Desperate Dan

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Swift was the comic I was "allowed". It was edited by John Chancellor, who tried to maintain a sensitive but high moral standard. He was under pressure to popularise the comic, and resigned. From then on, Swift went rapidly downhill and then merged with Eagle, which effectively meant it closed down.

I have fond memories of Tammy the Sheepdog, the Ladybird Adventurers and Tarna, Jungle Boy

[Lateralthinking1]

Interesting to see all the household politics involved in access to comics. My parents had no strong political affiliations and didn't have any thoughts much on religion. Funnily enough, that doesn't mean at all that there weren't all kinds of standards.

Toys and games had to be for learning purposes. The rest were seen as a waste of money. Books and other things to do with words were encouraged but spending too long on them was unhealthy and I should get out into the fresh air.

Blue Peter yes but Magpie no. Sweets yes but chewing gum no. Records no - they were also a waste of money. Tapes yes.

Anything to do with war was a completely no go area. When I saw war comics, I found them very dull. But the Beano, the Dandy, Beezer, Topper and Whizzer and Chips were all encouraged because they were very good for reading and improving the IQ.

[jean]

...or if Roy was going to manage to retain the trophy for Melchester Rovers...

Ah, that reminds me...

http://www.biffonline.co.uk/rangers.html

[mangerton]

Interesting to see all the household politics involved in access to comics. My parents had no strong political affiliations and didn't have any thoughts much on religion. Funnily enough, that doesn't mean at all that there weren't all kinds of standards.

Toys and games had to be for learning purposes. The rest were seen as a waste of money. Books and other things to do with words were encouraged but spending too long on them was unhealthy and I should get out into the fresh air.

Blue Peter yes but Magpie no. Sweets yes but chewing gum no. Records no - they were also a waste of money. Tapes yes.

Anything to do with war was a completely no go area. When I saw war comics, I found them very dull. But the Beano, the Dandy, Beezer, Topper and Whizzer and Chips were all encouraged because they were very good for reading and improving the IQ.

This is a most fascinating thread. From previous posts I gather that I'm about ten years older than you. This is not, of course, to claim any sort of "superiority", but.....

Your point about toys and games certainly held sway in my household. Books were always preferable to toys. That said, I did have a clockwork, and then electric, railway. Hornby, of course! And I had a Meccano set, and Dinky toys, but I was not allowed military vehicles, or war comics. As I said earlier, the comics you mention above were all banned, though I was allowed "The Hotspur" from the D C Thomson stable. As I got older, "Meccano magazine" was actively encouraged, although my trainspotting hobby was not - but was not banned.

Similarly, chewing gum was not allowed, and father told my sister and me it was made from "soot and candle grease". That had an effect, when you were five, and chewing gum was sold from vending machines for a penny.

Oh, and I must lay claim to watching "Blue Peter" with Leila Williams and Christopher Trace from its inception in 1958.

[johncorrigan]

Ah, that reminds me...

http://www.biffonline.co.uk/rangers.html

Have to say the hairstyle looks more 1-3-6, jean!

[johncorrigan]

Blue Peter yes but Magpie no.

To be more precise, Lat, in our house it was BBC yes but ITV no, a principle I adhere to to this day.

[Lateralthinking1]

This is a most fascinating thread. From previous posts I gather that I'm about ten years older than you. This is not, of course, to claim any sort of "superiority", but.....

Your point about toys and games certainly held sway in my household. Books were always preferable to toys. That said, I did have a clockwork, and then electric, railway. Hornby, of course! And I had a Meccano set, and Dinky toys, but I was not allowed military vehicles, or war comics. As I said earlier, the comics you mention above were all banned, though I was allowed "The Hotspur" from the D C Thomson stable. As I got older, "Meccano magazine" was actively encouraged, although my trainspotting hobby was not - but was not banned.

Similarly, chewing gum was not allowed, and father told my sister and me it was made from "soot and candle grease". That had an effect, when you were five, and chewing gum was sold from vending machines for a penny.

Oh, and I must lay claim to watching "Blue Peter" with Leila Williams and Christopher Trace from its inception in 1958.

Fascinating stuff mangerton. I am definitely from the Noakes/Purves/Singleton then Judd period. One of my big things were matchbox cars rather than dinky cars. You were possibly though more open to science and engineering in your home. I did have some meccano but it was lego that was really in, not that I recall spending much time with it. Chemistry sets were forbidden because I'd blow up the neighbourhood. But there were many pictures - and coins - of the moon mission and a scrapbook my father started for me. I must have been about five. The first six pages had vivid pictures of how far an atomic bomb could travel and how many millions it would kill on different continents. He was attracted I think to the colours on the pages and didn't think much more about it. While well-intentioned, he has always been the opposite of a deep thinker which has been both a very good and a not very good thing. He could easily have signed the house away to a con artist as he thought the best of everyone.

