, we argued about where to sit. I wanted one of the pairs of seats that run down the side, then nobody could sit beside us, or ask us to stand up so they could get in or out. Brodie insisted we sit right at the back, at the top of the stairs, so that nobody could sit in front of him. Annoyingly, he won, and I booked the awful top of the stairs seats. The seats I wanted to pick stayed empty, as were the ones in front…

But anyway. We went, and he was very excited as this was the first time the two of us had gone alone together. We’d already picked up some bottles of juice and some popcorn, so I said he could have some pick and mix. I put some in a bag for myself and clearly failed to supervise him well enough because the total was £11.10 – at least 2/3s of which was down to him.

So what did I think?

I’ll start with the easy bit first – I actually liked the film. Which is weird, as I hate the recent Famous Five adaptation with a passion, and it’s probably got at least some similarities to that. Perhaps if I’d been an avid reader of the Faraway Tree books I’d feel differently.

It is not a straight adaptation of the book(s). While what we all dream of is a 100% accurate recreation of the book, it’s just never going to happen. Even the best film adaptations of books (LOTR, The Wizard of Oz, etc) make big changes, and often for the better. Sometimes something professing to be a faithful adaptation is even more disappointing than something which knows it’s only loosely based on the source material.

What’s it about?

Some parts may be vague, because I failed to write anything down after I saw it and it’s already getting hazy.

Mum (Claire Foy) has lost her job because she has discovered that the intelligent fridge she designed has a camera in it that’s tracking everyone’s eating habits. (How she could not know this as she’s the designer I do not know.)

Dad (Andrew Garfield) says great, let’s go live in the country. He is determined he’s going to make a living from making an Italian pasta sauce out of home grown tomatoes, despite them not being in Italy. Or being Italian? Though he perhaps thinks he is? I didn’t really get that bit.

This pasta-sauce plan forms the background of the story. When they visit The Land of Birthdays they all made bad wishes (which most of them undo after doing battle with Mr Oom-Boom-Boom. Beth wishes the tomato farm will fail so they can go home.

Only when it does fail, she regrets it massively as she’s started to enjoy their new life. And so that’s the reason they go off on another adventure – via the five-headed wise man, a yellow plane, Dame Snap’s school, and finally a magical market to get a spell to revive the tomato crop.

What worked well?

The acting was great – even the kids. Beth in particular perfected the teenage distaste for everything without becoming unlikable. (In fact I related a lot to Beth. I’d have been furious to go on a holiday and discover no electricity and no wifi let alone to a permanent residence.)

The scene where Granny arrives because Beth has written to her was so well done. You could see that Beth regretted it and was coming around to living there, and her parents were disappointed, but nobody attacked her. Instead they formed a united front against Granny.

Nicola Coughlan was great as silky – whimsical and mischievous with a lot of heart. Saucepan Man added little moments of comedy throughout as he misheard people.

I was surprised at the way Moonface was played at first – mistrustful of humans and unwelcoming to the children – but it was part of a deeper story that made sense as the movie went on and was actually quite touching.

I loved Dame Snap’s reference to previously being called Dame Slap, but having to change it because of a school inspector. That’s obviously a nod to all the old-school fans who lamented the change.

What didn’t work so well?

I thought the opening few minutes were a bit weak as they tried to make a believable reason why a family would suddenly move to a ramshackle barn. It may have been better to skip that part and say nothing more than Mum lost her job. I know they were trying to establish Mum’s abilities as a designer/inventor, Dad’s dreams from the dream book and so on, but it seemed a bit disjointed and not very believable.

I could have lived without the cheesy family song and the music/dancing when the lands arrive, but those are more personal preferences than criticism.

Other than that I wouldn’t say there was anything bad about the film.

Was it Blyton?

I think it was very Blyton. It was a new story, set at a different time but it still retained some of what I’d expect in a Blyton book.

The lands were strange and whimsical, the characters were funny – or nasty like Mr Oom-Boom-Boom who was her usual kind of pantomime fantasy villain.

