Your first book

[loppylugs 8,427]

Sorry about that, Mick didn't know you posted that link elsewhere.

[Thomas 11]

PC 49, anybody remember those books. ???

[Commo 1,292]

Do I remember PC49 in The Eagle comic? I do recall Dan Dare, Riders of he Range, Harris Tweed, Tommy Wall and the centrefold cut back illustrations.

The film The Blue lamp was PC 49, wasn't the "baddie" Dirk Bogarde?

[Trevor S 2,003]

The film 'The Blue Lamp' did star Dirk Bogarde as a villain and Jack Warner as Constable Dixon. Jack Warner went on to star in the series 'Dixon of Dock Green' but he was not PC 49.

PC 49 started out as a radio series in 1949 and went through to 1953, together with the inevitable comic strips, including in the 'Eagle' and films. The star of PC 49 was Brian Reece.

Thanks for mentioning Harris Tweed - had forgotten about that comic character.

[Merthyr Imp 729]

Of course there was another Famous Five in the Billy Bunter stories. I think they were all in that video that was posted - Harry Wharton, Bob Cherry, Frank Nugent, Johnny Bull and Hurree Singh.

Wasn't Billy Bunter on TV in the Saturday tea time slot? 'Mr Pastry' was another programme that used to be on at that time - and who else remembers 'Gary Halliday'? All these were in the days before 'Dr Who' came along.

[Merthyr Imp 729]

Do I remember PC49 in The Eagle comic? I do recall Dan Dare, Riders of he Range, Harris Tweed, Tommy Wall and the centrefold cut back illustrations.

And Storm Nelson - Sea Adventurer, who had the 'Silver Fleet'. From memory, 'Silver Spray', I think was the schooner, 'Silver Foam' was a motor boat, 'Silver Fish'(?) was a submarine, 'Silver Fly'(?) a helicopter, and 'Silver Flea' was a miniature helicopter.

[mary1947 2,079]

Can you remember your first book that you read?

Can't remember what age I was but my bother brought me a book for my birthday, I can still remember most of it. It was called "Donald Duck's Birthday Party Day" 

it starts off with the above then go's on to "Its Donald Ducks  Birthday Party Day, invited are Micky Mouse , Minnie Mouse  and I would like you. Won't bore you with the rest but I can remember word for word to the last page.

Next book I brought was form our school jumble sale it cost me 6d it was "Five go Camping" now this was a new world for me coming from St Ann's  never knew we had private school's till I read Enid Blyton Famous Five books. Made me realise that there was another world out there.

3rd book "Black Beauty" this was excellent reading I still remember reading about "Ginger" who one morning past Black Beauty's cab stand. Ginger her friend Who was being taken to the glue factory.  Again won't bore you with the rest of the quote.

Last one "Little Women" by Louise M Alcott. 

[benjamin1945 16,139]

Always loved books    first one's i recall must have been about 1950,

a 'Football Annual' with Jackie Milburn'' pictured on the front,,Uncle Toms Cabin,,and an American Forces Bible given to me by Miss Blackamore a teacher from Henry Whipple infants school,,bet there was a story there.............

[catfan 14,793]

The Water Babies by Charles Kingsley.

A proper book !

[FLY2 10,108]

Rupert annuals, and several Ladybird books, such as Piggly Wiggly and Twonk stories. 

[loppylugs 8,427]

I usually got. Rupert annuals.  The first real book was 'Just William' by Richmal (sp?) Crompton.  I'd signed up for a children's library card quite early.  I loved the book and eventually read through the whole series.

[nnsc 131]

I must admit that as a youngster I didn't read novels, although something called 'Young Cyclist' rings a distant bell. From the age of 7 I was an avid reader of the weekly Melody Maker.

[MargieH 7,599]

3 hours ago, catfan said:

The Water Babies by Charles Kingsley.

A proper book !

I liked the first part of the book when it was just a moral story about the little chimney sweep and the water babies but I lost interest when the book got too political ... I didn't really understand that part as a child.  To remind me of the details, I've just looked it up..  Like Gullivers Travels it wasn't really a children's book but a political satire... 

