This post is aimed at the over-sixties, so apologies to everyone else.
What books did you read (for pleasure) as a kid ?
I'm thinking about the classics, i.e. Wind in the Willows, Biggles, William, and Jennings, but also the more obscure.
I still have fond memories of the Swallows & Amazons, and also the Moomins.
Yours nostalgically,
Joe
I well remember all of those Joe except Moomins which must have escaped me.
I'd add Secret Seven, Babar the Elephant, The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe, Famous Five and several books, the names of which escape me, by an author called de Jong.
There must be many more.
Cheers
Martin
QuoteThis post is aimed at the over-sixties, so apologies to everyone else.
Thats ageist, so for the sake of equal opportunity my reading material included the secret 7 ,famous 5,5 finder outers, mayfair, just william and the complete ladybird works of peter and jane.
Shadow the Sheep Dog
Started on Secret Seven and Famous Five went on to Biggles , Gimlet by W.E. Johns and classics by R L Stephenson and Walter Scott by twelve reading Rider Haggard , PC Wrenn's Foreign Legion books and some Issac Asimov. Also collected ladybird books then Observers books
Biggles and the Secret Seven never interested me. My absolute favourite childhood book was Lawless Days by Mona Tracy, a 'boy's own' adventure set in New Zealand and the south seas. I read it over and over and over until it became a joke around the family. I still have it upstairs and I am going to read it again one day.
cheers,
Chris
Victor and Valiant comics every week. Ok not books but they were my staple diet. When I was younger all the Thomas the Tank books.
I think I read every Thomas the Tank Engine book made. Classics such as Treasure Island, Kidnapped, Tom Brown's Schooldays, Bunter, Just William and Swiss Family Robinson followed. I ransacked the library in Birchfield Road, Northampton and read possibly every Biggles book (apart from 'Biggles Flies Undone' which I never did find) :(
Even as a kid I was an avid reader and my sisters' books were fair game - such as Claudine at St. Clare's :-[
I still read far too much but, then again, being retired I don't have to get up early :)
We must have been very poor, hardly any books in the house, except for a set of encyclopaedia.
The only books I can remember owning and reading was Black Beauty (with many pictures), Wind in the Willows, one of Thomas series books (yes one) and various railway picture books.
Oh and a weekly comic "The Victor"
No wonder I am not very good at spelling and hardly read today, but during my working life I had to read and understand hundreds of contract documents, specifications and drawings.
And I still don't read today, other than railway books
Mike H ???
Practically every word written by Enid Blyton including all the Famous 5, Secret 7, Faraway Tree, Wishing Chair, Mr Gallianos Circus, Children of Cherry Tree Farm, Mr Muddle and yes all the St Claire's and Mallory Towers too! Arthur Ransome's series of Swallows & Amazons, CS Lewis's Narnia set, some 'childrens classics the Coral Island was a favourite, Jo's Boys, Robinson Crusoe, the Malcolm Saville series based round the Welsh borders/Shrewsbury, then on to Gerald Durrell (all this was before secondary school) I remember reading a set about 2 brothers one was on a whaling ship but can't think of the series or the author. I thought it was the xxxxx of adventure not to be confused with the similarly named Blyton series. And of course The Hobbit!
Never into William or Biggles.
After that it was James Herbert and Stephen King and comics 2000AD and Warlorld 😁
For me it was The Secret Seven, Famous Five, Worzel Gumage, Wind in The Willows and Biggles. I also had a collection of the war comic books of the day such as "Commando" :-[ .
When I was overseers (my childhood was military based) I used to like to listen to Just William being read on British Forces Radio.
QuoteClassics such as Treasure Island, Kidnapped, Tom Brown's Schooldays,
any one remember the range of books aimed at kids that had all the classic titles such as those above,others i recall were robinson crusoe and around the world in 80 days,they were hard backed and had a list of other available titles on the back cover?
Thanks guys - I'll check out some of these.
