Thursday 30 January 2014

Daily Mail Annuals from the 1940s and 50s

I’m having great fun delving into the books featured in last week's post. My idea was to catalogue these as quickly as possible and get them listed on my website. It felt like a good idea, but the problem is I keep coming across stories I remember from my childhood. I had forgotten just how good the Daily Mail Annuals from the 1940s and 50s were. I've found stories by Enid Blyton, W. E. Johns and Noel Streatfield, so of course, I have to read them!  It occurred to me that if I've forgotten the stories, it could be the same for you. 

  So while I have these newly catalogued annuals to hand I'm going to list the stories in each one. I hope this will be useful for anyone searching for a long-lost favourite. For everyone else, please enjoy the pictures.


Daily Mail Annual for Boys and Girls 1945
Daily Mail Annual for Boys and Girls 1945 (sold, thank you for your interest)

Enid Blyton contributed no less than seven stories to the 1945 annual they are - 
You mustn't do that
The beautiful big bone
Ho-Ho plays a trick
The dancing doll 
The foolish frog
Fiddle-de-Dee’s spell
Games in Goblin Land   
Kathryn Lister - On with the show, How Lina won and Pandora's swimsuit
Percy A Clarke Three on a spree 
Evelyn Findlow Shipwrecked kitten

Daily Mail Annual for Boys and Girls 1946
Daily mail Annual for Boys and Girls 1946 (sold, thank you for your interest)

Six Enid Blyton stories in this one;
Cosy’s good turn
The magic watering can 
The toys and the goblins 
Chinky and the brownies
The vanishing potatoes 
The big plush monkey   
Kathryn Lister All’s well that ends well and The gypsy’s plate   
Ross Inglis Moonbeam End 
Percy A Clarke The three gold-diggers   
Mollie Chappell Jennifer at the Pixie school, The gentle giant and The princess who had only one dress
   W. J. Childs The true story of Mr. Bunting, Quite true and Two ways   
Lady Dunn The boy who prayed for music

Daily Mail Annual for Boys and Girls 1947
Daily Mail Annual for Boys and Girls 1947 (sold, thank you for your interest)

Enid Blyton  Peter’s good luck and The coward-boy  
Mollie Chappell  The elf who didn’t know his colours, The half term adventure and The green suit case 
 Percy A Clarke The fourth chum  
Reginald E Horner Why cooks wear crowns  
Nancie Lyle  Romanda and the scarlet clad one   
Betty Rosamond The goldfish who wanted to go straight   
Elsie Scott Timmy to the rescue  
Froom Tyler The truth about Robinson Crusoe


Daily Mail Annual for Boys and Girls 1948
Daily Mail Annual for Boys and Girls 1948 (sold, thank you for your interest)

Froom Tyler The plunder of Peru   
Leonard Yeomans The princess’s swimming pool   
Mollie Chappell The rose coloured spectacles, The pig who flew and The bad tempered clock   
Marjorie P Whitaker The election at Totteridge Towers   
Percy A. Clarke A bike for tubby   
Nancie Lyle The moon is wise


Daily Mail Annual for Boys and Girls 1949
The Daily Mail Annual for Boys and Girls 1949 (sold, thank you for your interest)

Enid Blyton The dog that helped a fairy   
Betty Rosamond Telling the bees   
Mollie Clark Cherry Simplicity Jones   
Percy A Clarke Tubby gets the goat and Teddy Tail in Dreamy Dale   
Mollie Chappell The lizard that lost his tail and Rhona’s rescue   
K. D. Beecroft Alan’s birthday present   
Dorothy Phillips The three wishes and mixed magic   
Froom Tyler Treasure lagoon

The Daily Mail Annual for Boys and Girls 1950 (sold, thank you for your interest)

Noel Streatfeild The audition   
Mollie Chappell Kesembi and the silver bird and the Duiker that ran with his shadow, The marvellous history of the Toby Jug   
Heather Moorland Father Christmas tore his trousers   
Janet Barber Miss Bumble and the caged animals  
 Leslie Barnard Lollop the sheepdog and the King takes a ride
   Percy A. Clarke Tubby on the Trail   
Enid Blyton He belonged to the family   
Froom Tyler the vanished frigates   
Muriel Holland The magpie’s lesson  
 Dorothy Phillips The princess who ran away   
Evelyn Davey-Collins The mermaid who wanted the sun

The Daily Mail Annual for Boys and Girls 1951 (sold, thank you for your interest) 

