If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to contact me.
Older comments can be found by clicking the link at bottom of recent comments.
FAQ:
- Where can I buy these comics?
- This is just a fansite I like to talk about these comics but I don’t sell comics on this site. There are a few places that you can find these comics, the big places are ebay and London shop 30th century comic. Check out their website here. There are a few other specialist shops, car boot sales and websites that you may get lucky with too.
- I’m looking for the name of a story?
- Happy to help if I can, but good to note the more detail you can give the better, even if its just when you would have read the story. For example “A talented girl that is mistreated by cruel relatives” could be the plot summary for many stories! The comics uk forum is also full of helpful people: http://comicsuk.co.uk/forum/index.php as well as facebook groups like “Girls Comics – UK”.
Regarding the request made by Sarah Hilary (26 April 2020), I have all the instalments of ‘The Sacred Song Of Kate Darby’ which appeared in MANDY 347 (8 September 1973) – 360 (8 December 1973), and I will be willing to scan these for her if she would like me to.
Regrettably I’m going to have to withdraw both my scanning offers as I cannot for some reason activate the link between my scanner and my printer, and my computer-literate friend, who has an Honours Degree in Computer Science from Plymouth University, is currently unable to come to my house to sort the problem out.
Regarding the failure of the scanner/printer link, I should have looked closer to home. My son Russell came round this afternoon on an entirely different matter, and as I was looking a bit stressed he wanted to know why. When I explained, he sat at my desk, checked a few connections, and then said “I think you’ll find that’s sorted now, dad.” I’ve spent much of the rest of the day scanning and printing nine instalments of ‘The Secret Song Of Kate Darby’ for Sarah Hilary on this platform. I will scan the last five tomorrow. Thereafter, charity will begin at home…..and end there.
Hi Derek,
I didn’t look at theses comments in time to save you some work! I supplied some digital scans of Kate Darby to Sarah a while back.
Every instalment? I’ve spent hours this morning, Lorraine, scanning and printing off every instalment of ‘The Secret Life Of Kate Darby’ since about 8.30 because I said I would honour my promise. I sent you a message earlier on ComicsUK to let you know, and to ask for your full address, so that you could act as an intermediary between me and Sarah as I felt that it would be inappropriate to ask for her address. It brings a whole new meaning to the expression ‘a waste of time’!!!!!!!!!!!!
Perhaps you could find out within a week from now, Lorraine, (i.e. until 12.30 p.m. July 5), if anyone else wants them. I’ll hold on to them until then.
I will let you know, also I’ve replied to your message on comicsuk.
As no reply was received by the 12.30 p.m. deadline, my spare set of the full run of ‘The Secret Song Of Kate Darby’ is now in the bin, covered with the broken shells of the four hard-boiled eggs I had for my lunch, and crusts of the peanut butter sandwiches I had for my tea. Clearly all members who could have wanted them already have them, which I am of course happy about.
Please note, Briony, that I have just left a comment regarding Mr Constantine, in which I suggest that you scroll back on this thread to 4th March 2020. The answer to your question about him is there.
An update on my thinking about BUNTY AND HER MANY SISTERS. To avoid confusion, the book will be in two distinct sections. The summaries of the serial stories that I have selected for inclusion will be in Part 1. The summaries of the chosen novels will be in Part 2.
Love your site, it brings back memories! I was wondering if you remember a story, I think it was called ‘Little Miss No Name’, it was about a girl taken from her family and brought up by Gypsies? Do you know this story and would you know what comic it was from? it would be from the 70s or 80s. It’s the only story I remember from back then!
The story might be “Miss No Name” from Jinty. It ran 24 January 1976 – 29 May 1976.
Ron Lumsden is an old family friend of ours, when we lived in a small town in north of Scotland.
I’d really like to contact him to see how he is but we all lost contact a while back before social media was trending 🙂 This is the only website I can find with his details so I’m assuming he’s not doing professional drawings anymore but wondered if anyone had an email address for him? Or anyone that could pass on my email address. Sarah’s daughter if he’s looking at this page!
Hi Gemma, Ron isn’t someone I’ve had contact with but I’ll see if someone from one of the other comic forums can help.