As a kid I never owned many books but every Saturday we went as a family to the public library in Reading.
At first the local library in south Reading, then the main one in Blagrave street.
Railway Modeller, Model Railroader, everything else was meh IMHO
Some Biggles and Thomas (from school library) but most were fact based about the Merchant or Royal navies.
I still have an autographed copy of 'San Demetrio' from the Second Mate who successfully re-boarded her with part of the crew and navigated the ship back to the UK after being damaged by a convoy raider in WW2.
'Look and Learn'; this later amalgamated with 'Eagle', and there were some good cut-away diagrams in this; also there was a long running series in the 'comic' about British steam locos.
Many other books, some forgotten, some not.
Martyn
Secret 7 xmas present each yr, Rupert Annual ditto, comics I remember Eagle, Beezer.
Quote from: themadhippy on November 22, 2020, 04:28:30 PM
Any one remember the range of books aimed at kids that had all the classic titles such as those above,others i recall were robinson crusoe and around the world in 80 days,they were hard backed and had a list of other available titles on the back cover?
Blackies were a range that I remember but there were others.
Arthur Ransome of course, that's why I now live in Norfolk, and sail at Horning within sight of Horning Staithe mentioned in Coot Club and The Big Six.
That was followed mostly by Issac Asimov, , robert Heinlein etc.
Though most of the books I read were factual, such as paleolithic history, . I used to read a dozen books a week from the school and village library.
Even today I read two or three books a week. Mostly history, railways, and related subjects. I've just finished a book on the first half dozen Caesars , I'm now re reading highland railway locomotives part 1, to be followed by a book by a survivor of the Burma Death railway.
Quote from: ChrisWV10 on November 22, 2020, 04:01:47 PM
Practically every word written by Enid Blyton including all the Famous 5, Secret 7,
Never into William or Biggles.
Other than that I read Black Beauty and Adventures of Robin hood so many times that I still know them off by heart.
I can remember going to see Robin Hood at the cinema and was devastated that it wasn't Richard Green playing the great man.
Rupert books for me as a very young nipper.
Just looked on eBay and a bloke is trying to sell his collection of Rupert books. He wants £3500 for them!!
Should have kept mine! :o
Alec.
QuoteBlackies
That would make sense as they were a regular birthday/chrismas present from my grand parents,along with a broons or oor wullie album
Rupert - with the magic painting pages
Biggles and Just William, then on to Asimov and Heinlein, followed by Herbert's Dune Trilogy as they were released. The Eagle was the only worthwhile comic, and always a Broons and Oor Wullie album every Christmas! I have a great book of Eagles cutaways (published in 1988) to remind me of the joy of pouring over them every week. It includes Silver Link, Coronation Scot and Battle of Britain class "Fighter Pilot". And Flange Squealer is quite right about Railway Modeller of course, creating the inspiration that seems to linger today....
:bounce:
(https://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/gallery/102/255-231120045535-102268919.jpeg)
(https://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/gallery/102/255-231120045603-1022712470.jpeg)
(https://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/gallery/102/255-231120045648-1022721636.jpeg)
....and not forgetting Railway Modeller mags dating back to April 1957!!!
(https://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/gallery/albums/Bealman's_old_photos__amp;_magazines/Dir_1/main_4294.jpg)
I took these photos today.... I'm still reading 'em! :worried:
Most of the early stuff mentioned above plus "Tom Browns Schooldays", "The Fifth form at St Dominics", "Coral Island" "Treasure Island".
Like Joe Cassidy I was a great library fan. Enrolled in the Ashburton Park [Addiscombe] junior library aged around six and have been a library member ever since.
The only fiction I have ever read is the Famous Five as a kid.
My Dad would try to get me to read classics like Moby Dick, Call of the wild, even Dickens stuff.
He enrolled me to the local library when I was 5 years old, which I am eternally grateful for, but I made a bee line for... the railway books!