In the Water Babies, there was a group of humans called Doasyoulikes who were benign but so unreflectively into self-gratification that they gradually lost the power of speech, degenerated into gorillas and we're shot by an explorer!

 

[catfan 14,793]

1 minute ago, MargieH said:

 

In the Water Babies, there was a group of humans called Doasyoulikes who were benign but so unreflectively into self-gratification that they gradually lost the power of speech, degenerated into gorillas and we're shot by an explorer!

 

You are referring to half the teenage population Margie !

[MargieH 7,599]

The first books I read all by myself were the Famous Five books by Enid Blyton, then the Mallory Towers series, also by EB.  I also loved Black Beauty, even though it was very sad in parts...

[NewBasfordlad 3,599]

As a child it was comics and their annuals, by the time I was twelve or so anything to do with outdoor adventure, but my favourite read of all was 1 inch to 1 mile ordnance maps. Sad I know but I just love maps of all types.

[AfferGorritt 868]

Me too! My favourites are the 1:25000.

[Gem 1,430]

4 hours ago, loppylugs said:

I usually got. Rupert annuals.  The first real book was 'Just William' by Richmal (sp?) Crompton.  I'd signed up for a children's library card quite early.  I loved the book and eventually read through the whole series.

Violet Elizabeth Bott who would "thcream n thcream" till she was sick to get her own way, loved William's  adventures. There was a small lending library near me in the front room of someone's house, there i found Agatha Christie and John Creasey i think i was the proverbial bookworm.

[loppylugs 8,427]

I'd forgotten old Violet Elizabeth, Gem.  I used to sit there laughing like an idiot.  I think me dad thought those books were driving me nuts.

I enjoyed the Billy Bunter series before I ever saw it on tv.  I wasn't politically correct even back then. 

[West Bridgfordian 144]

Cat in the Hat by Dr. Suess- weekly visit to the library just to renew it.

Then on to Billy Bunter and any Enid Blyton.

Moving onwards to early teenage, a girl I madly fell in love with for a few weeks had posh parents who got me to read Lord of the Rings (Hardback version).

Never looked back after that and will read anything fiction now.

Discovered Pratchett in the mid eighties and still reread his stuff occasionally now.

[AfferGorritt 868]

Anybody remember “Classic Comics”, classic novels, but in comic form? I remember particularly H. G. Wells’ “The Time Machine” and “War of the Worlds”. Also, Rostand’s “Cyrano De Bergerac”. Still love them today. Always thought they were a brilliant way to introduce kids to “real” literature.

[Brew 5,404]

Terribly un PC now but I loved Little Black Sambo as a child (the story isn't actually racist), Uncle Remus and Brer Rabbit. On to Uncle Toms cabin, Tom.Sawyer, the list goes on and on. We didn't have a TV until I was in my teens so reading was my escape. Loppy reminded me of a a big favourite - the Just William series, loved them so much I downloaded one yesterday and read it again. Oh dear, let's just say it was of its age. I've read some classics, I've read some rubbish. Quite a few made me laugh, a couple made me cry. My problem is even though I think a book is bad I have to finish it - who knows it might get better.

[Gem 1,430]

This I think is one for the 'girls', the cut out book where you got a cardboard doll and paper clothes. Spent ages cutting them out being so careful not to cut the little tags off, if I remember correctly some of them had a little story so you could dress the doll on her adventures.  If there was one for the boys I apologise in advance.

 

[MargieH 7,599]

Brew, I loved Little Black Sambo.  I remember on one page there was a tiger who ran so fast round and round a tree, he turned into butter!  Why I remember that, I have no idea...

 

Gem, I used to have those paper dolls with cut out clothes - a bit fiddly but I liked them..

[LizzieM 9,504]

I still have a few of my very first books on our bookshelves.  I suppose I started off with Noddy books and Rupert Annuals but others I remember, without going to look, are ‘Heidi’ and ‘Little Women’.  Of course I read all the Janet and John books at Infant School but they weren’t mine.  The sky falling on Chicken Licken’s head and all that nonsense!  I was quite an avid reader when I was young and had a little library in my bedroom, sticking numbers in the books and lending them out to whoever wanted to be play.   Hardly pick up a book these days, just read the newspaper every day.