Hi, wonderful site, have enjoyed reading posts and such memories of childhood comics! So I wonder if anyone can advise me. I’m not interested in buying/collecting comics, however, as a now pensioner, I would really love to reread the Jinty/Jinty and Lindy comics. Any idea how I can achieve this without having to fork out a fortune? Thank you
If you are interested in Jinty, you should certainly have a look at this website, if you haven’t done so already:
https://jintycomic.wordpress.com/about/
As well as very comprehensive information about the comics, there are a lot of scans of extracts from the stories, and some of the short stories are reproduced complete.
You could start with this page on the Jinty website. There are some duplicates available for swapping or purchase https://jintycomic.wordpress.com/issues/issue-for-sale-wants-list/
Car boot sales, charity shops and second hand book shops are also possible. 30th Century Comics is also worth checking out. There are also volume reprints of some Jinty stories out now.
You said that you’re not interested in buying comics, but it might be worth mentioning also that comic publishers Rebellion have started to reissue complete serials from Jinty in book form. Reprints so far are “Land of No Tears”, “The Human Zoo”, “Fran of the Floods” and “Concrete Surfer”.
https://treasuryofbritishcomics.com/
I’ve remembered there are some Jinty’s in a local second hand bookshop. Would you like me to purchase them for you?
Thank you both for your responses. To Mistyfan, that’s a very kind offer….if you wouldn’t mind letting me know how much they would cost, I would be very grateful; the individual issues I have seen on websites seem to be charging £3/4 per comic and I certainly can’t justify spending that much on childhood memories? Thanks again, and for such speedy replies. S.
Hello Mistyfan, did you see my response to your message about second hand bookshop regarding Jinty comics, there’s so much on site I am having trouble finding my own comments let alone any replies. If u didn’t see it, I said I was grateful for your offer, and if you could let me know what shop was charging, depending on price, I may well take you up on your offer to purchase for me, but I have to be able to justify price over memories. Thank you. S
Hi Sally, I’ve messaged Mistyfan directly and passed along your email so she can get in touch directly.
That’s very kind, thank you.
Hi Lorrsadmin, Goof has advised me that you might be a go between to enable me to send my address to him…do I need your email to achieve this?
Sally
Sally, I was having a clear-out yesterday and found I have 10 duplicate Jintys. They run (with several gaps) from 25 February to 10 June 1978. They include about half of “Concrete Surfer”, as well as parts of “Shadow on the Fen”, “Paula’s Puppets” and “Cathy’s Casebook”, among others. If they are of interest, and don’t duplicate the comics which Mistyfan may be able to get for you, I’d be happy to send them to you for free.
Please let me know if you’d like me to do so. I’m sure Lorrsadmin would be prepared to act as go-between in sending me your postal address.
Hi.. I’ve been trying to track down for years a story that would have been in either Bunty, Judy or Mandy in the late 70s- early 80s. It started in historical times with a young girl given a horse called “Zeerie” (spelling might not be correct – this was over 40 years ago!) The horse died falling over a cliff saving her life. Then as we move down the years the ghost horse becomes a protector of the family or people who move into the mansion, his grave marker carving fading when he appears? Can anyone shed any light on this please? It’s stayed with me for so long, I’d love to find it! Thanks!
The story is “The Ghost of Manderlay” from Judy it started in issue #858 (19 June 1976). http://girlscomicsofyesterday.com/2022/07/the-ghost-of-manderlay/
Hello Good, you’re very kind and that’s a very generous offer. The answer is yes, but I’d like to pay you for them, I couldn’t just take them for free. And please add p&p and tell me how to pay, will it be a cheque or are there other ways.. not great with technology I’m afraid.
Please let me know what suits you and I also don’t understand about Lorrsadmin, who is this?
Many thanks
Sally
Hello Goof, you’re very kind and that’s a very generous offer. The answer is yes, but I’d like to pay you for them, I couldn’t just take them for free. And please add p&p and tell me how to pay, will it be a cheque or are there other ways.. not great with technology I’m afraid.
Please let me know what suits you and I also don’t understand about Lorrsadmin, who is this?