Fiction never really floated my boat then, as now. I much prefer to read factual stuff rather than the jottings of somebody else's imagination. It's just me, and I'm sure there are some fantastic reads out there, enjoyed by countless millions.
I'm with the hippy on this one in that this thread is very ageist. Therefore as I don't yet fit into the over 60's category I'm not going to tell you what I read. Apart from, like the hippy again, Mayfair :thumbsup:
I learnt to read with the Janet and John books and we still have some original ones which we use for our grandchildren now.
I read all the Enid Blyton books ,Biggles ,Just William and of course Rupert .
My Mum actually helped me to learn and I could read even before I went to school ,we had a a male teacher whos name escapes me but I remember him saying `TIDBURY GET THE JANET AND JOHN BOOKS OUT Ime going out to smoke my pipe so I helped all my class of about 15 kids while he went out to smoke his pipe and read the paper .
Bob Tidbury
We started reading at school with Janet & John, then moved on to a series of books featuring a gang of pirates. Can't remember the name ?
My uncle used to slip me a copy of "Reveille". :-)
I much preferred factual content to fiction, so the Dumpy book of Motors and Road Transport was right up my street.
Do "The Observer's Book of .........." still exist ?
They were great.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Observer%27s_Books
I have 2 x 1960s Railway Locomotives and 1 x 1960s Automobiles :)
Quote from: joe cassidy on November 23, 2020, 11:43:04 AM
Do "The Observer's Book of .........." still exist ?
They were great.
I had loads as a lad...Railways, Cars, Trees, Flowers, Birds, Butterflies etc.
They, along with the card collections from packets of tea were invaluable in building up knowledge which I still use to this day.
My favourite book when I was 13, so a bit older than a nipper (?), was "British Railways Today and Tomorrow" by G Freeman Allen - another Ian Allen publication.
Quote from: port perran on November 23, 2020, 12:41:48 PM
They, along with the card collections from packets of tea were invaluable in building up knowledge which I still use to this day.
I swapped my collection of tea card albums for a pile of Superman comics :'(
Quote from: Nbodger on November 22, 2020, 04:00:16 PM
We must have been very poor, hardly any books in the house, except for a set of encyclopaedia.
/quote]
I asked my parents for an encyclopaedia - they said OK.
I was expecting a 20 volume set of the Encyclopaedia Britannica.
What I got was Pears Cyclopaedia, 1968-69 edition (one volume).
I still dip into it from time to time.
Quote from: joe cassidy on November 23, 2020, 01:28:00 PM
Quote from: port perran on November 23, 2020, 12:41:48 PM
They, along with the card collections from packets of tea were invaluable in building up knowledge which I still use to this day.
I swapped my collection of tea card albums for a pile of Superman comics :'(
I preferred this superhero. Still do actually, it certainly left a lasting impression on me. She was my idol:
(https://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/gallery/102/262-231120234737-1023501834.jpeg)
Hopefully the mods will allow my post even though I'm not old enough to post in this thread :goggleeyes:
Quote from: Trainfish on November 23, 2020, 11:49:43 PM
Hopefully the mods will allow my post even though I'm not old enough to post in this thread :goggleeyes:
Oh just this once then, but you must be a good boy else there'll be no jam and dripping sarnies for your tea.
On my bookshelf is a copy of Ian Allen Trains Annual 1966. It was bought by an aunt for a Birthday.
Within is an article by the late R.C. Riley on the Broccoli (actually Cauliflower) specials that ran from Penzance in a bygone age. I read the article over and over, and wondered what those sidings at Ponsandane must be like.
Fast Forward to 2007 and we moved from Bristol to Falmouth. Fairly soon I visited Ponsandane and the loading platforms extended in 1937 were still there, with GWR remnants such as rail chairs and drain covers marked GWR. Sadly the goods shed also built in a 1937 Government initiative had gone. It had been replaced by a Safeway supermarket that also took in some of the former steam shed. I've re-visited a few time but not recently, so those loading platforms may be gone now.
