I was browsing in my local Oxfam book shop over the weekend. I don’t often go in there but I was passing on my way to the hairdressers, sans children, and had a bit of time to spare, so in I went. Right by the door they had a tall shelving unit jam packed with vintage children’s books. Right on the top was a line of annuals and that’s when I spotted this.
It was nestled amongst five or six other Twinkle annuals of varying age. I picked up a couple of others first but it wasn’t until I got to this one, the 1980 edition, that I instantly recognised the front cover. It was a strange feeling, like being teleported back thirty odd years. When I opened it up I had the same sensation, as if it were only yesterday that I was reading Nurse Nancy and Winkle the Witch.
Nancy the Little Nurse
Winkle the Witch
I used to get Twinkle delivered every week from the local newsagent and I loved it. Looking at it now, it’s so wonderfully winsome and simple in a way that doesn’t really exist anymore. I would have been six and a bit in 1980 when this annual was published, just slightly younger than M is now. When I gave it to her to look at, she had a cursory flick through and then decared it “a bit boring” <sigh>. She then went back to reading her Agatha Parrot book which is fanastic, but soooo different to the wholesome delights of Twinkle.
When I sat down with it, there was a particular story which I really remembered, one about a Tiny Tooth Fairy. The images were so nostalgic and the whole experience made me a little teary-eyed. Not sure why. It was just hard to believe that thirty two years had passed since I’d last seen those pages.
The Tiny Tooth Fairy
Retro puzzle page
I checked on Ebay and it seems that Twinkle annuals are pretty easy to come by and don’t cost the earth. I paid £2.99 for this one ( the original price tag was still in the book and stated £1.05). Anyway, I think I might need to pay another visit to the Oxfam bookshop soon to see if they’ve still got those other editions on the top shelf. I can feel a collection coming on…
I’m linking up with Magpie Monday over at Me and My Shadow
Oh wow! We must be about the same age. I used to get a Twinkle album every Christmas. I think I’d be hot-footing it back to the Oxfam to snap up a few more.
Look at that circus typography – cool again now.
Thanks so much for linking up x
I think Twinkle was a real staple for little girls in the late seventies/early eighties. I’m nearly thirty eight by the way! x