World of Wonder magazine for kids


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Now I have time, I have been going through belongings I brought back from my parents home. One suitcase was filled with the World of Wonder magazine. I have the complete collection! Astoundingly so 50 years on and more than 250 of them. Possibly because I treasured it. It was a magazine with the strapline A magazine for every boy and girl. According to Wiki it started in 1970 and went on until 1975. I also have every copy of its predecessor, Tell Me Why. I have some recollection of my mother buying this magazine and helping me to read, another example of how my lovely parents gave me the best start in life that was possible. This which would have placed it in the late 60s. It was an educational magazine aimed at children. I think it was a seminal magazine in my education. It was certainly bought at Nix's*, the newsagent on Bobbers Mill Road now long gone but opposite what it now a Jamaican Jerk Chicken takeaway (I always remember it as Dogger Bank) 

 

I read it voraciously. It was published every Monday, as I recall, and I can certainly recall getting the magazine  (Tell me Why) on a Monday at Berridge. I can also remember telling a story I read in Tell Me Why in Berridge about a German submarine which had a ghost. all of them were beautifully illustrated, astoundingly so. Artwork even. 

 

I picked up and read one of the copes of World of Wonder, at random whilst I was packing them away  today. Oddly enough I recalled reading it and lots of it I still know. I was astounded by what was in a single edition. A short history lesson on the battle of Arnhem, Constantine, the Emperor who became a Christian, a very in depth article about how helicopters fly (about the same standard as I was taught in the army in the physics of helo flight... ) A story from the Odyssey (Homers) with fantastic illustrations, and a lesson on how to make a French crepe.  How fantastic is that to put into the receptive mind of a child! Although it was aimed at a child, it never avoided complex history, physics or any other subject. 

 

Because the WoW was so expansive in the subjects it covered, I think it laid down the foundations for my knowledge now. When I was in Crete last year, I recalled the Sirens, and an image appeared in my mind of Odysseus tied to the mast howling in pain as he had asked to be tied to the mast so he could hear it and his sailors could not. I know where I got that image from, an illustration from World of Wonder. 

 

 

 

*Erica Nix, married name Beardsmore

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I remember the newsagents and the fish and chip shop which had been there for many years. As a child, my mum used to treat herself to 1d worth of chips from there as she walked back from her grandparents' house in Basford. As she ate them, she'd watch the moon 'following her home'. Innocent days!

 

My father subscribed to a magazine entitled New Knowledge which built into a series of smart looking binders. This would be around the same time, in the 60s. He and I used to read them voraciously.

 

 

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I also got 'Look and Learn', or rather my mother made me get it to go with my favourite 'The Victor'. Look and Learn was very worthy but I did read it, though mainly because of a beautiful and colourful comic strip in it called 'The Trigan Empire'.

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I also had ‘Look and Learn’ delivered, loved it at the time my young brain was soaking up interesting information like a sponge.  These days I read something and can’t remember what I’ve read 10 minutes later 

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MercuryDancer, thank you muchly  for the reminder of "Tell me Why". I used to love reading it and that was as an adult. I used to be on the road, truck driving and bus driving before that. On the way to work, I  would call in a newsagents  and pick up my Daily mirror and Tell me Why. Bloke in the shop thought it were for my lad, but too embarrassed to tell him it were for me. Confession over.

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Whilst putting paper rounds together at the local newsagent when I was 11 or I can't recall seeing any of those magazines mentioned above.

I was quite content having a quick look at the Tiger with Roy of the Rovers winning some trophy or other every season for Melchester Rovers.

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I suppose it would depend how old you are Oz., When I used to read T.M.W., it would be, (I think) around the mid 60s. Not wishing to be disrespectful to you, but could be, you were too young and when you were old enough to sort paper rounds it could have finished. I used to like to reproducing some of the lovely pictures, in water colour. Stay safe Oz.

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Beekay it would have been 1960-1964.

I have completed my biblically allotted three score and ten.

We intend to keep safe thanks, just hunkered down and only going out when necessary.

The authorities here are doing a great job of controlling Covid 19 and here in South Australia we have had another day of no new cases despite intensive testing.

You keep safe too along with all on here.

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I had Classic Comics. “War of the Worlds”, “The Time Machine”, “Cyrano de Bergerac” and others, including, I’m sure, though it seems a very odd choice for kids, “The Oxbow Incident”.

I loved them, and will still drive miles to see a production of Cyrano de Bergerac.

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