I have kept up my challenge to Knit-Something-Each-Month. But Christmas is coming, so I decided to send off my November items early, and here they are
These two little teddies will soon be winging their way to Elaine at MortgageFreeInThree for her Teds-For-Zimbabwe appeal [details here and here]
With their jaunty little mufflers, these two remind me of Rupert Bear. Did anyone else’s childhood Christmas include a copy of the Rupert Annual? The man who brought tis cheerful chappie to life was Arthur Bestall, a talented artist and keen Christian [his dad was a minister – in fact AB was born out in Mandalay as his parents were missionaries there at the time]
The great thing about the Rupert Annuals was that they included so much to keep a child occupied over the Christmas period – stories [many told in terrible doggerel-type rhyme!] with very detailed illustrations to pore over, and colouring pages, and word puzzles- and origami. NO slumping in front of the TV after the Queen’s Speech – oh no, we were kept busy turning scrap paper into water lilies and swans and other amazing folded creations.
I cannot imagine today’s seven year olds being happy with such activities on Boxing Day, can you?
We used to read the Daily Express - there was a Rupert cartoon in there every day. Think it's still going.
ReplyDeleteGreat teddies, so smiley, they will bring smiles to their recipient's faces.
ReplyDeleteI remember Rupert Bear fondly, such good mileage from the annuals, a feature of my childhood too. From an adult perspective I can see that the books were accessible to a range of ages and readers with the pictures, rhyming text and fuller text below. As children we were told that a rather eccentric "aunt" wrote the rhymes from the story line, always thought that to be true & reading your blog today prompted me to do a little online research. Although I didn't find any verification of her identity I did & find this:- http://www.eyemagazine.com/feature/article/strip-science. Maybe Rupert was a forerunner of books to engage early readers while maintaining the interest of more experienced readers? I remember reading Puddle Lane books to my son, similar idea - different layout, a picture, a page of text and some early reader single words or simple text. You have taken me dowm memory lane this morning!
Have a lovely day, all best wishes, Vee x
I used to knit teddies for a similar organisation - I think they well called "Teddies for Tragedies" or something vaguely alliterative...sending teddies to places where children had lost everything through war, flood, or other devastating events. The idea being that every child needs a teddy to cling onto! I loved the idea of the teddies bringing a tiny bit of normality to these childrens' lives
ReplyDeleteYes that group is still there http://www.teddiesfortragedies.org.uk/
Deletethanks for the reminder
Oh yes! They still do! Well, they make race tracks for clockwork Brussel Sprouts from the crackers box. Does that count? It's not origami, granted...But they do still get as much mileage out of the cardboard boxes as Rupert's contemporaries did!
ReplyDeleteOh I love the idea of Clockwork Sprouts...but I suspect your creative boys make the all stuff they do because of the great parental support. Too many children miss out on that xx
DeleteI loved my Rupert annuals.
ReplyDeleteLove from Mum
xx
They look very similar to the teddies that my grandma takes to orphanages/schools in Africa and SOuth america (she is also called Elaine so I was very confused at first) She has done it through the Lutterworth Rotary http://www.lutterworthrotary.org.uk/2012_11%20teddies.html there is also a pattern on the page if anyone's interested! It seems a lot of people have had this idea! x
ReplyDelete