There were lots of lovely moments that I thought embodied Blyton’s way of weaving morals into the stories. She always focussed on honesty, kindness, fairness, friendship and so on.

The first of these ‘moment’s is when Franny – having been warned not to be greedy – tries to stay in the Land of Goodies too long so she can get a marshmallow when she’s already got a full basket of treats. This means the others have to come to her rescue and they escape without any goodies at all.

Later, Beth is relieved when Dad says they have power and wifi and immediately gets on her tablet to chat to her friends. The conversation is not the delight she had imagined as her friends laugh at the flower in her hair, which she got while up the Faraway Tree. She’s then upset when the power goes out, but she finds her father cycling on a stationary bike to produce the electricity. She doesn’t say anything but she slips away, looking ashamed of herself. At the end when her friends come to the grand pasta sauce opening gala, they embrace her new life.

I’ve not explained it all very well, but there was a lot of subtle stuff in there about people not always being who you thought they were and Beth clearly does a lot of reflection even if it isn’t verbalised.

Also good was Silky wishing herself to be ‘the fairiest fairy’ with sparkles and wings because Beth had criticised her for not looking like a fairy. She undoes her wish and later Beth is very glad as she comes to realise that Silky’s perfect the way she is.

Of course there is a happy ending – the children risked themselves and their friends in various dangerous ways, and everything turns out well. I got a bit teary at the end, in fact.

What did Brodie think?

He gave it two thumbs up but said it wasn’t as good as Project Hail Mary. His favourite part was when they were trapped in Dame Snap’s school and they all had to annoy her enough to send them to detention. If I say that the warning at the beginning mentioned ‘rude humour’ you can probably guess why he liked that so much.

The rest of the audience seemed to appreciate it too, the children were all entranced enough to be sitting quietly at any rate.

Over all it seems to have done quite well, making £2.8m on its opening weekend, and doing well enough that is has secured a US release on August 21st. It’ll be interesting to see how well it does (or doesn’t do) in the US where Blyton never became the same household name as she did in other parts of the world.

On a final note – the slippery-slip looks TERRIFYING and I cant believe anyone went down it.

Has anyone else seen it? If so, what did you think?

 

 

 

 

 

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Monday #786

Posted on April 13, 2026 by Fiona

It’s currently the school holidays and as I took last week off work I thought I’d take a week off blogging too. We were lucky to have some decent weather so we were out and about most days. The weekend was not so great so that’s when Brodie and I finally went to see The Magic Faraway Tree film! Thoughts to follow, of course

Review – The Magic Faraway Tree film

and

Five Go off in a Caravan – the graphic novel

For anyone who loved the movie – or would like to know the story without going to see it – there’s a novelisation of it out now. It’s £5.99 at Waterstones, so a bit cheaper than a cinema ticket (and you can imagine the characters looking however you like).

 

 

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Famous Five 90s Style – Our live reactions to Five Run Away Together

Posted on April 5, 2026 by Fiona

Another frightening glimpse into our brains this week with the transcript of our conversation as we watched Five Run Away Together.

Stef: Now do we want to mention the fact that the age of the characters jump significantly in this one?

Fiona: Well you just did.

Fiona: No takebacksies.

[The opening scene shows a little girl greeting a man in a military uniform]

Fiona: Kids watching be like ‘that’s not one of the five’

Stef: At least the episode provides context to the issue.

Fiona: True

[Kirrin Cottage in a scene of chaos as Quentin shuffles paper on the floor while on the phone to Fanny about needing a housekeeper, and the boys are back and forth with laundry.]

Stef: George dusting?

Fiona: It does seem unlikely.

Stef: WHY IS HE WORKING IN THE HALL?!

Fiona: Replacing Joan who we’ve barely met.

Fiona: Just seen her back.

Fiona: Cause its CHAOS.

Stef: That’s a whirlwind and a half.

[Quentin asks Fanny if she knows how hard it is to take care of four children]

Fiona: Well actually I do.

Fiona: Damn right.

Stef [quoting Anne]: Linear functions!

Stef: Where’s all that laundry come from?!

Fiona: Julian doing the laundry….

Fiona: Bound to go well.