Many thanks
Sally
That’s fine, but there’s really no need to pay me for them. I wouldn’t have tried to sell them in any event; I’m not registered as an eBay seller, and I don’t know any shop that would pay me anything to speak of for such a small number of comics. If you hadn’t been interested in them, I would have given them to a charity shop. I’m glad they will be going to a good home.
Lorrsadmin is the creator of this website. She has already liaised between you and Mistyfan, and I would suggest that you send her your postal address, so she can pass it on to me.
Lorrsadmin, would you mind emailing Sally for her address details (if she doesn’t already have your email), and then emailing them to me, please? Thanks in advance.
Thank you again, and I accept wholeheartedly, you’re most kind.
Sally.
Hi Goof, haven’t heard anything back from Lorrsadmin, as soon as I do, will send my address.
Just didn’t want you to think I’d forgotten.
Sally
Hello Good, thank you so much for the comics which I received today 21st. I can’t wait to get stuck in, but at the same time, I want to savour them…I’m sure you understand what I mean lol. Sincerely, thank you. Sally x
Sorry Goof, bloody predictive text!!!
Glad they’ve arrived promptly, and I hope you enjoy them.
Hi Sally, I’ve sent you an email now. Lorraine
Hello Girls Comics Guardians:
My name is Paul Nagle and I am a Visiting Assistant Professor in the Department of Film, Television and Digital Media at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).
First and foremost, I hope and trust that that you and all those near and dear are enduring well these terribly fretful and anxious times.
I am writing in connection with a book project that I am co-authoring with a historian, Professor Neal Rosendorf. The book is a biography of the motion picture producer Samuel Bronston (1908-1994). Bronston is best-remembered for the series of colossal epic films he produced in the early-Sixties in Franco-era Spain, including “EL CID”, “THE FALL OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE” and “KING OF KINGS”.
It is a very scholarly project and has become almost as epic as one of Bronston’s films; to date we have done interview and archival research in eight different countries (nine, if you count the Vatican!) and in some twenty different states. We have interviewed over one hundred and forty people who knew or worked with Bronston.
And yes, in the course of our extensive research, we have come across a Girls Comics connection that we are hoping you can help us with.
The last of the Bronston films produced was 1964’s “CIRCUS WORLD” (it was released in the U.K. with the title “THE MAGNIFICENT SHOWMAN”). It is that film – a giant period piece about a circus touring Europe – that brings me to the reason for contacting you today.
The film had an impressive lead cast: John Wayne, Rita Hayworth and Claudia Cardinale. It also featured many of the leading circus performers of the day. One of those was a twelve year-old high wire artist named Katharyna Rosenberg (although professionally she was billed as simply “Katharyna”). From what we have learned, Young Miss Katharyna was the subject of a profile in the 1965 “JUDY FOR GIRLS”. The article is entitled “Big Top Ballerina” and ran on pages 44-47.
As you can imagine, we are eager to see a copy of the article, as information on Miss Katharyna has been difficult to come by. Alas, copies of “JUDY FOR GIRLS” are hard to come by here in the American Colonies, even at the largest research libraries in the country. We need only that article (although I have to say that the cover illustration makes the entire issue look adorable).
We would be eternally grateful if you or someone that you know who has the 1965 “JUDY FOR GIRLS” edition could send me a copy of that one article. You would make two Yank scholars very happy if you could. If not, we’ll start prowling around the various collectors and auction sites to see if we can rustle one up.
I must admit that I was unfamiliar with the genre of “Comics for Girls” until I came across this reference and I am very pleased that I did. I have the utmost respect for archivists, collectors and aficionados of all aspect of popular and vintage culture and have been most appreciative of those instances where their passion has made a contribution to our scholarly work.
Be well. Stay well.
With All Best Regards from California, I Am, Most Truly Yours —
– PAUL NAGLE
Paul Nagle
Visiting Assistant Professor
UCLA Department of Film, Television and Digital Media
(310) 880-7987
(310) 230-6896 – telefax
pnagle@ucla.edu
Hi Paul, I can send you on scans of that story from Judy 1965 for you to look at (copyright is with DC Thomson). I should be able to get that later today.
An update on ‘BUNTY AND HER SISTERS’.
