FLY2 10,108 Posted May 2, 2018 Report Share Posted May 2, 2018 Very rare I read fiction nowadays. It's mainly historical stuff........... Or railways of course ! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Commo 1,292 Posted May 3, 2018 Report Share Posted May 3, 2018 I joined the Children's section of the Central library in about 1953, loved all the oak panelling and the pervading scent of polish and the reverent silence, the large central heating pipes and radiators. Worked my way through their stock of Secret Seven and Famous Five ( always thought that Uncle Quentin was a bit iffy) and my favourite the Jennings at School books by Alan Buckeridge. Still read Jennings now as well as the Winnie the Pooh stories and they still make me smile. The first novel I remember being bought for me one Christmas was The Beresfords in Tarndale, a great children's adventure set in the Lake District, really enjoyed that one.By 1956 I had discovered P G Wodehouse and the Blandings stories and from there into the wider wonderful and strange world of upper class farce and nonsense. 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jonab 1,644 Posted May 3, 2018 Report Share Posted May 3, 2018 My first book was an alphabet book made of cloth. Don't remember any others until I was getting Rupert Annuals and later Dandy and Beano annuals (although I didn't have the comics until much later). My first "real" book was a Dickens compendium including A Christmas Carol bought as a Christmas present from Marks & Spencer, (Albert St/Listergate) by my granny. The next book I recall was Meredith & Co https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meredith_and_Co. I remember that book particularly as I always had a mental block with the title which, for some reason, I got confused with Meredith & Drew who made biscuits - perhaps they still do. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Cliff Ton 10,469 Posted May 3, 2018 Report Share Posted May 3, 2018 Mentioned in another thread somewhere, but the first books I remember reading came from the ‘library’ at Infants School; they were the ‘Little Grey Rabbit’ books by Alison Uttley. I worked my way through all of them over a period of months. Later, when I went to the children's section of the main library (at Clifton), I worked my way through all the Biggles books. I tried reading one a few years ago and it was difficult to keep a straight face. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
katyjay 5,091 Posted May 3, 2018 Report Share Posted May 3, 2018 Here you go Kev. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
MargieH 7,600 Posted May 3, 2018 Report Share Posted May 3, 2018 CT. I used to read all the Little Grey Rabbit books when I was little. Found one at a sale the other day, bought it and read it but thought it was very boring.... still enjoy Winnie the Pooh, though Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Jill Sparrow 10,307 Posted May 3, 2018 Report Share Posted May 3, 2018 I read The Little Grey Rabbit books before I started school. I've always loved them and still have a collection of most of the titles. Another book I really loved was When Marnie Was There. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
BilboroughShirley 1,120 Posted May 3, 2018 Report Share Posted May 3, 2018 I still have my Rupert Annuals. I loved them, the rhymes and the illustrations. Other early favourites were the Enid Blyton Adventure books: The Sea of Adventure and The Mountain of Adventure. Also the Secret Seven books. One special book I recall is Davy Crockett. My grandfather read this to me long before I learned to read! Loved it. I still have his book. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
LizzieM 9,511 Posted May 3, 2018 Report Share Posted May 3, 2018 Wish I still had MY Rupert Annuals! Mine were seriously recycled, my younger brother had them and then even younger cousins were given them by my Mum. Much the same as my clothes, they were passed down too! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
BilboroughShirley 1,120 Posted May 3, 2018 Report Share Posted May 3, 2018 I like to look in second hand book shops to see how much they are selling for. Quite a lot! I still will not part with them. I have some of the early paperback ones too. Nice bit of social history. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
FLY2 10,108 Posted May 4, 2018 Report Share Posted May 4, 2018 I hope your clothes weren't passed down to your brother too Lizzie. That could have been a source of embarrassment ! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mary1947 2,083 Posted May 5, 2018 Report Share Posted May 5, 2018 Reading some of the post's I think it's Enid Blyton v the Water Babies. Not that it's a competition. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
MargieH 7,600 Posted May 5, 2018 Report Share Posted May 5, 2018 Mary, I think that Enid Blyton must be the winner as her books were more readily available, and she wrote a wide variety of books, several in a series like the Famous 5, Secret 7, Noddy and Malory Towers; also lots of fairy and pixie type books. I've just remembered that I used to love her 'Book of the Year' - it had sections for each month, each one having a story, a poem, a song and a play appropriate to the month - I had one in about 1950 and loved that, even doing one of the plays with my friends at a birthday party! 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mary1947 2,083 Posted May 7, 2018 Report Share Posted May 7, 2018 morning MargieH just rememberd 2 more story books "Hann's Christian Andersen" and "Grimm's Fairy Tales" Quote Link to post Share on other sites