So here's a book I read as a nipper and never forgot the important role Cornwall once played in growing and delivering produce throughout the U.K. before the days mass importation and airfreight.
A couple of years back I saw Blackberries in my local Sainsbury's...from Guatamala !!!
Quote from: trkilliman on November 24, 2020, 10:20:34 AM
A couple of years back I saw Blackberries in my local Sainsbury's...from Guatamala !!!
Before retirement, one of my jobs was training and assessing supermarket delivery drivers.
I was staggered to learn that one supermarket transported Cornish new potatoes and spring greens from west Cornwall to the home counties for packaging and then back to Cornwall for selling.
Talk about "straight from the field".
Quote from: railsquid on November 24, 2020, 03:35:31 AM
else there'll be no jam and dripping sarnies for your tea.
Jam
and dripping! :o
:sick:
Quote from: Newportnobby on November 24, 2020, 10:28:34 AM
Quote from: railsquid on November 24, 2020, 03:35:31 AM
else there'll be no jam and dripping sarnies for your tea.
Jam and dripping! :o
:sick:
Is it the jam that you don't like then ? ;D
One thing I miss here in Ireland is my Yorkshire 'mucky dripping'. Pork dripping with the jelly spread on lovely fresh bread. :) :food:. I usually bring a couple of tubs back with me when I visit home - but can't do that now. :(
First proper books I can remember reading were four Puffin paperbacks in a box-set either my older sister or brother had one year for Christmas. If I remember correctly they were:
The Otterbury Incident - C. Day Lewis
To School in the Spanish Main
Malay Adventure
Sabotage at the Forge
The last one I only fully recalled after a Google search, but the other three are a clear unassisted memory, even down to what the book covers looked like.
I also read The Little Grey Men by 'BB' around that time - about 1960 - and it was a real favourite, read a number of times. When I re-read it a few years ago I enjoyed the memory, but the style of writing sadly seemed so old fashioned and rather poor to this now 21st century mind. :(
The Eagle comic was a weekly addition to our household (as was my sisters Bunty and Judy comics, though of course I never read them :no: ;) ) , with its superb cut-away drawings to study after catching up on Dan Dare and Digby. I had the Eagle Annual for Christmas for many years, but foolishly gave them away (they were in perfect condition) when I left home in the '70's.
Firstly I have never understood these labels like 'Baby Boomers' - although maybe I just didn't understand them as I am just an old 'Baby Boomer' myself! (Only just apparently - born in 1961.)
However, early on, I can remember my mum reading the Rev Audrey Thomas the Tank Engine series, all borrowed from the library (may explain why I like railways? Not helped to that my mum loved steam trains too, and used to take me to preserved railways when she could afford to!) Apart from comics (Beano was my fav) I was into Enid Blyton books - Secret Seven and Famous Five were the two series I had most of. However, my first what I would call real book, was written by Ronald Welch and was called The Gauntlet. It was about a young teenage boy who found a medieval gauntlet near an old castle in Wales and ended up going back in time to the siege of the castle. Once again, my mum loved historical novels, and it was she who got me into this type of book as early as she could - not that I am complaining!
One book I didn't like was "Tom Sawyer".
Maybe it was too American for me ?
Rush did a good job of it though :thumbsup: :D
Quote from: joe cassidy on November 22, 2020, 06:40:55 PM
... the magic painting pages
Yes, I remember them - they were great. Haven't seen any for decades, probably not around any more.
Well being a baby Baby Boomer at 53 my opinion is not strictly relevant. Mind you, as a 50+ year old, white male then I may as well give up!
;)
Anyway, for what it is worth I would recommend The Model Railway Men series of books by Ray Pope, illustrated by Gareth Floyd. The stories covers the adventures of a family of OO sized model railway people. The model railway they live on is a classic of the 1960s with Hornby Dublo, Wrenn and Tri-ang stock.