There will be just two changes from the information I posted on 25 June 2020. First, the title will revert to ‘BUNTY AND HER SISTERS – A Nostalgic Retrospective’. Secondly, there will be 2923 entries at 13 to a page, rather than the 1900 that I had originally promised. See the breakdown below.
A>D – 561
E>H – 421
I>L – 388
M>P – 543
Q>S – 561
T>V – 264
W>Z – 185
The first entry will be ‘The Abominable Snowman’ (DIANA 406 – 416), the final one being ‘Zodiac Girl’ (SPELLBOUND 22 > 35). I anticipate a publication date somewhere around next March, and while I’m guessing somewhat where the cover price is concerned, I suspect that it will be in the region of £30 plus p&p.
Where inclusion of any specific story title is concerned, the following are my criteria for selection.
a. I have to have in my personal collection the first episode of the serial, the final episode, and a goodly number of other instalments in order to ensure that my summaries will be accurate and meaningful.
b. The above obviously means that if I have only one, or any two, of those three requirements, that serial will not feature.
c. As the book will be all my own work, I will not be accessing any relevant previously-written books, nor will I be searching on line for information, as I have discovered that quite often such information is incorrect.
Sounds like it will be very informative Derek, that’s a lot of entries! Will be something to look forward in March.
Despite my earlier assertion that novels for girls would be included in BUNTY AND HER SISTERS, I have changed my mind. Part 2 will therefore not now be written.
Novels for girls could be for another book. For this book you could discuss them in context of girls comics, as they are related: inspiration, strip adaptations from books, and strips adapted for publication, such as “A Horse Called September” by Ann Digby.
Hi,
I’ve been wondering if you might like someone to write some reviews of Mandy Picture Libraries? Because I have a lot of those, as well as a handful of older Judy Picture Libraries. I really like your site, it’s helped me out a lot, so I would love to give a little back. 🙂
Thanks for the kind words and offer. I’ll pm you.
The author of ‘A Horse Called September’, Briony, was Anne Digby, like the “Anne with an E” in ‘Anne Of Green Gables’.
Please can anyone help, I have been searching for years!
What I am looking for is:
It was a feature on famous diamonds that ran on intermittent pages in either Mandy or Bunty (most likely – those are the ones I remember) in the 1970s. It’s not like the colourful detailed pages on famous diamonds in the Bunty 1976 annual. It was more of a large, simple illustration on each I think?
There is one picture in particular: of a man cutting the Cullinan diamond then fainting after striking the first blow! It is a great image I’ve never been able to forget, but I don’t know which annual it was in, all long lost in the mists of time now, sadly.
If this feature was in an annual, it looks as if it wasn’t in any of those published by DC Thomson (Bunty, Mandy, Judy, Diana and Debbie). This website has complete listings of the features in these annuals, and the only possible candidate that I can see is the series on famous diamonds in Bunty 1975 and 1976 that you already know about.
Could it have been in another annual? Princess, Princess Tina, June, Tammy and Jinty all published annuals during the 70’s; also School Friend, Girls’ Crystal, Sally and Sandie. Could it have been in any of these?
Alternatively, could it have been published as a series in the weekly comics?
Thank you for your speedy reply! It was definitely an annual, and definitely like the feature pages of Bunty annuals. It was a full page on each, like the Sugar Plum fairy and Coppelia ballet pages in a similar annual. Twinkle, Bunty and Mandy were the main ones my sister and I used to have.
Yes, we may also have had June, Tammy or Jinty annuals too though! I have been looking through contents pages all over the place online. No joy so far though. If anyone does remember, or happens upon them, a message here would be brilliant. Thank you.
I’ve checked the June, Tammy and Jinty 1970’s annuals, but no luck. Could it have been in a non-comic annual? It sounds like the kind of thing that might have appeared in “Look and Learn” or something similar.
Yes, I guess so, Look and Learn rings a bell. Thanks so much, Goof. It’s very much appreciated. The search.. as they say.. continues.
