Monday 22 August 2011

Twinkle twinkle little star...

Sorry to disappear for a week and then subject you to two posts in one day, but you'll see why in a moment. I've just become a proud Auntie to baby Martha, and this evening have been trying to find a little gift for her older sister - given that nothing enrages a toddler faster than an array of presents being given to a new sibling who can't even open them. Having seen Nicole Needles' swap gifts for the Vintage Knitter I was reminded of the wonder of Twinkle magazine and have been bidding on Ebay for a vintage 70s annual to give to my elder niece. [I'm hoping my sister in law might appreciate it too, more than noisy plastic toys].


Today Twinkle, tomorrow American Vogue...


I loved Twinkle when I was little, and am still fond, although I was too young and innocent [yes, there was a time] to appreciate the unfortunate combination of 'tinkle' and 'winkle', which now sounds to me like the one of the twee words middle-class mummies use for their little girls' bits. "Poppy darling, leave your twinkle alone, that's not nice...". In addition to her terrible name, poor Twinkle also had a disproportionally large head; but I didn't care, and made my parents fork out 14p on her adventures every week when I was a dwt*. Does anyone else remember Nurse Nancy (she'd be a consultant surgeon these days), My Baby Brother and Shona MacGregor? Those were the days...

So sweet even I'm not cynical

Benny reminds me so much of Boy2 in this

Anyway, I was happily reminded of the fact that I have an old Twinkle of my own - no sniggering at the back - and on looking at the date discovered that it was dated 30 years ago today. Why have I kept this ancient comic? And just who is that fresh faced cherub on the front? Why yes, it's me, back in my cover girl days! Can you guess which one I am?

As Lady Gaga put it so succinctly - 'Fame, fame, baby, the fame, fame' .

Lakota x


*small person, child

Linking up to Thrift Share Monday

41 comments:

  1. You're the first one? Congratulations auntie Lakota. What a leap, from the innocent cover of Twinkle, to author of the bum jeans post. How would you rather be remembered?

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  2. What an inspired present to give to your little niece Lakota.
    Did you ever read the Misty comics? They were published in the U.K. and had a slightly supernatural bent to them...I loved them when I was about 12/13.
    You used to get free things, like a black cat ring, stuck to the cover (I thought that ring was the coolest thing...I think I was quite an immature 13 yr old!)
    x

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  3. Congrat Lakotoa! 3rd from the left?
    Laughing lots at what Lucewoman said!
    I don't remember twinkle at all even though I'm the right era, I was a Bunty, Mandy and Judy girl (I think my mum read them as a kid herself and so we were strongly encouraged to get them) with the occassional peek at my tomboy sisters beano x

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  4. Congrats on being an Auntie again, I love being an Auntie! Wow a cover girl I have no idea which one you are. That magazine is so cute.

    E :)

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  5. Oh my! How exciting, Ive never met a cover girl before. I think your the first little cutie.

    I must have been deprived as a child as I don't remember any of those magazines. I certainly make up for it now though, as I have a rather large stash of them.

    Congrats for becoming an Auntie again.

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  6. I want your autograph!! I cannot believe you were a Twinkle cover girl. Twinkle was my most favourite magazine in the world when I was 5-10 and it made it aaaaaaaalllllllllll the way to New Zealand don't you know?! I didn't get pocket money so if my mum was feeling very generous and I begged for long enough, she would buy me a copy. I got quite a few back-copies when I got the measles. I always wanted a little brother - maybe Twinkle is where I got the idea from. Thank you so much for sharing this and congratulations on the safe arrival of your new niece Martha:)))

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  7. Oh that magazine came to our house each week for many years. We loved the dress up dollies on the back cover and would be desperate for cereal packets to finish so we could play with them.

    Well done on being a covergirl :) and of course becoming an Auntie again.

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  8. I had no idea Twinkle was still going in the 1980s. It was my favourite magazine as a little girl, too!
    You are such a star. x

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  9. I think you may be the one on the left - altbough I wouldn't put money on it! I used to love Twinkle - particularly the annual which I used to get in my stocking each Christmas.

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  10. what a great present to give to ur niece and congrats for being aunty again! love the cover of the vintage annual of Twinkle and awwww ur a covergirl! though im not sure which one is you, a wild guess would be the first one? hehe

    x susan

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  11. aaawww congratulations on becoming an Auntie how exciting and so thoughtful of you to give your other little neice a present. I never read twinkle but i do remember it. Good luck with the bidding, dee x

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  12. Thank you for the blast form the past, I used to get Twinkle and Bunty comics every week, the local newsagent kept a copy for me each week and I'd run up with my pocket money to collect it, I especially loved when they gave a free gift. That's so amazing you were on the cover!! Never lose that copy!

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  13. Aw ... how sweet! Can't guess which one is you!
    Liz @ Shortbread & Ginger

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  14. ah you've reminded me, my sister and i used to have a few of the annuals, not sure where they came from but i think mum used to read the comic when she was young.

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  15. How cool! What a great thing to have.

