#talkaboutladybird – Opening day stories

We have already had some wonderful moments and memories from you for #talkaboutladybird. Here are a selection of the stories we have received so far –

I used to run a Brownie Pack in Kent and I wanted to make sure all my brownies could knit. I bought a Ladybird `How to Knit` book, and most of the Brownies could knit when they went up to Guides. I also learned to crochet with the help of a Ladybird book and my children, when small, had a good collection of various titles.

 Vera Mangold.  Bexhill

 My daughter’s favourite Ladybird book was Cinderella and she would gaze longingly at the picture of Cinders in her ball gown.  Over 20 years later, when planning her wedding, the first dress she tried on was a replica of the picture in the book.  This was purely a subconscious memory choice, only I recognised it as such.

Sandra Brace

When my sister and I moved to our first house for the first time we had our own bedrooms, instead of having to share a bed as we had done previously. We were 8 and 10.
Sue, the youngest, had a dressing table with a mirror in three sections. She would sit on a little stool in front of the mirror and read from her ever-increasing collection of Ladybird books, pretending she was presenting a TV programme. Sometimes I would blunder into her room unaware of the ‘broadcast’ taking place. She would be furious, absolutely spitting feathers.
“Can’t you see I’m On Air?” she’d scream (I’d obviously missed the red neon sign outside her room…) As soon as I’d slunk away I would hear her say to the mirror “apologies viewers” and then carry on reading in her best TV presenter voice – rather like Patricia Driscoll as I recall.
Many years later she became a Headteacher and then an Ofsted Inspector. Didn’t see that coming……

She continued to collect Ladybird books which she later read to her own sons, as I did to mine. She now collect first editions.

Ladybird books were a very special part of our childhood.

Liz Tunmer

I Like Pat the Dog!

Teresa 50 years and 6 months.
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I am very much looking forward to this exhibition as Ladybird books were a huge part of my childhood.

The only bookshop in the small NorthEast town in which I grew up had a huge selection of the books and I was taken there by mam & dad to choose a new one a couple of times each month. On a recent visit to the town, I found that the bookshop is now a charity shop but the wall cabinet in which the books used to be remains. I was instantly 7 years old again!

I can also vividly remember my embarrassment when I picked up the book about the human body and came to a picture of a nude man and women!

 Beth Youngs

My family will definitely be coming along to the exhibition.

Both my husband and I read Ladybird books growing up and our daughter who is now 19 was taught to read with them. They were numbered and when she could read one book we would get the next one along, she loved them and we loved reading with her. We also had the fairytale stories and the general information one’s. We see a lot of them in second hand shops so we are going to start collecting them.

 Soo Newbold

 

 

 

Posted by Ryan Coleman on Saturday 24 January 2015