Previous letters pages can be found here.

Letters page from Volume 4, issue 4.
February 15th – 28th, 1956.

OUR

LETTER PAGE

A letter from Jennifer White, Busy Bee, Loughborough, Leicestershire.
Dear Enid Blyton,
I decided to give my pets a happy Christmas, so I bought them presents. I bought Timmy, the goldfish, some new stones for the bottom of his bowl, and a box of new fish-food. Thumper, my rabbit, had a bag of fresh hay. I put it in her hut on Christmas Eve. Tinker, my cat, got a lot of things – a ping-pong ball, a red collar with a bell on it and a bit of chicken. Tinker loves something round his neck so on Christmas Day he wore his new collar and bell, and was very proud.
Yours faithfully, Jennifer White.

(I am giving you my prize, Jennifer. It is nice to hear from such a thoughtful Busy Bee.)

A letter from Janferie Adam, Tasmania.
Dear Enid Blyton,
I would like to tell you a little about one of the most unusual schools in the world. It is called “The School of the Air” and is “attended” by the children who live in the Australian outback, far away from anywhere. The children are equipped with transmitting and receiving sets so that questions can be asked and answered. Most of the pupils of this unique school have never seen either their teachers or form-mates, but recently a party was arranged for them and most of the school was assembled for the first time! Wishing you and your magazine prosperity in the future, from
Janferie Adam.

(This is an interesting letter, Janferie, and I know my readers will like to hear about your most unusual school. Thank you for telling us.)

A letter from John Orlon, Birmingham.
Dear Enid Blyton,
I must tell you what my dog did the other day. Our cat was outside on the pavement and a dog came after it – and our dog rushed to the rescue and drove off the first dog with fierceness. Then he ran to our cat and licked her all over, and she didn’t mind a bit.
Love from
John (aged 8).

(Thank you, John – you wrote a very good letter about your pets.)

Jennifer White’s letter reminded me of my childhood determination that we must always bring back a present for our hamster from our holidays. We must have visited many pet shops across Scotland and England over the years to choose some sort of hamster toy for a hamster which probably hadn’t even noticed we had gone away! (My cousins always looked after our hamsters for us, even when we took the school hamsters home one summer – they weren’t left to fend for themselves.)

Janferie’s letter was fascinating. I don’t think I had heard of such a school – but it must sound remarkably familiar to anyone who had children doing lessons via the computer during lock-down! Having looked it up it seems that the school still runs. It used radio up until 2009 when it switched to the internet.

John’s letter is the second pet-themed one from this week. It’s unusual to have no fundraising or donation letters, but if there’s letters which take precedence it’s usually pet or garden-life ones.