Upon the death of David Sutherland - Beano illustrator

 A constant of mine is comics, a thing that started as a young boy that continues as that older person but still a child on the inside me even today.

The year had began when it was announced at the age of 89, David Sutherland, the Beano artist was  given an award of an O.B.E. in this years New Year's Honours a period of transition for all of us following the late Queen's death last year and the start of the reign of our King, Charles III.

It was announced in the early hours of last Friday that David had died.

His career started in 1959 with being a freelance contributor to The Beano and as we got to the end of the 1960's he'd moved more into illustrating some of that comics most iconic characters, Dennis The Menace, the Bash Street Kids and Biffo the Bear.

Annuals were and still are a big thing when you are a child so many of us had Beano annuals of which this is an original of mine from Christmas 1974 that shows the Bash Street Kids and Dennis we fondly remember the way he draw them.

It was big news in September 1974, the start of my last term at Juniors that Dennis had made the Beano's front page taking over from Biffo The Bear who were part of a fictional world we loved as boys.

Impulsive, cheeky, always menacing, having a good run of luck before being caught out and like so many of us back then spanked, David's depiction of Dennis' life was the fictional counterpart to our own so to us these drawings are "our" Dennis, our Bash Street Kids with Toots complete with teacher's cane and so on in a way that to today's children the current versions are theirs set in their world.

The Bash Street Kids in the 1950's and Today.

His Dennis ran from 1970 to 1998, over a thousand episodes and a  few generations seeing changes in society, space exploration and more interest in ecology.

That world the current generation live in is simply something we could never of envisioned.

On a tribute The Beano had this to say:

"‘David viewed himself as a resident of Beanotown, living alongside our characters that he loved and he will live on there forever, and always be in the hearts of Team Beano and the millions of kids who have enjoyed his strips every week.’ "

All this eternal child can say regarding his contribution to Dennis, another is thank you for the funny stories told and drawn so well that added fun to our lives whatever may of been going on at the time.

R.I.P David.

P.s 1967 was officially a Groovy year but so much of this annual would be familiar to those of us who grew up in the 1970's cos the World of the Child was largely the same.

Return to Secret Lake

 Back to books after a very screen centred last few years and reading which difficulties aside I do actually enjoy.

A few years back I write about a time tunnel story set in Edwardian London by Karen Inglish called The Secret Lake.

After a while and mulling it over, the authoress wrote a sequel, not any old pot boiler of one that builds upon the original story while keeping the charm in.

In this new offering that was published last year, we see Lucy come forward in time in search of a cure for Emma who has fallen dangerously ill. Of course, things are never straightforward where time tunnels and magical moles are concerned — and so unfolds a thrilling tale of time travel, rekindled friendships and new threats that no one could have foreseen.

The mixture of historical facts and interests mingling with the realities of time travel makes for a page by page gripping story for junior readers like me that is easy to rea without assistance.

That was a great Christmas present!

Now Yearbooks 80-84 "The Final Chapter"

The business of welcoming in the New Year and seeing the old out is very much over with all the fireworks being set off.

This takes back to where we were last year with the Now Yearbooks  where after late last years Now Yearbook 1985 had been issued that we reviewed, a surprising series of announcements were made of which we'll keep to the one that's most relevant.

We were informed this series, started in 2021 by Now in conjunction with Sony Music had performed better sales wise than they had anticipated and that they felt they could issue a special edition  - "The Final Chapter" - that rounded up a further batch of hits and some much talked about minor hits of merit covering the initial batch of five Yearbook releases from 1980 right the way through to 1984 when by the end of the next year musical tastes had substancially changed.

As with the previous offerings of the main edition this came out in book form with forward, quiz and background capsule notes, a plain jane card mount cd set or a special 3 lp set edition.

That was one of the presents I had for Christmas so I didn't get to talk about until now.

Some artists just aren't represented such as David Bowie which means Fashion, Scary Monsters, Let's Dance, Blue Jean et all are all missing which is a great pity.

Each disc covers the whole period so for instance across this set, Rock is represented by the utterly brilliant Human Touch by Rick Springfield, Robert Wyatt, Chicago with Hard Habit To Break from their 17 album, Modern Girl by Meat Loaf and Run To The Hills by Heavy Metal legends Iron Maiden.

The early eighties were very much the era of the New Romantics who are very well represented on this cd by Blancmange with 1982's Living On The Ceiling, We are Glass by Gary Numan, Talk Talk, the first single by Talk Talk, Cantonese Boy by Japan and Hang On Now by Kajagoogoo.

It also was a fantastic era for Soul music so Shalamars' Friends from from that years best selling album by them, Love Is In Control by Donna  Summer, Intuition by Linx, Treat Her Like A Lady by the Temptations, Forget Me Nots by Patrice Rushen and Running With The Night by Lionel Richie

Ska with Reggae is well represented by Nelson Mandela by the Specials, Grey Day by Madness , So Lonely by the Police and Our Lips Are Sealed by the Fun Boy Three.

While it was a bit odd this was released, what is contained between the pages is fantastic selection of songs from the early 80's served up well.

In January the legendary Extra set was issued adding a further 63 tracks spread across the period less the major hits but memorable hits nontheless.

New year thoughts 2023

 It is the new year and normally I'd make some kind of a post although I am not feeling very well at all to be honest.

Last year had it's challenges not least with having long covid complications affecting breathing, memory and concentration although the bits that did go plan worked out well although the current industrial action made getting about more difficult.

My Covid vacinations are up to date which give how close I was to collapse in 2020 is a must.

Plans were dashed for getting away with others early last year were dashed due to being extremely ill and given how arrangements are often made way in advance I won't be away with them until next year if we're lucky.

This is a big blow as time with other littles just being that, playing, is often elusive if you want or need a adult stuff free environment.

What I bought to wear having renewed post covid regulations my things is therefor best worn more at home, for the pleasure of seeing the real you in pleated skirts and kilts while I may wear the odd pair of short trousers for some things where getting caught up in things may not help such as hiking.

Just being feminine gurl me is and ought to be 2023's priority.