Noel Streatfeild The pantomime goose  
 Ivy Russell Snap, Crinkle and Jo-jon   
Francis Durbridgel Light fingers   
Janet Barber Mr. Crust and the French language  
Molly Breckons Miracle at Sunningford Farm  Bob Raymond  Lost, stolen or stayed   
Enid Blyton The little girl who cried   
Percy. A. Clarke Texas Tubby   
Leonard Yeomans Peppo and the fiddlestick   
Froom Tyler Blow, my bully boys, blow   
Mollie Chappell The disobedient wind   
Leslie Barnard Carva the fox cub   
Elizabeth Skottowe The Circus Christmas present

The Daily Mail Annual for Boys and Girls 1952 (sold, thank you for your interest)

Noel Streatfeild Skating to the stars  
Froom Tyler Doubloon island   
Percy A. Clarke That chump Tubby   
Bob Raymond Rufus and Flook at St. Moritz   
Francis Durbridge A present from Paul Temple   
Mollie Chappell The island that wanted to live  
Cicely Drury The strange visitor   
Enid Blyton It happened so quickly   
Pamela Richardson Birds of a feather  
 Leslie Barnard Pilotta the forest pony

The Daily Mail Annual for Boys and Girls 1953 (sold thank you for your interest)


Mollie Chappell Striped blind and window box, home for Christmas,and Bush-baby
 Hump Plumstone’s soap symphonies   
Robert Andrews Adventure from a tree top and the special division   
B. L. Kearley Rufus rebels   
Leslie Barnard A day for Kiraska   
Francis Durbridge The ventriloquist’s doll   
Alex Wills Rufus and Flook at Cocklesea   
Enid Blyton A noise in the night   
W E Johns Night Flight a Biggles story

Daily Mail Annual for Boys and Girls 1954

The Daily Mail Annual for Boys and Girls 1954 (sold, thank you for your interest)

Mollie Chappell The missing masterpiece   
Enid Blyton It happened one afternoon   
Mary Ribbons The last picnic   
Jill Lyttelton The temperamental cuckoo clock   
Andrew Roberts Kidnap Castle and The Greenhorn   
Muriel Holland Dinner for a donkey   
Eric Keown Mystery in the marshes   
Michael Dawson Christmas homecoming   
Percy A. Clarke Tubby wins a prize   
Frederic Evan The ring   
Agnes Booth The whistle   
Bissett Lovelock The home zoo   
Alex Wills Rufus and Flook in the county of Umbrage   
Arthur Renton By way of return


Daily Mail Annual for Boys and Girls 1955
Daily mail Annual for Boys and Girls 1955 (sold, thank you for your interest)

Eric Keown Poor Young Haverford
Michael Dawson Sailing dinghy
Tom Pocock Giles and the Laughing Cavalier
Andrew Roberts Four heads together
Enid Blyton The dirty little boy
Leon Garfield The imaginary daughter
R. H. Lowe The treasure hunt
Millicent Harrison Fancy dress for two
Cecil Barr The man from Venus
Sybil Burr Keepers of the kingdom
Dilys Beeston The secret of the old fort
Dorothy Clewes The little dog laughed
Mollie Chappell Fossett’s luck
Joanna Loftus A year in the life of a grey squirrel
 Alex Wills  Rufus and Flook on the Christmas Islands



Vintage children's books

Daily Mail Annuals for Boys and Girls, the Daily Mail Boys Annual and The Daily Mail Annual for girls all catalogued and looking pretty on the shelf. This is a selection of the many annuals in stock. I picked the tiny sprig of catkin on the way back from the Post Office just to prove spring is around the corner even though it's pouring with rain.

It’s hard to believe that 17,000 acres of land on the Somerset levels are underwater. It's been difficult enough for us trying to get around in the floods, but nothing compared to what is going on just up the road. This photograph by Matt Cardy/Getty Images of a submerged car on the main road leading to Muchelney shows how bad things are.


Report and more images here

I hope you are all warm and dry in your respective corners of the world. Unless you live in Australia in which case, I hope your air conditioning is working! xx


Update July 2016: March House books closed on my retirement in 2015, but I do still blog here at March of Time Books and always appreciate your visit. 


Thursday 23 January 2014

Great excitement today!

I don’t often buy books without first viewing them, but I couldn't resist this collection.