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  16. OMG! You are sooooo famous! My little sister loved twinkle - sweet memories!

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  17. I found an old Twinkle not so long ago!!

    This is fabulous, go on - reveal your secret covergirl identity in the next post! I'm guessing you were little girl 1 or 2!

    Jem xXx

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  18. Second from right, with a twinkle in your eye. We didn’t call them magazines in those days though, they were still called comics, or as it says on the front of yours, picture papers (but only by the publishers).

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  19. Congratulations!!

    Love the present idea :)

    Bee happy x
    Have a delicious day!

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  20. Fabulous idea for a gift! And look at you cover girl! So put us out of our misery which little cutie are you? I think it may be number 1?? Scarlett x

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  21. Congratulations on becoming an aunty again. I think you must be the third along. I don't know why - just a guess. Are you going to tell us? Do you have any more claims to fame?
    Love from Mum
    xx

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  22. Oh, once again I find I have been deprived! But on the other hand, in the '70s I was growing up reading 1930s 'Rainy Day Activities for Children' books, so I suppose it set me off on the vintage thing. No chance of getting my photo into one of those, though... Do let us know which one you were - it's so hard to imagine which one could grow up into a fine blogger such as yourself.

    Thanks for your comment on the 'pretentious' frame. Obviously opinion is divided, but it was great being followed around by all those vendors who so clealy wanted it!

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  23. Well if anyone told me a fellow blogger had a Twinkle secret, I'd have guessed you. What a fun kiddie magazine. Congrats on being an new Auntie.

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  24. Thank you darling for your lovely comment, have a brill bank hol! xx love Annie xx

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  25. I used to have Twinkle every week. And I used to get my Mum to do my hair like hers, didn't she used to use the little ponytail on her head to make wishes come true or something?

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  26. No way! How cute! Which one's you??!

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  27. Oh that is way cute! They are all very sweet little girls. I have a few of these that I got from an oppy, but as I never read one, I have no connection to them. I will have to pull them out. (I am afraid in 1981 I was described by some as a bit of a "punk", but I prefer to think of myself as alternative!) The graphics look mid seventies.
    I will email you about the other stuff soon.

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  28. You're definitely the first one - how cute are you?

    I used to read Bunty every week - make of that what you will.

    Congrats on being an Auntie Lakota, I'm sure you'll be well cool!

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  29. Wowsers! I'd totally forgotten all about Twinkle...I used to love that and Bunty!! Am I right in thinking it got discountinued at some point? I had a Twinkle Annual, I think, and it had a really good Nurse Nancy story in it!

    If I didnt know it wasn't I'd actually say girl one is myself...except with brown hair...if thats you, then our childhood selves looked rather similar!!

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  30. Ah wow, I was just wondering what must have become of the cover girls! I used to LOVE Twinkle and especially Nurse Nancy - all my dolls and teddies were covered in various-coloured dots where I'd 'injected' them with felt tips! xx

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  31. Ooh I'm guessing 1 or 2. Probably 1.

    I've just realised I totally forgot about those books! Argh. Mea culpa. I'll organise packing them up over the weekend and get them in the post to you next week.

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  32. Congrats on becoming an auntie.. Martha, cute name :)

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  33. Hi my dear-Congratulations on your new niece, how very exciting and happy!! I also loved Twinkle as a little girl, brings back some memories!! xxx

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  34. Twinkle was good wholesome fun, which I'm now passing onto my daughter. I also was brought 'Misty', which used to be about spooky stories.

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  35. Wow, I had forgotten all about Twinkle, I remember it from the 70s. And you were a cover girl?! How brilliant! I hope you refused to get out of bed without an increase in your pocket money...

    PS. On a side note - hahahaha! Your comment about parents' ridiculous euphemisms for female genitalia really had me laughing. Foo-foo, anyone? I can remember my eldest daughter proclaiming very assertively in a big bus queue that she had a "gina" and her brother had a "peanut". And I tried so hard to teach her the correct words, she let me down badly!!

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  36. Love Twinkle. I still have the 1984 and 1985 annuals in the loft. Wanted to share them with my kids but was scared they might destroy them so tucked them back up again!

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  37. Twinkle - god that brings back memories... I used to read my sister's copy when it came in. I however was more of aa Beano reader in my youth :-)

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  38. Hi-
    Jb's diner is on Brighton sea front, you can't really miss it! The road is called Kings Road, it's not far from the Pier, and nearby is the Odeon cinema.

    It's such a great experience, I so buy into the whole American diner thing, I'm a retro girl at heart afterall.

    Hope you enjoy Brighton :) xxx

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  39. Your blog always makes me laugh, especially taking note of the bulbous head of Twinkle! You must have been so proud as a kid to be on the cover, what a claim to fame! Ive nominated you for a "versatile blogger award" thingmajig, Ive linked to your blog from mine as I think your blog is fab. You can check out the details on my second to last post! cheers, lisa x

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  40. Oh Twinkle was so wonderful- I actually thought I WAS nurse Nancy!

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