Stef: Anne being sarcastic is a mood.

Stef: Probably starched it.

[Mrs Stick arrives in regard to the help wanted ad in the paper, Edgar in tow.]

Fiona: She looks more trashy rather than rough.

Fiona: Is that Anita Dobson?

Stef: Yes. It is.

Fiona: Did he [Quentin] just call him Eggbert?

Stef: Yes.

[I missed it at the time but he also calls Mrs Stick Mrs Wood approximately thirty seconds after she introduces herself. And several more times during the episode.]

Stef: Julian looking dishevelled.

Fiona: He’s been working hard lol.

Stef: And the front door is left open.

[The children take Mrs Wood, er, Stick to the kitchen and Anne tells her breakfast is at 8.30 to which Mrs Stick says that’s early. She also says she won’t do ‘an ‘ot lunch and ‘ot dinner’ never mind tea for them every day.

Stef: 8:30?! Early?!

Fiona: What are you going to do as a COOK then? If you’re not serving hot food.

[A brief scene where the girl from the opener is kidnapped very noisily Her kidnapper trips and lands on the bed and then gets battered by her teddy.]

Stef: Pa Stick is hopeless.

[George complains to Mrs Stick that mother always puts the milk in first.]

Stef: Jeez you can put your own milk in!

Fiona: Ew milk in first.

Stef: The toast is burnt!

Fiona: And I say that as a non tea drinker.

Stef: Yeah you got that right

Fiona: She’s not a cook she’s a kidnapper.

Stef: Milk first is a crime.

[They go for a walk and decide to keep out of Mrs Stick-in-the-mud’s way, by having picnics, then go to see Quentin about that. Mrs Stick is not impressed.]

Stef: Anne being practical.

Stef: Anne could make sandwiches. It’s not outside reason. She’s done it dozens of times before.

Fiona: It’s hardly a picnic without sandwiches.

Stef: Gosh. She’s laying it on.

Fiona: What do you mean you can’t manage sandwiches??

Fiona: They’ve all got to eat.

Stef: UNCLE QUENTIN SANDWICHES

Stef: She’s not a cook.

Stef: Wrapping sandwiches in his secret papers… And they suddenly look very neat.

Fiona He’s had the tunnel filled in? I mean what about Kirrin Island Again??

Stef: Out of sync remember?

Fiona: Oh.

Fiona: So are we watching in the wrong order series-wise?

Stef: Yes.

Fiona: Well that’s just confusing.

Stef: But the right order book-wise.

Stef: You didn’t correct me!!

Fiona: I DIDN’T KNOW!

Fiona: I’m not the 90s obsessive.

Fiona: Erm expert.

Fiona: Ew blood sarnies.

Fiona: That’s a very small packet of them. For the Five.

Stef: Indeed.

[The Five head to the beach and open the packet of sandwiches, but are ‘saved’ by George noticing smoke coming from her island. Except Dick…]

Stef: BEST BIT OF THE SERIES!

Fiona: Hahah my god what is that.

Stef [perfectly quoting Anne before she says anything]: Tomato juice. He’s mixed tomatoes with marmalade. And that’s lemon curd in with cheese.

Fiona: Dick wouldn’t have a problem.

Stef: He won’t have an issue.

Stef: That’s a very straight plume of smoke.

Fiona: That’s not a fire or a steamer.

Fiona: Dick!!!

Stef: Pilchards and apricot jam. 🤮 [She left off the mention of pickle]

Fiona: Gross.

[Pa Stick on Kirrin Island.]

Fiona: Wtf is this never seen before mill stone?

Stef: Pa Stick is obvs the comic relief in this one.

[Back at Kirrin Cottage George discovers her father has gone off to see Prof Hayling.]

Stef: Edgar is a brat.

Stef: Hope Dick tripped him.

Fiona: He is but he looks rather sweeter than book Edgar.

Stef: If you say so.

Stef: That’s a good eye roll.

Fiona: Well he’s not spotty and long-nosed.

Stef [quoting Edgar]: Big headed toffs.