The first book in the series has been reprinted (by Ray Pope's son) and is available in paperback or digital from Amazon.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Model-Railway-Men-Ray-Pope/dp/0995729115/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=the+model+railway+men&qid=1606223746&sr=8-1 (https://www.amazon.co.uk/Model-Railway-Men-Ray-Pope/dp/0995729115/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=the+model+railway+men&qid=1606223746&sr=8-1)
Mark (Ray's son who is also the Mark in the books) was intending to re-release them all but I assume CV19 put a halt to that.
I posted more information here on my HOLLERTON JUNCTION thread.
https://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/index.php?topic=11342.45 (https://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/index.php?topic=11342.45)
Fortunately, I have been able to assemble a complete collection in hardback over the years. The books are still available (pre-loved) but can be rather expensive.
Kind regards
Paddy
The usual - Famous Five and Secret Seven - but Dad was also a keen angler so this was also on the agenda
(https://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/gallery/102/9076-241120142121.jpeg) (https://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=102358)
In junior school I struggled with reading through having lots of time off with tonsilitis. I can´t have them out as apparently I have an extra blood artery in my throat. I was given books to take home and read with my Mother. After a while I had to stop as I was well in advance of my class. After that there was no stopping me. Into the library 3 times a week on my way home from school and I was allowed to take out more than the usual child allowance. The books that stuck in my mind were about a deepsea salvage tug called Bulldog. Can´t remember who the author was but when I searched as an adult the results didn´t match the memories. My favourite book read in school was Of mice and men which I have re-read a few times since. My improvement in reading got me into trouble a few times as I used to get bored waiting for other class members to read their paragraph so I used to read ahead. I´ll never forget the200 x "I must pay attention whilst other class members are reading"
The Famous Five, Biggles and the Hardy Boys. The local library didn't have much else!!
The usual Biggles, Jennings ("Oh what a frightful bish Derby!"). I thought the Famous Five were a bit girlie but still read my sister's copies :-[ - preferred Pooh Bear if I'm honest. Also remember a character called Brer Rabbit but don't recall anything about him.
While I was a kid a new comic called 'TV Century 21' appeared with stuff like Fireball XL5 and Stingray. (Ayone remember Marina? :heart2: ) I also had a copy of the Venture Bus Company's bus spotters book. Rowlands Gill station and the Derwent Valley line to Consett had closed down so buses were more plentiful than trains!
Quote from: ImpInaBox on November 28, 2020, 02:10:54 PM
While I was a kid a new comic called 'TV Century 21' appeared with stuff like Fireball XL5 and Stingray. (Ayone remember Marina? :heart2: )
I got this comic as well as the Ranger and the Look and Learn when the Ranger merged with with this. as a matter of interest all of the Dalek stories from TV21 have been released recently as a bookazine by the Dr Who magazine.
Yes, I remember Marina! 🥰🥰 My Aunt bought me Look and Learn every week and I had the annual as a present every Christmas.
Quote from: ImpInaBox on November 28, 2020, 02:10:54 PM
Also remember a character called Brer Rabbit but don't recall anything about him.
I used to have some Brer Rabbit books, containing other characters such as Brer Fox and Brer Bear
(I think Brer was a shortened 'brother')
Strangely many books (and toys) used to mysteriously vanish every time we moved house :hmmm: :unimpressed:
Anyone remember Harold Hare ?
How about Moony - he featured in a pre-school comic my Mum used to buy. I found him a bit spooky.
I confess that I used to look at my sister's comics too, especially Jackie in the 70s.
Sometimes I used to pinch the centrefolds for my bedroom wall, but only the likes of R Stewart or James Taylor, not David Cassidy.
Just acquired (for free) a copy of Coot Club one of the Swallows and Amazon series.
It must be 50 years since I last read it and over 40 Since I first moved into the area it's based on.. Will be an interesting experience comparing what I now know, with the book..
