Remember when again...

[Greensleeves]

I remember when I was very small that my father read a bed-time story to me and my brother which involved jungle animals.  When we went to bed, my brother told me he could see a hippo under my bed - I was terrified and it was weeks before I could sleep soundly again.  Indeed, I still have a light on on the landing just in case....  And I always buy divan beds so that those pesky jungle animals will have nowhere to hide.

[groom]

I remember reading The Water Babies by Charles Kingsley, I think I was given it as a Sunday School prize. There was Tom, the poor boy who was sent up the chimney and Mrs. Doasyouwouldbedoneby and Mrs. Bedonebyasyoudid. I see it fell out of favour due to its prejudices against a lot of races and religions.

[stevew101]

Did anyone else have a Golly...one of my favourite soft toys that is now very Un-PC....I used to collect the tokens from jam jars to send for the badges...I never realised the racial implications until I was much older...I just saw it as a colourful, happy character that was fun to have.

Carol

Remember collecting the tokens for badges - While on badges - Did anyone join the Butlins Beaver Club?  I still have the badge somewhere!

Steve

[candleflame]

I had a cuddly knitted Golly and all the Golly badges.
Haven't heard of some of wiggy's books. Like others here I found some of the old tales a bit scary.

[ann255]

I used to have an aunt who would collect the labels and send off for the little china figures of golly for me. It was the only time the postman would call with a parcel with my name on it and I used to get so excited when one arrived.  They made up sets, like playing different musical instruments.

I also loved Noddy and Big Ears and when older all the Enid Blyton books. I used to have a weekly/monthly? magazine of hers, but I cannot remember what it was called. Roughly A5 size and with an orange cover, and I would devour it as soon as it arrived.

Favourite book of all time was The Secret Garden, and I used to so wish I could have a secret garden all of my own.  I still love visiting walled gardens when I go to NT places.

[Maggie.]

I think this has cropped up on another thread, but Beatrix Potter's The Tale of Samuel Whiskers scared me when I was very small.  The pictures in the book are quite terrifying.  I still have a copy of the book and I was looking at it the other day with my 43 year old son.  He told me the story and pictures still disturbed him.......... mind you, this over 6ft tall son still requires help in getting a spider out of the bath. 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Tale_of_Samuel_Whiskers_or_The_Roly-Poly_Pudding

[Maggie.]

Ann - was the Enid Blyton magazine this one:

http://www.enidblytonsociety.co.uk/enid-blytons-magazine.php

I used to read it too.

Also Sunny Stories : http://www.enidblytonsociety.co.uk/enid-blytons-sunny-stories.php

And: http://www.enidblytonsociety.co.uk/sunny-stories-for-little-folks.php

[Greensleeves]

Oh gosh Maggie, I had forgotten all about Sunny Stories - my first comic, if I remember correctly.

[Greensleeves]

How many people remember the Coronation?  That was just so exciting.  My mother bought me a dress in red, white and blue, and we had what seemed like an endless round of parties and other celebrations.  At our school - Watton Primary in Norfolk - we had a day of maypole dancing and singing and making a dreadful noise on our recorders and drums for local dignitaries, and we were all presented with a tin of smarties with a picture of the Queen on a horse on front, and then we lined up to be each given a New Testament with our names inscribed therein.

Then we had  another party where we had the most wonderful food and were each presented with a Coronation Mug - I immediately dropped mine and it smashed.  Despite crying long and loud, I wasn't given another one.

And just when we were almost sated by it all, the film of it came out and we were all taken to the cinema to see the gold coach and the pomp of the ceremony itself.