Childhood Comics and Annuals

[sixret]

Can't believe you still keep all your books from your early ages! I assume you had them when you were 10 or below.

[Rob Houghton]

I used to have 'Jack and Jill' comic as a young child, with characters such as 'Nurse Susan and Doctor John', 'Fliptail the Otter', 'Tiger Tim and the Bruin Boys' and 'Harold Hare'.

I also used to have 'Playhour Annual'

Sixret - as I still live in the house where I was born, our loft is stacked with old books going right back to the 1960's, when my sister was a baby! Just lately I've been trying to clear out some of the more tatty/less interesting books I have up there. The Jack and Jill book above is one I actually do still have - I was nearly 9 and a bit too old for Jack and Jill, but I loved them. 1980 was the last one I had.

[Katharine]

I have all my books from my childhood, although a couple are missing the covers and half the pages! I also have all my weekly comics, starting with Twinkle, through to Emma/Judy and finishing with Smash Hits. Although someone I have mislaid a few odd Judy comic, however I'm still hoping they will turn up in a box in my parents' loft.

I also have all my childhood toys/games, apart form a few odd ones which are still at my parents' house for my children to play with.

[Rob Houghton]

I know my sister had Twinkle comic every week, and also the annuals, then later she had 'Jinty' comics and annuals, then later still 'My Guy' and 'Blue Jeans' annuals.

[Katharine]

I've got several Twinkle annuals from childhood, and managed to buy several more over the years. I still haven't got a complete set myself, but someone bought my eldest daughter quite a few, so I might see if she'd like to leave them here for me to 'look after' when she moves out.

I have a few annuals such as Blue Jeans, but they were passed down to me by my aunt.

[Lucky Star]

I remember some of the covers but I never had any. A lovely collection though. I love buying old 70s annuals.

[Rob Houghton]

I have loads of my old annuals - Playhour, Jack and Jill, Teddy Bear, Rupert annuals, Scooby Doo annuals, Wacky Races annual, Beano annuals, Whoopee annuals, Whizzer and Chips annuals, Dandy annuals, Beezer annual, and a few one-off annuals such as a Rentaghost annual, Jigsaw annual (a BBC TV programme in the 1970's) and a Bugs Bunny annual. ...not to mention about 10 Blue Peter annuals.

I also have two Treasure Hunt annuals, which I was a big fan of in the 1980's

In those days annuals were so popular and were much-prized Christmas presents for many of us.

[Katharine]

Rentaghost - I used to love that. Bet the annual is worth a bit now?

I used to look forward to getting my Twinkle annual.

[Rob Houghton]

I bought my Rentaghost annual from a charity shop for about £1 - but I'm sure they would be worth more than that to a collector!

[Katharine]

I would guess you've got yourself a bargain there Robert.

[Rob Houghton]

I did a search on the net but couldn't find the Rentaghost annual for sale, but did find a Jigsaw annual that recently sold on ebay for £9.99 - which was more than I thought. I think only one Jigsaw annual was ever produced.

[Courtenay]

We didn't have annuals when I was little - they don't seem to be such a popular thing in Australia - but my parents have kept most of our books from my and my sister's childhood too. As Mum would probably say, they're just too good to get rid of. We even have a few from when my parents were little - including Dad's Big Noddy Book that his cousin gave him when he was about 6!

Lovely covers on those annuals, Rob - I especially like the Jack and Jill one.

[Stephen]

If we're talking television programmes, I've got several Blue Peter annuals from charity shops. Some from my time, some from before my time, but they're all full of fascinating bits of information. Things that the presenters covered over the year, picture stories of historical events (I especially remember the ones about the construction of the Eddystone Lighthouse, and the Settle to Carlisle Railway), and complex technical drawings of things such as RMS Queen Elizabeth and Skylab. Not to mention those aliens (Bleep and Booster), and that boy who helps his detective uncle.

One of the first books I ever remember getting was The Wombles Annual 1976. I wasn't even that much a huge fan of the Wombles, but the book held so many nostalgic memories for me that years later, I got another copy off eBay which I still have to this day!

[Lucky Star]

I had several Tom & Jerry annuals as a child. I have since managed to rebuy some of them from ebay. I loved the programmes as a child and the annuals were much treasured.

[Julie2owlsdene]

I used to love my annuals and look forward to receiving them over Christmas. I used to have Bunty, Girl and Judy, and when I got a bit older, I used to have the magazine Jacky. I got them when the magazine first came out, and so had the very first one, all in pristine condition, but when I got married my Mum threw them all out, sadly, and I didn't know!