An interesting way to research

This is a bit different - give it a go: click on the link below:

Ladybird Research

Drag one of the 'spots' and drop on the 'i' for a larger snippet of information. To search for info on a term, drag and drop the 'spot' onto the page symbol.

Drag any snippet across to the notepage to keep hold of it.

Click here for a demo of what I mean

Or just click around and see what happens ; )

The Nation Need No Longer Fear ...

... acquiring the wrong edition of a Well-Loved Tale on the internet. Yes, that nightmare of purchasing 'The Princess and the Pea' on eBay or Amazon, only to find that it isn't the wonderful version with the fantastic pictures that you remember! Instead it's some shiny, fall-about, cartoony thing, masquerading as a vintage Ladybird Book. But it said it was from series 606d on the online description. So how were you to know?



How indeed. I have now completed my gallery pages for the 606d series, so you should never make the same mistake again. The cover picture, publication years and illustrators are all covered, to make sure you get the right version next time.

You'll find it all here.

Despite other woes and preoccupations, I flatter myself that the nation will sleep just a little more peacefully tonight.

Later well-loved tales and James May

I've just added a new section to my Ladybird Gallery: the later Well Loved Tales.
This contains the stories in series 606d which were introduced from 1979 onwards - after Ladybird decided to change the original format from the oh-so-popular original 27 books.

You'll find it here

The next stage will be the stories in series 606d which were issued in two very different versions (thereby confounding everybody who would later try to buy a copy of a well-remembered childhood book from a description on Amazon and invariably ended up with the wrong edition!)

This evening I noticed that BBC was repeating the edition of James May's 'My Sister's Top Toys' which featured Ladybird Books. You'll find it on the 'Videos' page of my website.

The Nature of Obsession

A visual discourse on the nature of obsessive hobbies (assisted by www.photofunia.com)

The 'A Team'

A collection of Ladybird Books.

One wall in my study:

Panorama of Ladybird Books

Sorry Firefox users, this doesn't seem to work for you.

What to Look for in Spring?

... Ladybird Books! (surprisingly)

Not long now until car-boot sale season ...

Anyway, On the subject of questions and answers, I'm planning on setting up a new page on my website - Ladybird FAQs.

Question number one will be "Where can I get hold of the Peter and Jane Reading series?"

I get asked this question about once a week.

Any suggestions for other questions just let me know here or via my website: www. ladybirdflyawayhome.com

Wingfield and Flog it!

A lady brought in a piece of Harry Wingfield artwork on a recent edition of Floggit! The picture was from 'Going to School' and featured Ethel, Wingfield's wife. The piece was valued at between £600 and £800 - much nearer the mark, I think, than the valuation on Antiques Roadshow, a few weeks earler. You should be able to see the episode here for a little longer. The Wingfield bit is quite near the start.

The owner had no intention of selling her artwork. Very proper too.