I think I may have found this feature, I’ve already PM’d but in case anyone else was interested. There is feature about Cullinan Diamond at the back of Lucky Charm #30 Sisters of the Secret Pool that matches description.
http://girlscomicsofyesterday.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Cullinan-Diamond.jpg
Hello,
I was very interested in this story (http://girlscomicsofyesterday.com/2014/04/wendy-and-the-wee-ones/). As it turns out though, it doesn’t originate or start in Issue #1135…as I have found it starting back in #1132…so far that is. I just wanted to inquire if that is the starting point for the story or does it originate in any issue(s) farther back?
I just looked and “Wendy and the Wee Ones” begins in Bunty #1131 (September 15, 1979).
Oh, thank you for that. Now I just have to find that issue.
I don’t suppose anyone does have that specific issue (i.e. Bunty #1131 15th September 1979)? I found the rest on Ebay, but this one is a rare one I cannot find anywhere it seems.
This probably isn’t any use to you as you already have the rest of the story, but I remember reading somewhere that the serial was reprinted in full in Bunty Monthly/Best of Bunty No 5. This is probably at least as rare as Bunty #1151, but it might be worth looking out for in case it turns up.
I’m coming in rather belatedly on this thread due to having arrived back home in Cornwall quite late by train from Paddington, having spent the last eight days in London with my elder son who lives in a quite spacious flat roughly half way between Raynes Park and Wimbledon, and on several days with his two delightful daughters (8 and 6), who we took to school and back from Monday to Thursday, and frankly I didn’t even want to leave. I have just checked my BUNTY collection, and I do have issue 1131. What in particular do you want to know, Brian, about that episode of ‘Wendy And The Wee Ones’?
Appreciate that, Derek. Yet, as luck would have it, I found the issue eventually on Ebay…though it wasn’t easy and will take a while to ship. To answer your question, I originally purchased issues 1132-1146 for that particular story, but found out that the beginning of said story did not actually begin in issue 1132…which meant I had to find issue 1131. I don’t like reading things in medias res.
I also found out that the serial or story was also reprinted in Bunty Monthly 2001 Issue No. 5…but that is even rarer to find, lol.
Just out of curiosity, Brian, I unearthed my five copies of BUNTY MONTHLY because I felt sure that issue No. 5 did not have that title. In fact only the first two do. The remaining three have the title THE BEST OF BUNTY. Furthermore, despite the fact that according to the information on the front cover of issue 5 that the stories within are ‘Wendy’s Wishing Well’ and ‘The Dreams Of Dolwyn’, the editor has clearly failed to notice that ‘Wendy’s Wishing Well’ had ended the previous week. ‘The Dreams Of Dolwyn’ continued to its natural ending in issue 5. ‘Wendy And The Wee Ones’ is actually the long complete [47 pages] in issue 5 (July 2001).
So I was right then? That complete story is in Bunty Monthly No. 5?
I have deleted offensive comments. Any personal attacks are not tolerated on this site.
I was a collector of Nikki in the 80s and have memories of a story involving a girl in a jungle setting with a crashed plane that had a painting of a woman on it, like from the war. I never bought any other comics as a child so i was certain it had to be a Nikki story, more likely from the earlier period of publication (85) when i bought every copy. Do you know of any such story?
I’m sorry to have to disappoint you, Saira, but no such serial ever appeared in NIKKI.
Hi there, I’m from New Zealand and one year our teacher brought a whole bunch of English girls comics to school. (This was in the 1980s but the comics were probably a bit older by that stage). Needless to say we girls pored over them, but unfortunately I can’t remember the names of any of them. One had a story about two orphan girls who were taken out of the orphanage by a man who was the father of one of them but no one was quite sure which one. These two girls must have been left at the orphanage as babies, and their identities had possibly been mixed up. The father spent time with them trying to determine which was his daughter (and they both wanted to be the one) – in the end he was on the point of discovering which was his daughter (he had a letter mentioning a birthmark) but he threw the letter away and decided to keep both girls. Another story was about a girl who’s father was trying to invent a sewing machine. And yet another was about a girl who had a household tips book of her grandmother’s which seemed to be incredibly useful in every situation. At the end of the story she had to burn the book because they desperately needed light, and then she used the hard covers as a splint for a broken leg.
Do any of these stories ring a bell and are they all from one comic series, or multiple titles?
