Author Archives: Fiona

An updated round-up of Christmas posts 2019

We’ve done this once before but have written a lot since then – so here’s a new guide to all our Christmassy posts from the past six years. (I had written this ready to go up in December 2018, but … Continue reading

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Monday #348

A very rounded week this week. Round up of Christmas posts and November round up “That’s the way I always go into and out of a house.It’s much more exciting than using the door.” Father Christmas extols the virtues of … Continue reading

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Five Fall Into Adventure

This is the ninth book in the series, so I’m almost half-way with my reviews. Just as a random point – I always confuse this title with Five Go Adventuring Again. It doesn’t hep that they are two of the … Continue reading

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Decorating for Christmas – the Blyton Way

Christmas today is probably quite different from Christmas back in Blyton’s time. There weren’t any plastic trees for a start (though ones made of feathers or brush bristles had been around a while) and while it’s easy to imagine it … Continue reading

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Monday #347

Thursday is the 51st anniversary of Enid Blyton’s death. We have done a special post in the past to mark the occasion but I haven’t anything planned this year, as I write something every week that I hope shows the … Continue reading

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If you like Blyton: The Harveys See it Through by Phyllis Gegan

You might remember the name Phyllis Gegan from my review of A Mystery for Ninepence recently. I bought this one partly because I like the Collin’s Seagull Library spines and partly because I like collecting books by authors I already … Continue reading

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Enid Blyton Christmas gift guide 2019

This year’s gift guide has been a bit harder to put together. Last year there were plenty of new Noddy-related toys and games tied in with the Dreamworks’ Noddy Toyland Detective tv show. This year, however, none of the big … Continue reading

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Monday #346

I did warn you last week: The Christmas posts are starting from now! (There are less than six weeks to go, you know.) Christmas gift guide 2019 and If you like Blyton: The Harveys See it Through by Phyllis Gegan … Continue reading

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The Naughtiest Girl in the School: How has Blyton’s original text fared in a modern edition? Part 3

You can find part one, chapters 1-4, here, and part two with chapters 5-8 here. I am comparing the 1944 5th reprint by George Newnes (which should be more or less identical to the true first edition) to a 2012 … Continue reading

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Letters to Enid 18: From volume 2 issue 6

Previous letters pages can be found here. Letters page from Volume 2, issue 6. March 17th-30th 1954. OUR LETTER PAGE  1. A letter from  Sunbeam Susam Biffen, 11a Hazel Road, Rubery, Birmingham Dear Miss Blyton, We are sending you £2 … Continue reading

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Monday #345

This is the last week before I start on the Christmas posts, you have been warned! Letters to Enid part 18 and Updates to the Naughtiest Girl part 3 The Mystery of Banshee Towers is the fifteenth and final Five-Find … Continue reading

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October 2019 round up

The blog turned 7 years old on Tuesday, so happy birthday to us! What I have read I’ve read a lot more this month. I’ve now read 88, so I’m 5 ahead of schedule. Two months left in the year … Continue reading

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My twenty-sixth Noddy book: The second Big Noddy Book

Seeing as it’s Noddy’s 70th anniversary this month I thought I would look at the only Noddy book I have but haven’t yet reviewed. About the book The second Big Noddy Book, is as the name suggests, a large volume … Continue reading

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Monday #344

Noddy is 70 years old this month! His first book, Noddy Goes to Toyland was published in November 1949. I thought we would have a bit of a Noddy theme today and a review of a Noddy book on Wednesday … Continue reading

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The Naughtiest Girl in the School: How has Blyton’s original text fared in a modern edition? Part 2

You can find part one, chapters 1-4, here. I am comparing the 1944 5th reprint by George Newnes (which should be more or less identical to the true first edition) to a 2012 edition by Hodder and Stoughton. CHAPTER V … Continue reading

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Remember, remember the fifth of November

Remember, remember! The fifth of November, The gunpowder treason and plot. There is no reason Why the gunpowder treason Should ever be forgot! Blyton clearly agreed as she featured Bonfire Night/Guy Fawkes Night several times in different books, stories and … Continue reading

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Monday #343

Remember, remember the fifth of November and Updates to Blyton’s Texts: The Naughtiest Girl in the School The countryside lay smiling in the afternoon sunshine. Cottages clustered together here and there, and cattle grazed in the fields. In the distance, … Continue reading

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Letters to Enid 17: From volume 2 issue 5

Previous letters pages can be found here. Letters page from Volume 2, issue 5. March 3rd – 16th 1954     OUR LETTER PAGE  1. A letter from Egan Crowley, aged 12, 23 Rugby Road, Belfast. Dear Enid Blyton, I … Continue reading

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Enid Blyton for Halloween?

I’m sure I’ve said this before, but Enid Blyton didn’t really do Halloween. She wrote about most other holidays, but Halloween perhaps wasn’t a big thing in Britain when she was writing. Despite that, here are some Halloween-themed Blyton things! … Continue reading

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Monday #342

Enid Blyton at Halloween? and Letters to Enid part 17 Curly runned away, he runned fast! Benny blames his pigling for leading him astray in Five Go to Billycock Hill. The Saucy Jane Family is the second book about the … Continue reading

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