1950's Childhood.

I know I had a complete set of Chalet School books which eventually disappeared - presumably my younger sisters appropriated them. A much younger colleague, certainly born after 1950 was a collector of CS books so a date of birth post-1940s doesn't preclude knowledge and appreciation of these classics. I liked the Abbey School books too.

I loved licorice root - and the tiny sticks of hard salty licorice you could buy at the sweet shop. I haven't seen licorice root for years but have recently started drinking a tea that is flavoured with that, among other things. It's very nice.

It was my daughter b 1968 who collected the School books - Chalet and Abbey, I think!

I loved the Chalet School books and was amazed to find out how many there were and how long they went on for. I borrowed them from our local library (remember those?).
Also "Wakey, Wakey" Billy Cotton's bandstand- my parents always listened
Washing on the clothes horse drying round the fire in winter.
Bombed sites overgrown with weeds which I was stricly forbidden to cross (but did anyway).
Listen with mother- "Are you sitting comfortably? Then I'll begin"

Falcon bird we my bros used to do the duster one too,also making the bannister rails slippy with wax paper to make you slide down faster. The same on the park slides,

Looking back the stories on Listen With Mother were very moralistic. I can't quite bring them to mind because it's a long time ago but I remember one about a greedy boy and a rude little girl. There was also a more light hearted one about a fog horn with a sore throat.

It did brighten up the day because there wasn't much for little children back in the late 40s, early 50s. Children's Hour was good and I have a memory of "Sunny Brook Farm."

Children's Hour, wasn't there a drama about a theatre group???

And - listening to 'Dick Barton' on our car radio.Can't have been many car radios then, come to think of it.

The first time I saw TV, at a friend's across the road (packed with kids) I saw Muffin the Mule, and later Lassie!

Oooh now you've reminded me. I had a Muffin the Mule puppet one Christmas. Made of metal it clanked loudly when used. I took it into school one "Toy Friday" and was told off by the teacher for bringing something that was too noisy- only quiet toys and games were allowed!

I still have my Muffin the Mule

Oh dear, my house is full of rubbish interesting artefacts.

I still have my Muffin the Mule too. It hangs in the 'children's' bedroom. I wonder how much he would be worth on EBay! It was only recently that I realised that Annette Mills was John Mills' sister.

Alie there certainly was a drama about a theatre group and I have searched my brain and googled every possible set of words and I can't find it. My memory comes up with Green or Stage and possibly Door but I can get no further.

was it Blue Door Theatre?

I don't remember the Chalet School books. For me it was The Famous Five, The Secret Seven and The Bobbsey Twins. I read every one I could get my hands on from the local library. I just checked Amazon and they have the complete set of 12 Bobbsey Twins books for £251.66!
I can remember our divi number, 1272958; and my next door neighbour's, 969611. Also another friend's a few doors away whose mum registered at the same time as my mum, so her number was 1272957. Yes, all three of us girls used to 'run errands' for our mums together! (I wonder if they still remember the numbers?)

The Swish of the Curtain - The Blue Door Theatre Company by Pamela Brown?

Oh thank you, thank you Marmight that would have been on my mind for ages. I have just googled and that is it.I have become brain colour blind in my old age!!

Only just caught up here! Cari yes, you can sell books on Amazon, and also find out what the real going price is. I sold quite a lot when we moved - old academic books - OH's out of date Physics text books, for example. Worth a look!

I too loved all the other books posters have mentioned, especially Enid Blyton and Noel Streatfield. And - Lorna Hill(?) who wrote books about ballet.
But the Chalet School and Abbey books - there were the whole sets in our local library. (I was born in 1946) I was, and am, a very fast reader, so I'd try anything!

Oh - "Shadow the Sheepdog" was an all time Blyton favourite. Anyone else read it?

Yes, Marmight that was it! I kept muddling it up and thinking Green Door and knowing it wasn't right...but was there a song called that?

....and I recently confirmed my memory of our phone number which I had to memorise, 'Welwyn Garden City 3142', while searching Ancestry for my parents after the war! (We left in 1950).

Oh yes Ariadne I'm sure I have it somewhere in a box in the loft! I loved it so much and still remember when Shadow leapt over a ditch (?) or something and scratched his eye on wire, so that he couldn't be sold to save the farm, hurrah! And his sight was saved after all and the farm was saved anyway!

My other favourite was Dancing Star (?) about Anna Pavlova. And a book about a pony called Dumpling which I have posted about before, and which I bought off eBay last year for a ridiculous price, for sentimental reasons

Anyone remember Jennifer and the flower fairies?

Ah! e bay! Off to see what I can find! Thanks, nightowl!

Just bought "Maid at the Abbey" for £8.00...it's that blue hardback cover with the silver bird in the bottom right hand corner, I'd forgotten that.

There were some incredibly expensive editions - I just treated myself to this one for sheer nostalgia.!

oh today 65 years ago we would be dancing round the may pole in our pretty frocks all going wrong and getting a ticking off from Mrs Batersby, but giggling behind our hands as we looked up and it was all tangled

When I was very little, under 7 because I know it was when we were living in London, our father came home one day with a big blue children's encyclopaedia for us. Oh how we all loved that book! All four of us would sit, poring over the wonderful illustrations and reading about all sorts of things for endless hours.
A few years ago it came up in conversation while talking to my brother on the phone - we both remembered it with such affection, but neither we nor our other siblings knew what had become of it. My brother searched online and found a copy on eBay, bought it, wrapped it up and sent it to me for Christmas! Odhams Encyclopaedia for Children - pure nostalgia! I so enjoyed looking through it after so many years.

Telling the time with a dandelion clock? Puff, one o'clock, puff, two o'clock etc.