On the morning of my being examined for my school certificate in English Language I was in our kitchen with my head deep in the new Rover reading a ghost story. I had just about finished it when my Dad seized the comic rolled it into a tube and hit me at the back of the head with the comment, " That won't help you pass our exam."
I went off to school and sat at my examination desk in Temple Street, I recall. I opened my paper and turned to the list of offered essay titles and there on the list was " A Ghost Story."
My Dad was so wrong.
I learned to read through the Dandy and Beano. Later there was the Hotspur and Rover but my favourite was the Wizard and William Wilson in his one piece home spun suit. It was strange looking back how after the war and the election of a Labour government the comic heroes became Sergeant Braddock and Alf Tupper,while Rockfist Rogan and Wolf of Kabul disappeared as did Bunter and Tom Cherry. Some of my other favourites were H K Rodd, The Wonder Man, Its runs that count, Its wickets that count etc The Tough of the Track, I flew with Braddock.
I loved my comics and quite honestly I was so disappointed when the Wizard and that ilk started telling the story with pictures and less words This seemed to reflect a decline in reading ability, perhaps.

Thanks for the reminder Arthur. I was a bit like you I guess, and I imagine a few others on here. Beano and Dandy were great starters with Desperate Dan, and Big Eggo. Who was the strongman's daughter? Pansy, Patsy ?? You forgot the Champion. As I grew into my teens my hero was Nick Smith, the champion inside left and his working class sidekick Arnold Tabbs at wing half. Great memories indeed. H K Rodd the Wonder Man was another hero.Happy memories indeed. Cheers.

Years at KBGS e.g. 1958-1964 (optional) 1947-51

Current location (optional) Auckland, NZ

Pansy Potter, The Strong Man's daughter.

Yes Arthur the old comics gave a good foundation for a lifetime of reading . Why there was so much objection at the time to children reading comics I could never understand . From the initial Chicks Own and Comic Cuts , then on to Beano and Dandy, gradually entering the real world with Adventure , Hotspur, Rover and Champion ,but best of all Wizard. When the publishers decided to introduce pictures and those lousy bubbles of words that finished my reading of them for good . Come to think of it I could never stand the American style comics which format the English ones followed . More's the pity.
Apart from that a favourite of the time was the "Childrens Newspaper" I think it was Arthur Mee's . We carefully copied the strange facts at the bottom of each page into a small book for future reference . The start of a lifetime of hoarding things.

Years at KBGS e.g. 1958-1964 (optional) 43-46

Current location (optional) Tasmania

Years at KBGS e.g. 1958-1964 (optional) 1947-51

Current location (optional) Auckland, NZ