Fiona: The fact that Fanny’s not seriously ill and her father’s not gone for ages kinda takes some of the seriousness from this ep.

Stef: Just a touch.

[Mrs Stick brings them bread and jam for supper. They are not impressed.]

Stef: Jeez all they do is eat.

Fiona: Why are they all wearing shirts and blouses like they’re at school?

Stef: Cause middle class?

Fiona: True but normally they break it up with some colour.

[Julian goes downstairs and finds Mr Stick in the kitchen and gets chased off.]

Stef: Ooo old man slippers.

Fiona: Well it IS Julian.

Stef: Trust Dick to think about his stomach.

Fiona: Julian, beaten??

Stef: Yeah, not sure what happened there.

Fiona: Where’s the jam tart to the face?

[The next day they go to see George’s boat which is still being painted.]

Stef First it’s “our” island then it’s “my” island.

Fiona: I was surprised earlier when she said OUR island. Usually when she’s mad it’s HERs.

Stef: Good point.

[They row to Kirrin Island and struggle with the mill stone.]

Stef: Not securing the boat…

Fiona: ikr? [I know, right?]

Fiona: Poor effort.

Stef: Pa Stick can move that, but the four of them can’t? It’s also a plastic rock.

Fiona: Forgotten cave… right.

Stef: Dick’s eyes going up and down when George turns away? Hormones?!

Stef: Looked like he was checking George out.

Stef: Oh look, there’s a hole!

Fiona: Who’s gonna fall down it?

Stef: It’s a bloody massive hole. How did they miss that?!

Stef: Only Julian looks mucky.

Fiona: Where did they get all their picnic stuff?

Stef: Must have been in the boat.

Fiona: But before that. Mrs Stick obvs didn’t make it all up.

Stef: No idea.

Stef: THAT’S NOT HIDING.

Fiona: Nope not even remotely.

Stef: THAT’S REALLY OBVIOUS THAT THEY’RE THERE IF THE STICKS HAD TURNED AROUND.

Fiona: Timmy FGS shut up.

Stef: Anita Dobson pitter pattering in heels.

Stef: Julian is still the only grubby one.

Fiona: Bye bye, Edgar.

Stef: How did she not see Edgar fall down the hole?!

Fiona: He practically flies down it.

Stef: They didn’t chose to kidnap Edgar. They got lumbered with him.

Stef: Why didn’t they go down the well shaft?

[They discover Jennifer in the “dungeons” and have a nice chat.]

Stef: They are very good at looking gormless.

Fiona: Very comforting, George.

Fiona: Just stand and chat, why don’t you?

Stef [Quoting Jennifer]: Of course I’m a general’s daughter.

Fiona: Never mind escaping.

Fiona: Edgar’s nice lady legs.

Fiona: Why did I expect him to say “Hello mum!” cheerily?

Stef: Cause that would have worked.

[They take Jennifer to the police and bump into Uncle Q, then return to Kirrin Cottage. Fanny and Joan(na) say they’d better not go away at the same time again.]

Stef: That’s a good mugshot for someone whose missing.

Stef: Aunt Fanny is back.

Stef: And Joan/na.

Joanna and Fanny look at each other. Caption reads "Oh Joanna. I'm so glad you're back. That ghastly Stick woman put the milk in last, can you believe it?" Joanna's reply is "You just can't get the staff these days, ma'am."

Fiona: I mean they get up to all sorts when you’re both there.

Fiona: But at least the sandwiches are better.

Stef: Exactly they are the most important thing.

[End of episode, but not quite the end of the chat.]

Fiona: This time the algorithm went for Down to the Sea pt 1.

Fiona: So it’s getting better.

Stef: I got that one too!

Fiona: Oh mind you this time I picked the episode from the playlist so duh it will move on to the next one.

Fiona: Brodie will be really confused if this stuff comes up in his recommendations.

Stef: Better than Minecraft!

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March 2026 round up

Posted on April 1, 2026 by Fiona

That’s us in April already. No April fools today – this is a genuine round up of what I got up to in March. It’s far too dull to be made up!

What I read

Not quite so much as I barely read anything while I had the cold.