I'm offered books on an almost daily basis. Many are not for me, but when they are I either pay a visit or ask the seller to post them. Once I'm happy with condition I send a cheque.  If they are not up to scratch they are returned, with an appropriate amount to cover the seller's costs.  


On this occasion, the collection comprised over 250 books, and the seller lived several hours away. I could hardly ask him to post them, but on the other hand, I didn't want to ask Terry to make the six-hour round trip, to collect them. So I found a courier who could collect and deliver – and hey presto here they are.


I’ve had several conversations with the seller, so I know what's in the collection, but I have no real idea of condition – so fingers crossed!

Essential supplies to hand, a nice blank page in my stock book, and here we go - 
Thanks for calling in, I always enjoy your company. Please help yourself to a ginger biscuit!

Crossposted at The Ibooknet Blog

Friday 17 January 2014

New Year - New Goodies

It may be rainy and dark outside but inside the sun is shining!  
Pretty prints, vintage cards and telegrams together with an array of other beautiful things have taken up residence at March House. 


Lots of beautiful books, including Robbie's Birthday Wish are looking for new homes.  If you like elves and fairies' this is the one for you. Written by Phyllis Johnson with illustrations by Jean Elder.

Robbie’s day is perfect! He's blown out the candles, opened his presents and played with his dog Monty. Now as an extra-special treat he is allowed to stay up late.  He and Monty run out into the garden looking for Tinkletop the fairy. Robbie has visited Fairyland once before, but this time Tinkletop has promised to take Robbie to meet Blinco the bat, Crusty the cobbler, Busyfingers the tailor and the Fairy Queen…


Robbie's Birthday Wish

Two Little Dicky Birds Birthday card - To someone who's so very nice.
Many Happy Returns an illustrated greetings telegram from 1935. 
Mullion Beach in Cornwall limited edition print by Graham Munt.
An Apple for the King published by Renwick of Otley in 1940.
A ticket to the Coronation of their Majesties King George V and Queen Elizabeth May, 1937. 
Vintage 1957 Margaret Tarrant Art Postcard - Morning Carol
Mabel Lucie Attwell and the Boo-boos, a postcard from 1956. 
"I’s right" and hope you are too a lovely black and white postcard from 1930.  
Pretty vintage Valentine Card for My Teacher. 
Disney Snow White Postcard (see previous post here).
Rowland Emett and the Far Tottering and Oyster Creek Railway a postcard from 1951. 
Robbie's Birthday Wish hardback book published in 1950.  
Wishing you all a joyful January,

Update July 2016: All the books featured are now sold. March House books closed on my retirement in 2015, but I am still happily blogging here at March of Time Books. Your visits are always appreciated.

Saturday 11 January 2014

A trip down memory lane for the cost of a postage stamp

Royal Mail is celebrating over sixty years of classic children’s TV with a new stamp collection. This special issue commemorates the 40th anniversary of Bagpuss, probably the most popular British children’s TV character of all time and the 50th anniversary of The Magic Roundabout.

Twelve of the most popular characters from children’s television are included in the set. The full line-up features - Andy Pandy, Ivor the Engine, Dougal from The Magic Roundabout, Bagpuss, Paddington Bear, Postman Pat, Windy Miller from Camberwick Green, Mr. Benn, Uncle Bulgaria from the Wombles, Bob the Builder, Peppa Pig, and Shaun the Sheep.

One of my earliest recollections is watching Andy Pandy on TV - see a previous post here

My son was particularly keen on Mr. Benn, Ivor the Engine and Bagpuss, and we often watched them together when he came in from school. 

Bagpuss, (an old, saggy cloth cat, baggy, and a bit loose at the seams), remains a particular favourite of mine and who could forget Windy Miller - see previous post here, Uncle Bulgaria or Paddington Bear. 

I probably wouldn’t have made the acquaintance of Peppa Pig if it were not for my little granddaughters. They both love anything Peppa! 
Here they are waiting to see Peppa Pig Live at the Adelaide Festival Centre.

Sets of stamps are available from Post Offices after the 7th January. If you would like something rather more special, you could order one of the limited-edition 1st-day covers signed by Emily and Peter Firmin. Available at Buckingham Covers


Peter Firmin and Oliver Postgate were the creators of Bagpus, Ivor the Engine, Noggin the Nog and The Clangers. Emily Firmin is the daughter of Peter Firmin and the inspiration behind Emily from Bagpuss.