Today's post has led me to read the whole thread again (great stuff) and I've remembered after I exhausted the Biggles books I went onto the 'Mettle' series by James MacNell all about Captain Mettle VC. One that particularly sticks in my mind is 'Mettle at Woomera' where the Captain drove a souped up Jag v the baddie's Maserati.
The Carey novels by Ronald Welch - which I rediscovered a couple of years ago. Swallows and Amazons, and Biggles, of course.
Also a science fiction series by Hugh Walters - the titles all referred to one planet or another.
I was lucky as a kid - my older sister taught me to read even before I went to school, and the we had plenty of books in the house; I remember getting stuck into Reader's Digest at a young age although a lot of it went over my head, obviously. It wasn't all high-falutin' stuff, we were allowed a comic a week; I got the Beano, my brother the Hotspur and big sister "Jackie" which, needless to say, I didn't read.
The first book I remember being totally capivated by was "Swallows and Amazons" - I couldn't wait to get home from school and pick up where I'd left off. Eventually I read the entire series and loved them all. In hindsight, "Roger the Cabin Boy" might not be an acceptable name nowadays, neither would "Titty", his young sister.
What an amazing gathering of memories are here!
One set of books that I read from the library that have always stayed with me were the 'Green Sailors' adventures. I must have been about 11 or so and they stuck in my mind along with a whole slew of Westerns, mainly with bodice ripper type covers...
The Green sailors https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0000CI1X9/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_WMACCJJ4W0X8HPW3GPMV (https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0000CI1X9/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_WMACCJJ4W0X8HPW3GPMV)
WE John's wrote an excellent series of sci- fi books ( not quite. Biggles in Space ) - Kings of Space
Also BB, the Forest of Boland light railway
With all this knowledge of early books perhaps someone can answer this one.
Ithink it was in the mid 1950's that I read a book aboutchildren who embarked on a sort of fantasy journey involving wrecked ships in a strange world.
I have no real recollection of the story or plot but recall that the final words, spoken I think by a parrot, were "Finis Halsey, finis". I've tried Googling it without success and wonder if any one out there can help?
Quote from: LASteve on August 25, 2021, 09:21:55 PM
The first book I remember being totally capivated by was "Swallows and Amazons" - I couldn't wait to get home from school and pick up where I'd left off. Eventually I read the entire series and loved them all. In hindsight, "Roger the Cabin Boy" might not be an acceptable name nowadays, neither would "Titty", his young sister.
As our Lady radio Officer puts it for the 3 Rivers Race which competes over the rivers and broads mentioned in COOT CLUB and the BIX SIX...
No Rogering on the radio,...
Quote from: Railwaygun on August 26, 2021, 10:32:09 PM
WE John's wrote an excellent series of sci- fi books ( not quite. Biggles in Space ) - Kings of Space
Iha
Ve a vague recollection of Kings of space but preferred Issac Asimov's Lucky Starr books. Johns als wrote Gimlet books about a commando abd Worrals books a WAAF pilot
An excellent book. My late father bought me a copy of "British Railways Today and Tomorrow" by G Freeman Allen, too.
My memory of books I read at age 10 or less is very vague now - too many technical manuals and Sci-Fi books as a teenager I suspect. I do remember, and still have, my original 'pocket' sized Thomas the Tank Engine books which are well thumbed. I did read comics and such like as my Father worked in the printing industry, and could get those printed by his employer at reduced cost.
Cheers :beers:
I read Black Beauty and Adventures of Robin Hood so many times that I think I still know them off by heart. Other than that it was Enid Blyton ()of course) and a range I haven't seen mentioned - Kemlo by E Elliot
I am not sure if it has been mentioned before in this thread but I read
Little Black Sambo.
Not PC nowadays though.
GE
Tintin, Paddington, Arthur Ransome, WE Johns,Pooh, john Bunyan, and anything that wasn't nailed down in the school library!