Quick stats:
14 books read
46 out of 150 so far
10 ahead of schedule
1 (!) BABAL* (One about journalism, and one which happens to have a library in it but is about a university overall.)
2 Val McDermids
1 new author
3 library books

March’s five star reads:

None!

March’s four star reads:

Crack Down (Kate Brannigan #3) – Val McDermid
Kate’s roped her partner Richard in to help her investigate some dodgy dealings at local car sale lots. Then a load of cocaine is found in the car they just bought, and Richard gets arrested for it. Lots of seemingly unconnected things happen but in the end they are all brought together really cleverly.

Union Jack (Lindsay Gordon #4) – Val McDermid
(Also known as Conferences Can be Murder) Lindsay is back in the UK and it isn’t long before there’s a murder. Somehow it all ties in with the death of a friend of hers at another journalists’ union conference a decade ago. A union conference may be boring but the mystery is anything but.

Tough Guy (Game Changers #3) – Rachel Reid
I’m expanding my almost non-existent ice hockey knowledge with each of these books. This time I learned about ‘enforcers’ who are basically there just to be intimidating and keep their better players safe. Ryan Price is an enforcer, but he also has massive anxiety issues. He bumps into Fabian, whose family he stayed with when they were teens, and the same chemistry flares up between them. I really felt for Ryan – who has this big physical presence and reputation as a hard guy, but is really struggling inside.

Role Model (Game Changers #5) – Rachel Reid
Although each of these books is a stand-alone story they’re all set in the same world so we already know Troy Barrett as a pretty awful guy, and best friend of even worse guy Dallas Kent. Except things aren’t always what they seem. Troy has been traded to another team after calling Dallas a rapist on the ice. He’s now hated by a lot of players and fans for not supporting his team mate. The pairing here is Tory and Harris who is the team’s social media manager. I think the trope would be grumpy/sunshine, which I enjoy. Plus there’s a lot of Ilya from book 2 as he’s on Troy’s new team.

The Long Game (Game Changers #6) – Rachel Reid
I feel like I should upgrade Heated Rivalry to 5 stars, because I didn’t enjoy this one as much – even though it’s my favourite pairing of Shane and Ilya. Yet it was better than a three star book. Shane and Ilya are still secretly dating even though there are a few out players now. I wanted this to be a 5 star book, but it lacks the passion of their first story and reading what keeping it all secret does to Ilya was hard going. I also felt annoyed at Shane for his lack of awareness and empathy. It did have a happy ending at least.

One Fine Fae (Mystic Bayou #6) – Molly Harper
This one’s a novella though oddly isn’t considered book 5.5. Midwife Charlotte comes to Mystic Bayou to deliver Jillian’s dragon/phoenix shifter baby (in egg form, no less), and is only slightly distracted by cursed League assistant Leonard. Luckily she’s fae and it’s a fae curse, so she can do something about it for him. I liked this pairing, though the novella format meant we didn’t get to explore it in the same depth as others in the series.

Confessions of a Shopaholic (Shopaholic #1) – Sophie Kinsella
(Also known as The Secret Dreamworld of a Shopaholic) I’ve read this a few times and thought why not revisit as it was included in my Audible plus catalogue. Its still amusing though honestly I do find Becky wildly annoying as she keeps spending ridiculous amounts of money on absolute rubbish all while wailing how she’s horrendously in debt. I now appreciate the subtle (and sometimes not so subtle) digs at banks/money lenders etc for their part in Becky’s problems more so than I did when I first read it.

A Deadly Deceit (Bookshop Mysteries #4) – SA Reeves
For Gemma and Mavis this starts out as a simple amateur detective job. Find evidence to prove whether Penelope’s husband – a prominent local publisher – is having an affair or not. But then the husband turns up dead and there’s more than one mistress to suspect. A good mystery with lots of twists and turns but the ‘cosy’ elements are a bit saccharine and annoying at times. The ending also relies on the ‘keep them talking until help arrives’ trope which feels repetitive now.