I think they are all Mandy stories. The first story is definitely Double Trouble from Mandy: http://girlscomicsofyesterday.com/2013/12/double-trouble/
The second one sound like: Mary and her Marvellous Machine: http://girlscomicsofyesterday.com/2013/11/mary-and-her-marvellous-machine/
The third one I’m not too sure about, I think it may be a Mandy story too.
The third story is ‘Aunt Kate’s Household Companion’. It runs in MANDY 333 (June 2 1973) – 343 (August 11 1973).
The title “Double Trouble” was most often used with doppelgänger stories (e.g. Bunty and M&J), but it’s interesting to see the title used for a different context.
Thankyou so much, it’s great to put a title to those stories.
Members may be interested to learn that I have today reached an agreement with DEANPRINT of Stockport, Cheshire, for them to print 200 copies of my next book BUNTY AND HER SISTERS, with a publication date yet to be decided as I am still writing it, but I estimate that it will be somewhere between 16 March and 30 April 2021. Our colleague Lorraine Nolan has agreed to write a comprehensive review of the book for you on this platform just prior to its publication, which should help members to decide whether they would like to buy a copy, or not, of course!! I estimate that the book will be 300 pages long, and will contain summaries of all serials in the eleven titles for girls produced by D. C. Thomsons that I consider worthy of inclusion, various batches of selections of coloured images of front covers, and all 30 issues of LUCKY CHARM, plus a multitude of b/w scans of the heading-block picture preceding episode one of the chosen serials. I estimate that each copy will cost purchasers £35/£40, plus p&p to wherever in the world they are.
Of the 200 copies mentioned above, I will retain two, I will send two to D. C. Thomsons for their library, as I did with my earlier books ‘Free Gifts In The Big Five’ (2005) and ‘This Was The Wizard (2014), one to my friend Ray Moore, although we have never met as he lives up near Newcastle, about as far away from Hayle in Cornwall where I now live as it’s possible to be, because it was Ray who gave me such a lot of the information that I was able to include in my second book ‘THIS WAS THE WIZARD’ (2014), and who has been as supportive of my writing since day one as I was of his. That was why I gave him joint authorship of it. Six more copies have to go to the Legal Deposit Libraries, all of which have a legal right to one copy of EVERY published item in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, those being The British Library, The National Library Of Scotland, The National Library Of Wales, The Library Of Trinity College, Dublin, The Bodleian Library in Oxford, and The University Library, Cambridge. A further four, signed by the author, will go, one each, to the four girls to whom the book will be dedicated, my granddaughters, Lois Victoria Marsden (14) [my younger son Russell’s daughter], Aurora Marisol Marsden-Reilly (8), Kelsey Marianne Marsden-Reilly (6) [my elder son Andrew’s two daughters], and the ever-laughing Ava Isabella Woods (5) [my great granddaughter]. This will therefore leave 185 for sale, but as I am alerting you so much in advance, you will have plenty of time to save up, wrench the top off your piggy bank, or whatever container you use to house your pounds, pence, groats, euros or bawbees, or whatever currency you use to buy your milk, groceries, alcohol etc. If you would like to place an order, please feel free to do so but DON’T send any payment until I let you know here that I have the books in my house. The 200 items of packaging arrived the day before yesterday from KITE PACKAGING, so in some ways at least I am ahead of the game!
Good to hear! How do we order?
Just state here, Briony, that you want a copy. When the 200 copies of the book are delivered to me, I will alert all members via this platform. There is no need for you to do more as unless you have moved from R…… T…… I already have your address.
Apart from pay for the book, that is!!!
Please put me down for a copy, Derek. Please also let me know when you want my name and address, and I’ll PM you via Comics UK.
I have now done so, Goof. Thank you. If you read the message I have just sent to Mistyfan, it will save me from repeating that information, which is relevant for all potential purchasers. It’s 1am and I’m just chilling out with a glass of red before going to bed. Two orders on one day, and the book is mostly still in my head!
Yes, I will be moving – twice – next year.
