Happy Birthday Rupert

That'll be Bear rather than Murdoch😁

To think he was already 30-40 when I read his annuals! 

I did love the books but unfortunately I have a horrible association with them...being allowed to read them in the dentist's chair (if you remember what dentists used to be like!?) 

I only know as my wife is a follower of Rupert and she collects the annuals and has originals going all the way back to 1952, they used to be quite cheap in second hand book shops but now are getting expensive the further back you go. She has the 'infamous' 1960 one where our dashing bear goes to a certain island whose name would certainty not be allowed to be published today! 

Yes Brue, know exactly what you mean, I had to use the free local authority one and can still remember the waiting room with the old metal frame and simple fabric chairs and the dentist chair itself, all black leather and metal arms. Still sends shivers down my spine just thinking about it!

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We got Rupert annuals as children as well, probably stillhave some up at Mum’s.

I love newspaper cartoons. Didn’t collect Rupert, but I do have lots of Giles Annuals. Great to leaf through as they are funny history. And he had an Airedale!👍

The Giles annual was regular Christmas reading.

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Alfred Bestall took over the illustrations of Rupert after the original illustrator, the wife of one of the newspapers sub-editors, had eyesight problems some 15 years or so after they first came out in 1920. 

Most of the background illustrations of the geography are based on Alfred's local area in Bedgellert so Snowdonia mountains featured quite a bit. This titbit gleaned from my walking magazine which only recently had an article in it about Rupert and Alfred.

Not a big fan myself but my sister was so day trips anywhere would see her seeking out memorabilia. Wish I'd nicked some of it in view of what WTG has just said.

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