March’s three star reads:

Murder at St Margaret (Oxford Key Mysteries #1) – Lynn Morrison
Natalie Payne takes a job at the University of Oxford as Head of Ceremonies. This is all within her area of expertise. But her plans for an autumn gala are thrown into disarray as a college chef is murdered. If that wasn’t bad enough, when Natalie unlocks her office desk she discovers that Oxford is full of magic. The cat she has inherited from the previous Head of Ceremonies is actually a talking wyvern. The portraits come to life. Ghosts of previous staff roam the halls. Definitely a fun book with an interesting mystery – but even for a cosy book it feels a bit shallow.

Burglary at Barnard (Oxford Keys Mysteries #2) – Lynn Morrison
Natalie has another event to plan and there’s another dead body in the way, and a secret chamber full of artifacts. The Oxford magic lore is expanded further and Natalie’s will-they-won’t-they relationship with one of the professors gets a bit warmer.

Even Tree Nymphs Get the Blues (Mystic Bayou #3) – Molly Harper
Another novella which means it lacks depth. I liked Ingrid – 500 year old nymph, recently turned ice-cream seller and known for being the milkmaid in a bunch of dairy adverts. Rob, data scientist… well, I barely remember anything about him, apart from Ingrid’s suspicion of him as she doesn’t like scientists. Not a convincing pairing for me.

Shifters in the Night (Mystic Bayou #7) – Molly Harper
I liked half this story a lot. Lia works for a construction company which is in Mystic Bayou to build houses for all the magique flocking to the town. Lia is doing her best but is being sabotaged by, weirdly, her own boss. She falls for Jon Carmody – who I don’t mind, but has he’s Will’s brother, this means he’s also a selkie so there’s nothing new there. I also think I sort of wrote Jon off as the older, less attractive, not very interesting brother when he was a side-character in Will’s book. So I found it difficult to mentally shift him (pun intended) into the hunky main character role.

Common Goal (Game Changers #4) – Rachel Reid
This one I rated lower as the main trope is age-gap romance and I’m not the biggest fan of that. Eric – nice as he is – is 40ish (so my age) and is approaching the end of his hockey career. Kyle is 25, and he is a graduate student, but all the student references make him seem younger. There’s also a heavy reliance on the failed communication trope. Eric thinks Kyle is too young and just looking for fun. Kyle thinks Eric is just looking for an intro to the gay scene. A lot of time is wasted by them not talking about things, but if they’d talked the book would probably be only half as long.

Road Trip With a Vampire (My Vampires #3) – Jenna Levine
I wanted to love this as I really liked the first two books. It fell a bit flat, though, as I’m not sure I was convinced by the pairing. Zelda’s a witch who’s sworn off vampires and magic as she tends to get carried away and sometimes people get hurt. Then Peter – amnesiac vampire – shows up. Sounds exactly the sort of thing I would love. For some reason Zelda decides to take a road trip with him, looking for anything that might unlock his memories and they fall for each other though not through any convincing means that I could see.

March’s two star reads

None as even though I have complained a lot about my three star reads they all had some parts that were enjoyable.

Not yet rated as I didn’t finish them in March:

  • Alchemised – SenLinYu
  • The Rockingdown Mystery
  • Arson at the Ashmolean – (Oxford Keys Mysteries #2) – Lynn Morrison
  • Dear Miss Lake (Emmy Lake #4) – AJ Pearce

What I watched

I’ve barely had the TV on recently.

  • We’ve watched a few episodes of The Simpsons as a family (but not enough for Brodie to understand why I said Hi, Dr Nick after he burst into the room shouting Hi everybody. He’ll get there.)
  • I watched a few episodes of All Creatures Great and Small but haven’t finished the series yet.