As I do not have issue 53 of DIANA, I need to know the title of the ‘Dixie’ serial that begins in that issue. The advert in 52 reads thus, [“Dixie” A great new ballet story with Dixie and her friends from Chingley Hall Ballet School]. The title in 54 is ‘Dixie And The Ticklish Twins’, the introductory blurb stating that Dixie and two friends, Della Palmer and Liz Lamb have spent the night at Mrs Fortescue’s where they had danced earlier. In other words, is the title in 53 ‘Dixie’ or ‘Dixie And The Ticklish Twins’?
“Ticklish Twins”? They had that in the title? Seriously?
I’m giggling!
Apart from issue 53, Briony, which I don’t have in my collection, a fact by the way that instantly eliminates the serial from any possibility of its inclusion in my forthcoming book, as one of the three criteria for inclusion is obviously missing, there is no mention anywhere of the reason for the ‘ticklish’ description. I have just read the story again from 54 to its final instalment in 60 (11 April 1964), and there is absolutely no evidence that the twin baby Fortescue boys, Tim and Kevin, that Dixie Kidd, Della Palmer and Liz Lamb have been asked to look after because the children’s mother and father have had to rush off to Paris on a matter of life or death, are ticklish. They are more than a bit of a handful though, especially as the girls have to take the twins with them to their own school. Their problems have barely surfaced by the end of the first instalment.
Somehow I don’t think the (hee, hee) Ticklish Twins went up for reprint.
Hello, I cannot find any Lucky Charm girls mags as they come in 1-30 in all and I only got a few as I couldn’t afford to buy them each weeks back in those time. I had a few when my granddaughter came to stay with me she was bore so I let her have a read of my Lucky Charm and she love them and wanted to read more which sadly I didn’t have any more. It there any chance that I can have a copy of all the 30 or where I can buy them from as I would love to give my granddaughter as birthday present.
I’m afraid that you won’t find this easy, as Lucky Charm comics are quite rare. I see that there’s one for sale on eBay at the moment – but it isn’t cheap..
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Lucky-Charm-Vintage-Girls-Comic-Magazine-Kathy-Come-Home/303675337752?hash=item46b475ec18:g:yfwAAOSwovFdveeb
Hi Helen,
Just out of curiosity, and of course you don’t have to reply if you don’t want to, but as your surname is very unusual, I’m wondering whether you are related to a Gabriel (Gabby) Panayi [birthday 9-11-1940], who joined Lancaster Royal Grammar School (LRGS) in September 1953, and on the basis of his 11+ result was placed in the top form (2 alpha : there was no Year 1). He was in the 5th form (year 11 these days) in 1956-1957, and was a member of Singleton House.
Regards,
Derek Marsden (LRGS 1951-1959 : Birmingham University 1959- 1962 : 1963 if you count my year in the Education Department).
P.S. If I remember correctly, Gabby went on to one of the Oxford or Cambridge colleges. He was certainly bright enough to have done so.
No reply as yet from Ms. Panayi, I notice, two months after the question I asked her on 8 January. Still, as my mother used to say, “Hope springs eternal in the human breast”. She also used to say, actually quite regularly, “Patience Is A Virtue”, so maybe there is still some hope.
In the ‘The Most Evil Girls In Girls’ Comics’ thread on the Comics UK platform on 26 June 2018, one of the evil girls mentioned by Tammyfan was Carol Davies from “Captain Carol” in BUNTY. Could somebody please give me the issue numbers and dates for that serial.
Hi Derek, Captain Carol ran in Bunty: #2045 (22 March 1997) – #2054 (24 May 1997)
http://girlscomicsofyesterday.com/2016/07/captain-carol-1997/
Thank you very much, Lorraine, for your prompt reply. As I do have issue 2045, and therefore the heading block illustration, I will now be able to include ‘Captain Carol’ in BUNTY AND HER SISTERS. Your reply has though saved me a lot of searching because I wouldn’t have known where to start, and although I haven’t yet read the serial, it does sound like a contender. Apologies for my delay in replying but I switched my computer off early yesterday, and spent the evening reading and watching TV.
I would like to wish all members and friends a happy Christmas and a great 2021.
And a happy Christmas to you and your family, Derek.
Happy Christmas and New Year to you both.
