Previous letters pages can be found here.

Those who have been paying attention to the numbering of this series – which I’ve proven on multiple occasions to be terrible at – may notice that I’ve jumped from part 85 to part 87. This is, in fact, deliberate. I am missing volume 4 issue 23, despite my best efforts to track a copy down.

I swithered more than was probably necessary – or healthy – about what to do. In the end I decided that the part 86 should belong to 4.23 regardless of when I (hopefully) manage to find a copy. So I’m skipping it for now and I’ll come back to it later. (Again, hopefully.)

If anyone reading this has a copy – I’d massively appreciate a scan of the cover and the letters page (or even a decent photo of each!)

A warning again for offensive language by today’s standards.

Letters page from Volume 4, issue 24.
December 19th, 1957 – January 1st, 1958.

OUR

LETTER PAGE

A letter from The Secret Seven Club, Pembroke Dock, Wales.
(This letter was sent to me by Menevia Scone, who runs a Secret Seven Club. These children are very kind-hearted, and quite determined to help both the Sunbeams and the Centre for Spastic Children. They gave an exhibition of some really beautiful Miniature Gardens that they made, and to everyone’s amazement, made the enormous sum of £28 75., which was divided between the two causes. Menevia’s letter was so interesting that I am quoting a large part of it.)
Dear Miss Blyton,
As there are seven of us making gardens for exhibition we have formed a club, called the Secret Seven. Our headmaster spared us seven house badges – they are green, to represent the colour of the plants in our gardens. We have put S.S. on them with white paint. Now this is how we plan our exhibition: Marian, who is almost 12, is to take the money at the door, because she will be able to give the right change. Jennifer and Susan will help her. Maureen and I will sell raffle tickets – we are going to raffle one of our miniature gardens. We want to get some new members for the Sunbeam Club and the Spastic Club, so Margaret will be at one end of a table to tell people about the little blind children. We have had some posters from the Sunbeam Society, and snaps of the blind children and some enrolment forms. We are putting two empty milk-tins on the table, one for the
blind and one for the spastics, hoping people will put some money in. June is to be in charge of the spastics end of the table. The seven of us are very excited, and hope the little spastic children and blind ones will get as much pleasure as we are having trying to get it for them. We are going to sell most of our gardens if people will buy them.
Love from Menevia, June, Marion, Jennifer, Susan, Maureen and Margaret.

(A splendid letter, Menevia, and one that will encourage many other readers to get up an exhibition and plan it. You must have had great fun, and I am so glad it was such a success – even the newspapers printed pieces about it, didn’t they ! I have sent you my letter-prize-a book for your Secret Seven Club. Good luck to all of you!)

It’s a strange coincidence that Brodie and I were talking about miniature gardens at the weekend. We’d seen a kit in Aldi and of course he wanted it, but we said he didn’t need a kit, all he needed was a tray and things he could collect from the house and garden.

My sister and I used to make miniature gardens. We never sold them but we did win a prize each at at least one, maybe two competitions at the church Sunday School for them.

I think miniature garden making could be a fun project for the summer holidays this year.

The club’s gardens must have been good to have raised £28!