Once upon a time, not so long ago there was a little girl and her name was Emily. She had a shop. It was rather an unusual shop because it didn’t sell anything. You see everything in that shop window was a thing that somebody had once lost and Emily had found and bought home to Bagpuss. Emily’s cat Bagpuss, the most important, the most beautiful, the most magical, saggy old cloth cat in the whole wide world.

Bagpuss Opening Intro

Thursday 9 January 2014

Is this the Ideal Home for Snow White?

Now sold, thank you for your interest.

These recently discovered postcards stirred my curiosity. Both show the interior of the Seven Dwarfs cottage, but these are 'real photo postcards' of an actual place. The information on the back of each card is exactly the same; the House of the Seven Dwarfs as built at Olympia, 1938 by Richard Costain from the Walt Disney drawings in the film "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. To my mind, Olympia in 1938 could mean only one thing – The Ideal Home Exhibition. I spent many a happy time there as a child in the 1950s and as a newly married woman in the 1970s.  

For those of you not familiar with the show... it was established in 1908 by the Daily Mail newspaper. Held at the Olympia exhibition complex in London, the first show attracted 160,000 visitors.  Back in 1908 the vast majority of people in Britain lived in rented accommodation, but mass production methods were bringing the dream of owning your own home closer.  The Ideal Home Exhibition was an instant hit with visitors and three more shows were organised before the First World War. After the war, the popularity of the event increased and by the 1930s, most women visiting the exhibition were making do with no more than the help of a ‘daily’. This resulted in a boom for manufacturers introducing an array of gadgets and new inventions. Things we now take for granted like the vacuum cleaner and the electric kettle all made their debut at the show. By 1936, the drive towards labour-saving was aimed at the family kitchen, with an avalanche of potato peelers, stainless steel sinks and single-height work surfaces. This and the building of even bigger and better houses within the exhibition continue to this day, although the event is now held at Earls Court and has been renamed The Ideal Home Show.  



via


These clippings are taken from an advertisement for the 1938 Ideal Home Exhibition. The Dwarfs cottage is listed as one of the attractions.

For those interested in Snow White, I've just added a lovely book to my website. It is a retelling of the classic tale by Cynthia Rylant with paintings by Gustaf Tenggren taken from Walt Disney's animated film.

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is now sold, thank you for your interest

It is when we are most lost that we sometimes find our truest friends. Cynthia Rylant, Walt Disney’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

Sunday 5 January 2014

Chloe Preston and The Dumpty Dumpties

After a previous post about Chloe Preston and the Peek-A-Boos (view here) I was contacted by a lady called Beryl. She rang to ask if the postcards featured in the post were for sale. After I explained they were part of my own collection and not for sale Beryl told me about some of the books given to her when she was a little girl. She asked if I had come across a book called Dumpty Dumpties. Although a fan of Chloe Preston I had to admit I hadn't, and a quick search on Google revealed only one copy for sale in America. A few days later I received a letter from Beryl with several images from her copy of Dumpty Dumpties (reproduced below) 





While Beryl and I were chatting she asked if I had a copy of Chloe Preston and the Peek-A-Boos by Mary Hillier. I didn't but have since found a copy. Beryl if you are reading this, I can confirm Dumpty Dumpties is not listed in Mary Hillier's book.  

Chloe-Preston and the Peek-A-Boos by Mary Hillier

I recently found another Chloe Preston book called The Peek-A-Boos Among the Bunnies published in 1913 by Humphrey Milford. It's in terrible condition with missing pages, scribbles and tears, but I love it! I can't possibly sell it because of the poor condition, but I've happily added it to my collection. These are some of the colour illustrations that are still in good condition;

Maximilian Peek-A-Boo helping Master Alfred Rabbit

Alfred Rabbit and Matilda Peek-A-Boo at the Rabbit Ball

Matilda Peek-A-Boo, Mr. Rabbit and Baby Rabbit 

Matilda and Maximilian Peek-A-Boo

The Peek-A-Boos among the Bunnies is not for sale, but I do have a lovely copy of The Chummy book on my website. Now sold, thank you for your interest.
Chloe Preston provided the artwork for the front cover and 

this lovely colour plate.

Have you seen a copy of The Dumpty Dumpties or any other book illustrated by Chloe Preston? Do you like here illustrations?

Wednesday 1 January 2014

Ernest A Aris, Illustrator 1882 - 1963

Ernest was born in Islington, London on 22 April 1882. His brother Albert was born a year later. Their parents moved to Bradford where Ernest attended the Technical College and School of Art, and earned his diploma under the tutorship of Charles Stephenson. Later at the Royal College of Art in London he studied under Moira and Chambers.