Just a gentle reminder, Lorraine, that you haven’t yet sent me your new address so that I can send you the promised copy of ‘The Four Marys In Four Great Stories’ (BUNTY Picture Story Library For Girls No. 372 : Near Mint Condition). If you are unwilling to email or text me your address, please join COMICS UK because you would then be able to use their PM (Private Message) service. On that platform my username is Phoenix. I am a ‘guru’, which I suspect that in that context means ‘know-all’!!! There are only two of us on the top of that lonely mountain, Ray Moore being the other. We’ve been friends for over 30 years without ever having met, not too surprising as he lives near Newcastle on Tyne, although we ring each other reasonably regularly. There was only ever a slim chance of our meeting up when I lived in Maghull on Merseyside but now that I live in Cornwall there is even less chance of our ever meeting. Perhaps in the summer I could have a holiday up that way!?! Certainly the last (and only) time I went to the Tyneside/Northumberland area was to attend an interview at Sunderland Teachers Training College. I had to travel up by train from Lancaster, where I lived at the time, educated at Ryelands County Primary School and Lancaster Royal Grammar School, to Carlisle, from where I got the train to Newcastle, where I caught a train to Sunderland. They told me after the interview that they would consider my application in the light of my apparent preference for a university education, but the interviewer’s demeanour seemed to indicate that the panel would be likely to reject my application. I was 18 at the time, but as I got into Birmingham University to read Modern Languages (Spanish and Portuguese : main for three years – French : subsidiary for one year), I was able to accept Sunderland’s formal rejection as they were a fall-back at best, but whatever their languages courses were, and I can no longer remember what they were, the college simply hadn’t really appealed to me. Coincidentally, I did nevertheless subsequently have a 40-year career in the classroom.
Back to Ray. We were, and of course still are, very fond of stories for both boys and girls, mainly those in the output from D C Thomsons, and mainly due to the impetus provided by pioneers in the hobby such as our late friend Colin Morgan, who produced an absolutely magnificent book on early pop music called ‘FIRST HITS’, and a stiff-backed, foolscap-sized exercise book in which he made a more or less complete listing of Thomsons’ entire output for boys, and such serials for girls that he had discovered, which I inherited when he died. His influence though was massive, so much so that several national daily newspapers carried quite separate obituaries. Ray’s books focus(s)ed on Thomsons’ humour titles. He wrote ‘THE BEANO DIARIES (two volumes) : THE MAGIC INDEX : THE DANDY MONSTER INDEX (1937-1990) : TOPPER TALES – A COMPLETE INDEX, and THE BOOK OF THE BEEZER. My output is meagre by comparison, FREE GIFTS IN THE BIG FIVE (250 copies with a published price of £30, at a cost to me of £3,300 in 2005 by D C Thomsons themselves, they even delivered them from Dundee to my house in Maghull [only 8 mint copies still unsold so I will eventually put them on eBay at c£45 as they are as rare as hens’ teeth) and THIS WAS THE WIZARD (published at £25 in 2014 : a copy sold by phil-comics on eBay a week or so back for £36), and I gave Ray joint author billing as he gave me such a lot of information about the writers and illustrators, which seriously enhanced my work, the Introduction in particular. I think it unlikely that he will have much of an input into BUNTY AND HER SISTERS but many years ago when I was starting to put together my collection of story papers for girls, he was enthusiastic, and whet my appetite with comments and important information, especially about early serials in BUNTY, JUDY, and MANDY, very few of which I had acquired at that time. It is not well known but there was a time, brief though it was, when Colin, Ray, and I were planning to bring out all our future books under the 3M imprint (Morgan, Marsden and Moore) Colin’s death put an instant end to that idea!! I subsequently created a personal publishing company, which I called ‘Darsym Press’ and a logo, which appears on the base of the spine of my books. The word ‘Darsym’ is a composite of my primary school nickname Darsy Marsy.
Hi Derek, I did send you my new address when you emailed about reviewing your book, but as that was a while back, to save you searching back through old emails, I’ll send it on again.
I’m sorry to hear that your 3M plan had to be cut short because of your friends death. I’m sure you would have all had interesting books under that imprint. Darsym Press will do well on it’s own too, I’m sure.