MargieH 7,600 Posted May 7, 2018 Report Share Posted May 7, 2018 Mary, some of those stories were indeed 'grim'. I remember the Little Mermaid who - unlike in the Disney film - ended up by feeling her body 'slowly but surely turning into foam' because she WASN'T able to marry her human prince. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mary1947 2,083 Posted March 23, 2021 Report Share Posted March 23, 2021 My very first reading book that i can remeber was brought as a birthday present. It was called "Donald Duck's Birthday Party Day"" can't remember how old I was but I can still quote most or all of this book. Then when I wasi n junior school, the school was having a "jumble Sale" in those day's my speading money was 6d (tanner) looking on the book stall there was a book called "Five go Camping" by Enid Blyton. for 6d this was one of my best buys, A few years ago I brought my grandson one of the farmous Five books he thought it was great and like me he just had to read all of them. Enid Blyton's books seemed to allways ge around yet never date even in this computer age. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
West Bridgfordian 144 Posted March 23, 2021 Report Share Posted March 23, 2021 'The Cat in the Hat' My mother used to tell people I got it out of the library and just kept renewing it over and over. I honestly don't remember so not sure how old I would have been. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
benjamin1945 16,162 Posted March 23, 2021 Report Share Posted March 23, 2021 Always loved me books........i sit here now surrounded by them.......first one must have been a 'Rupert Bear Annual'' when i was about 4.....Also recall my first Football Book.......had it from aged about 6 till i left home at 22...remember its cover with a picture of Jackie Milburn (wor Jackie).......... Miss Blackbourne at infant school gave me an American Forces Bible in about 1951......bet that could tell a tale......the one book ive still got from school days.. was presented to me by Mr Bond headmaster at Padstow in 1959.. I treasure this book called ''Childrens book of Achievement'' .... 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Beekay 5,153 Posted March 23, 2021 Report Share Posted March 23, 2021 I must have been about7/8ish. Miss Bendall, a lovely lady introduced me to reading. They were simple story books about the adventures of "Sam Pig" and where he lived. For some reason, I always associated the books with Colwick woods, as my Aunt Evelyn and Uncle Mark lived there in a Nissen hut, ( before emigrating to Clifton). Loved those books and got really engrossed in them. Incidentally, 'er indoors has a first edition of " The Water Babies"). 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Jill Sparrow 10,307 Posted March 23, 2021 Report Share Posted March 23, 2021 I can't honestly remember which was my first book. Having an older sister, the house was full of Enid Blyton, Noel Streatfield, etc. My father was an avid reader so there was everything from Conan Doyle to science fiction. I was an almost daily visitor to Hyson Green library from being in my pram and was read to by my mother and grandfather every day and at bedtimes. I loved the Little Grey Rabbit stories of Alison Uttley. I still have the complete collection. The first book I ever bought for myself was Squirrel Goes Skating. It came from Sisson and Parker and was quite expensive. Dad subscribed to a weekly periodical called New Knowledge which provided a good source of factual information and he had a cupboard full of old Magnet and Gem papers. I was never short of something to read. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
AfferGorritt 868 Posted March 23, 2021 Report Share Posted March 23, 2021 Me too, Ben. Love books. My grandma used to say, “You’d read the bleddy rent book if you’d got nowt else!” I must have had “kids” books when I was little, and do remember going through the Famous Five books, but the first one I can remember vividly was ploughing through my grandad’s copy of “The Ascent of Everest” by Sir John Hunt. Must have been about 9 at the time. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Jill Sparrow 10,307 Posted March 23, 2021 Report Share Posted March 23, 2021 @Beekay The Sam Pig books were also written by Alison Uttley. Uttley wrote other books based on her life as a child on a remote farm near Matlock in Derbyshire. I was fascinated by them. Like Enid Blyton, Uttley was a brilliant children's writer, albeit a very difficult and flawed person. They both ended up living in Beaconsfield and detested the sight of each other! 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Beekay 5,153 Posted March 23, 2021 Report Share Posted March 23, 2021 Thanks for that Jill. Glad somebody else had heard of the books. I must admit even when writing the above post, I felt a bit embarrassed, wondering what people thought. Have just Googled the name Alison Uttley and was amazed with all the info. Didn't realise she wrote about "little grey squirrel", would that be in competition with "Peter Rabbit". Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Jill Sparrow 10,307 Posted March 23, 2021 Report Share Posted March 23, 2021 @Beekay Peter Rabbit was the creation of Beatrix Potter and Potter was, primarily, an illustrator who wove stories around her drawings. Uttley was a storyteller whose work was illustrated, initially and for the most part, by Margaret Tempest: another woman with whom Uttley didn't get along! Potter is much earlier than Alison Uttley and her work is very different. Of the two, I much preferred Uttley both in childhood and now. There is a timelessness to Uttley and her writing. She had an idyllic childhood, as I did, and her stories resonated very strongly with me. Sadly, her adult life was tragic. Many would say this was largely her own fault although she couldn't really help her personality. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Beekay 5,153 Posted March 23, 2021 Report Share Posted March 23, 2021 I couldn't help but notice whilst on Google how alike the illustrations are. Many thanks for the potted history. Will you be my Guru? 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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