He began his career as a portrait artist and an art teacher, subsequently writing and illustrating children's books. He sometimes wrote under the pseudonym 'Robin A Hood'. He also illustrated seaside postcards using the signature 'EARIS'.  In the 1930's lead figures of domestic and zoo animals were given away with tins of Cadburys Cocoa. The range was gradually extended from an initial release of 15 models to a total of 32, and today, as in the years from 1934 to 1939 they are highly collectable. These brightly clad, hand made and hand painted characters soon captured the imagination of children young and old and as a sales promotion exercise it was a huge success for Cadbury Ltd. It was just as successful for the toy manufacturers William Britain Ltd whose production lines were maintained at full capacity.

As part of the sales promotion cartoon characters featuring the Cococubs adventures appeared in numerous national newspapers, as well as children's and family magazines. The Cococubs were launched quietly onto the unsuspecting world on 26 September 1934 in a small advertisement.

The interesting part form a Ladybird book collector's point of view is that one of the Cococub characters turns out to be none other than Tasseltip from Tasseltip tales by Dorothy Richards. Ernest illustrated over 400 books and wrote and illustrated some 170 children's stories. The majority of his stories were about Wee Woodland Folk, mainly friendly and mischievous anthropomorphic creatures. The tales were not brilliant but the illustrations were inspired. Beatrix Potter recognised this and at a time when her eyesight was failing she commissioned Ernest to do half a dozen illustrations for her. Ernest subsequently made the mistake of calling one of his bunnies 'Peter' and with accusations of plagiarism the two fell out. This was unfair as Ernest had always drawn rabbits and his younger version of Tasseltip, Wee Benjy Brown, was created some 95 years ago. He had a variety of incarnations and a like all bunnies a prolific family.

Ernest's book 'Billie Rabbit' appeared in 1912 and it was from this character that Tasseltip began to evolve. He later appeared in a variety of books from 1916 as, Wee Benjy Brown, Benjy Bunkin, Bunkum Brown, Bunnikin Brighteyes, Bunnikin Brown as well as just plain Bunnikin and so the list goes on. Ernest brought a whole host of his Woodland Folk together in The Browns of Brambledown which featured the Brown family and their four mischievous mites. Their playmates included Mole, Toad, Hedgehog, Squirrels, Robins and Wrens.
The first Tasseltip stories were published at the same time (1947) and it is not surprising that in the drawings all the animals are almost identical but what is more than co-incidence is the similarity in the choice of Woodland Folk. Dorothy Richards and Ernest must have collaborated closely.

He was a popular and humorous chap and often had lunch with authors for whom he illustrated books. Even Beatrix Potter found him 'amusing'. The Browns of Brambledown was republished in 1989 in the Brambledown series as The Rabbits New Home and whilst the story is different the illustrations are the same.

When the six Tasseltip books were re-issued by Ladybird in 1975 they were re-written and re-titled by Sarah Cotton. An illustrator, Roy Smith, was commissioned to 'refresh' the original Aris illustrations. In A Little Silk Apron the patch on Tasseltip's trousers appears on different legs in different pictures; this is changed in the re-printed version Tasseltip Buys a Present. Generally however the central character of the picture remains unchanged but subtle and quite unnecessary changes have been made to the backgrounds.

Aris has been described as an "expert in child psychology" who believed that "the text is an excuse for the pictures". He regularly used a ploy such as moving the patch about to catch the child's interest and to sustain their attention - to 'correct' this is to miss the point entirely. Comparison reveals that the colour of the clothes is often identical for the Cococubs and the characters in the Tasseltip stories. Tasseltip also appears as Frisky in a set of Cigarette cards issued by Churchman's in 1926.
Tasseltip can then be traced back to Benjamin Buntie Bertie Brown, or to use his popular name Benjy Brown, "a bold bad bunny full of mischief, the son of Widow Bunnikin. "

To my mind Ernest's creatures belong in a time that was once real but which becomes less tangible as we grow older.  I think of them in the Cotswold village of Slad, immortalised as the home of English poet, Laurie Lee, where "Our grandmothers wore high laced boots and long muslin dresses, beaded chokers and candlewick shawls, crowned by tall poke bonnets tied with trailing ribbons".

© Dudley Chignall. Not to be reproduced in whole or in part without the author's permission.