What I did

  • We did our first geocaching walk of the year and found four caches. One of them had a wee ‘haggis’ inside so Brodie swapped it for a little plastic dinosaur.
  • As Brodie has been playing Two Point Hospital on the Playstation I bought Theme Hospital for my laptop. I’ve played it loads of times but not for ages. I also bought the original Sims with all the expansion packs, so I’ll be very busy building once I’ve finished managing hospitals.
  • I took Brodie on my recent favourite short walk and we both brought our books.
  • After ten years of working in a library I finally thought to use a book stand to prop up my Kindle at lunch time. In my defence the first year I don’t think I had any lunch breaks as I worked shorter shifts, then I had nearly a year of maternity leave. So really, it only took me eight years.
  • We celebrated mother’s day and my dad’s birthday with a pizza lunch at my parents’ house. Brodie got me this cute little trunk that opens up to reveal a miniature world inside.
  • I built the other spray of my Lego flowers and also the typewriter, which is super cute and even has moving parts.

How was your March?

*Books About Bookshops and Libraries

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Monday #784

Posted on March 31, 2026 by Fiona

Last week got derailed as I came down with the cold. I can now breathe through my nose again (mostly). I haven’t gone to see the Magic Faraway Tree film yet, mostly because of my cold, but also because Brodie had already agreed to go and see Project Hail Mary with his dad.

March round up

and

Five Run Away Together 90s style as watched by Fiona and Stef

Here’s what Stef thought of Five Run Away Together from the 90s series when she reviewed it a while ago.

Famous Five 90s Style: Five Run Away Together

 

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River Island x Enid Blyton

Posted on March 25, 2026 by Fiona

While both island and river are words you might associate with Enid Blyton I never thought I’d be writing about a collaboration between the high street store River Island and Enid Blyton.

Stef sent me a link a week ago and I honestly thought it was fake, and was double-checking that it wasn’t April first. It’s real though! My first response to Stef was that I need them all, but there are definitely some I’d like more than others. Truthfully, I never use any of these styles of bag anymore – I use a backpack if I’ve got a lot of stuff or anything heavy and a small cross body bag if I’ve just got a few things. I’m also very rarely in a situation where a clutch would be needed. But they’re so lovely I want them anyway.

All but one are currently sold out, but fingers crossed they restock as they have obviously been really popular. It’s pretty amazing to see Blyton going viral and selling out in a high street store.

Here they are in order of my least to most wanted.

6

In last place is the Five Have a Mystery to Solve tote. It’s one of my less favourite books to start with. I often appreciate what you might call tactful or classy options when it comes to fandom items and I can see how this might appeal to people as it’s a bit more grown-up. I don’t think it has the same visual appeal as some of the others, and I know it’d be filthy within about five minutes of me using it.

Five Have a Mystery to Solve tote £44

5

Up next is the other classy option (what does that say about me?) the Magic Faraway Tree shopper. Although the navy wouldn’t show dirty marks, I didn’t read the Faraway Tree books until I was an adult, so this doesn’t give me the same nostalgic kick the others do. The whimsical stitching is very fitting for the book, and I prefer that to the cutesy bows.

Magic Faraway Tree  shopper £46

4

It gets harder from here to put them in order but next is the Five Go Off to Camp shopper. it wins points for the Eileen Soper cover image – and I even like the moorland flowers bursting out around the edges, but it loses points for the impractical colour. (Obviously if you don’t put your bag on the ground at the park all the time and/or always seems to spill things/pick up mysterious smudges from nowhere, you’d be all right.)

Five Go Off to Camp shopper £46

3

Also in the not so practical colour of white is the Five Go Off in a Caravan clutch. However I think clutches are generally there to look nice and not be all that practical as they a) barely hold anything and b) are often heavily embellished. This is the only one with text on it and I really like how bookish that makes it feel.

Five Go Off in a Caravan clutch £39

2

Blue is more practical but wouldn’t be my top choice for a bag – but this is so quintessentially Blyton. The blue is actually the perfect colour for the Five On a Treasure Island tote as it’s the colour of the sky on the book cover.

I happen to have bought this for Stef’s birthday (she knows so it’s OK for me to post this!) and she was generous enough to say I could unwrap it and take some pictures before I post it to her. I’ll do a proper review of it shortly.

Five On a Treasure Island tote £44

1

And of course in the top spot is the Five Go to Smuggler’s Top clutch. My most favourite of all Blyton’s books and they’ve even used the second edition dust jacket image which is the one I had as a child. Poor Anne is hidden amongst the flowers but I think they are a nice touch that elevate it beyond simply printing the cover on a rectangular bag.