But on the similarities between us, I have spoken no doubt too often of having older parents and that one of my parents had even older parents. There are some interesting accounts from other people on the forum where this was more pronounced. So while born in 1962, there is definitely a strand of the 1950s in my upbringing and character. I quite like the idea that you could have been born in 1952 but our grandparents could have been born in similar eras. It seems to me that it is an area of learning for modern societies because there are big differences in that way in any generation. We tend to lump together every person of the same age just as in school and it clouds the bigger picture. Another area of interest to me is the way in which we separate the decades out artificially. There is always a lot of the previous decade or two in any decade which rarely comes across fully in historical film footage. These things often lead to a distortion of understanding and folk talking at cross purposes. That's a pity.

On the war, those returning home didn't talk about it. The memories were too painful. Some were moody and others relentlessly upbeat. Uncles who I would now regard as having been traumatised were regarded as aimless and lazy. But I was closer to the latter who spent a lot of time in the country almost as an antidote decades later. They were down-to-earth but there was that same ovaltiney 'must be cheerful' element in them as those who had been war children. There was a wigwam in the garden as that was far removed but no action men. The latter were not only seen as militaristic but too much like a doll, plus they didn't do anything useful. On a different note, my reference to Barney McGrew was a slight joke - probably the emphasis here should be on the word 'slight' - but the point about Desperate Dan originally being a desperado was from Wikipedia. Frey, Walsh, Henley and Schmit fitted into the sentence. And John - yes, we rarely did ITV but there were a few exceptions, mainly situation comedy.

[johncorrigan]

On a different note, my reference to Barney McGrew was a slight joke - probably the emphasis here should be on the word 'slight' - but the point about Desperate Dan originally being a desperado was from Wikipedia.

One of my old dad's jokes was 'Pugh, Pugh, Barney McGrew, Cuthbert, Dibble and you-know-who' - he had a ton of them, Lat.
I do think that Robert Service's poems of the Yukon were a real inspiration and was reminded of one that Paul pointed me towards some time back.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJNZwuamwj0

[Lateralthinking1]

One of my old dad's jokes was 'Pugh, Pugh, Barney McGrew, Cuthbert, Dibble and you-know-who' - he had a ton of them, Lat.
I do think that Robert Service's poems of the Yukon were a real inspiration and was reminded of one that Paul pointed me towards some time back.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJNZwuamwj0

That poem's very good John and good photos to go with it. Although the structures are quite different, Cash delivers it not unlike Bob Dylan on Last Thoughts on Woody Guthrie. At any rate, that's how it sounds to me.

I took an old b and w television to uni. Occasionally some of us would meet at lunchtime for Trumpton and Camberwick Green (!). The reception in the halls was always dreadful and I do remember quite heated discussions in the pub afterwards about who followed on from the non "Top Cat" Dibble. Anyhow, it is now after 11pm so it is time for me to get some grub.

(When I think back now, that probably happened while Professor Laurie Taylor was holding forth at the adjoining table. )

[cloughie]

Anyone remember this follow-up to 'Mouldy Old Dough'

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cXOa9mrZRlk

[Lateralthinking1]

Anyone remember this follow-up to 'Mouldy Old Dough'

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cXOa9mrZRlk

Yes indeed cloughie.

The lady's name was Hilda and I believe she was the oldest woman to reach number one until Cher got there with 'Believe'.

My God, I've spent my time on this planet in worthwhile pusuits.

(Just checked and it looks like Deborah Harry has, with Blondie, since moved into first place)

Back on cartoons, I didn't realise until tonight why my parents used to call 'Top Cat' not 'Top Cat' but 'Boss Cat'. Now though I know. Wonderful thing the internet -

http://outonbluesix.wordpress.com/2008/11/26/top-cat-or-boss-cat/

[cloughie]

Yes indeed cloughie.

The lady's name was Hilda and I believe she was the oldest woman to reach number one until Cher got there with 'Believe'.

My God, I've spent my time on this planet in worthwhile pusuits.

(Just checked and it looks like Deborah Harry has, with Blondie, since moved into first place)

Back on cartoons, I didn't realise until tonight why my parents used to call 'Top Cat' not 'Top Cat' but 'Boss Cat'. Now though I know. Wonderful thing the internet -

http://outonbluesix.wordpress.com/20...t-or-boss-cat/

Was that with Maria - wasn't that a cracking comeback hit?

[Lateralthinking1]

Was that with Maria - wasn't that a cracking comeback hit?

I'm pleased you asked me that question. Yes. She was 53 years and 227 days old. It was a great single and I saw her performing it at Glastonbury probably in the year of release - 1999.

She was, of course, the ripe old age of 33 when in the memorable video for "Heart of Glass". There is an interesting Desert Island Discs featuring her in the BBC archives. Did Mrs Mills ever get to number one? I'm hazy on what she was like but am guessing not.

Btw, Carl Giles was my favourite cartoonist. I would love to be able to draw and take forward his characters in the modern day.

[johncorrigan]

Back on cartoons, I didn't realise until tonight why my parents used to call 'Top Cat' not 'Top Cat' but 'Boss Cat'. Now though I know. Wonderful thing the internet -

http://outonbluesix.wordpress.com/20...t-or-boss-cat/

Thanks Lat - that's sorted that mystery out for me - wondered about that every so often over the years but not enough to try to find out - what a cartoon!!!

[Osborn]

How many of you were queuing outside your newsagent in the early hours for today's Beano with Ennis the Menace?