Stef has ordered this for my birthday already, even though it isn’t for another nine months. Just as well seeing how fast they sold out! I’d have been gutted if I missed out.

Five Go to Smuggler’s Top clutch £39

I think there have been mixed reactions to the bags – at least in the groups I’m in. Some folk loved them, others didn’t like the addition of the flowers etc. Other thought they were far too expensive.

Having seen one up close I’d say they were good quality and the images/text are all embroidered on not just printed so the price is justified.

I would say that there’s not a lot of variety, and I’m surprised that the Magic Faraway Tree doesn’t feature more prominently given that the film comes out in a few days. I suppose they thought the Famous Five was guaranteed to sell, though. I’m already dreaming of a second collection with some Tresilian Adventure Series bags…

What do you think? Did you manage to snag one or are you hoping the come back in stock?

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Monday #783

Posted on March 24, 2026 by Fiona

Both kinds of spring have arrived and we even had a pleasant few days. I’ve managed to wear trainers a couple of times and even go out without a coat. But now it’s colder again and I’m glad I didn’t put away my winter clothes just yet.

River Island x Enid Blyton

and

90s Famous Five as watched by Stef & Fiona

Is Snubby my lost-long brother? – Brodie

As you can probably guess we are reading the Barney mysteries right now, having started with The Rockingdown Mystery. We are finding a lot of similarities between Snubby and Brodie (always messy, always talking for starters) and now he’s convinced they’re related. I’m just waiting for us to reach Rat-a-Tat and Snubby with the bear rug because Brodie just got a brown faux fur rug for his bedroom because he’s been begging for one for ages. (It was a fiver in Aldi, for context.) I can just see him draping it (small though it is) over himself and pretending to be a bear.

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A closer look at the second Magic Faraway Tree film trailer

Posted on March 21, 2026 by Fiona

In December we got the first trailer for the new film which you can watch below:

And I wrote rather a lot explaining it, though it was under 3 minutes. Then a couple of weeks ago another one came out.

Hopefully I won’t write as much this time.

New plots revealed

The first trailer showed us the family moving to their new house and touched on the reasons for their move. It also gave us some brief hints at what is to come after the children discover the Magic Faraway Tree and the lands which arrive at the top.

This trailer naturally has to cover some of the same ground and therefore contains a few of the same clips, but the rest is new.

It elaborates on the idea that the parents are trying to get their children away from screens and technology. The dad says their childhood is slipping away.

So he appeals to the mum (who appears to have some sort of corporate job) that they “need this” and he shows her a folder with “dream binder” on the first page.

It makes me wonder if the “we’re poor now” from the first trailer isn’t true at all. And it makes me wonder what Dad knows about the Faraway Tree already. The painting in the binder looks like two people sitting at the base of a tree.

There’s also more of Jennifer Saunders as their grandma. She says “I will get them back to the city if it’s the last thing I do,” and I’m sure by that time none of the children will want to leave.

We also see Michael Palin and Lenny Henry as two of the heads of… well I’m not really sure what it is. Five wise heads on one body?

It is reminiscent of a previous Michael Palin character – the Three Headed Knight from Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Only Palin is on the other side. And there’s two extra heads.

It is Palin’s head who gives us one of the movie’s plot points – “You wish to travel across the lands to locate a spell to save your house from your evil grandma?”

Dame Washalot warns the children not to get left on a land if it is leaving the top of the tree so I’m sure that’s going to be relevant too.

 

Other glimpses

We see a little more of the Land of Goodies (where the punch has quite a kick to it).

And inside the giant cake in the Land of Birthdays.

Plus a look at this unnamed Land. The Land of Prisons? The Land of Forts?

Brodie and I are planning on going to see it soon. I don’t know how much of a review I will manage because I’ll have forgotten half of the details by the time I get home. Still, hopefully I’ll be able to write about my impressions at least and do a fuller review once it’s on a streaming platform.

Posted in Blyton on Screen | Tagged , , | 2 Comments