Here are more details about my Ladybird artists exhibition, which will be taking place in Canterbury over the summer months (2018). It will be held at The Beaney House of Art and Knowledge, in the centre of Canterbury. Theere’s more information…
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Let me tell you story about a Little Red Hen. This is a story that has a moral, only I’m not quite sure what it is. Once upon a time there was a Ladybird book about a little red hen…
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Of all the ‘golden age’ Ladybird artists, it could be argued that Ronald Lampitt has the most distinctive style. He never received formal art training and it is interesting to speculate whether, had he attended art college, something of this…
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Do you remember at school, on Monday morning – especially after a holiday – when they got you to write ‘your news’? Well, I’m very pleased to share with you my news here. This summer I’m going to be putting…
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Let’s be honest, in this sad and sorry world, there’s not a lot of work out there for a Ladybird book consultant. But they say every dog has its day. Sometimes a commission comes along that matches a niche interest…
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This post is probably a bit niche – it’s intended for people who ever buy or sell vintage Ladybird books. There are lots of traps that make the buying and selling of Ladybird books a bit different from other children’s books,…
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‘Battle of Britain’ and ‘Shackleton’ In common with Basil Fawlty, golden-age Ladybird books try not to mention the war. This to some extent reflects the spirit of the age – of the 1950s to 70s – to look forward, not backwards,…
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Facts, thoughts and Ladybird Experts In some ways, the timing couldn’t have been better. Just as everyone was talking about facts and alternative facts and the state of the world ‘post-fact’ – just when Trump draws our attention to climate…
Read moreModernism and Ladybird books Modernism and Ladybird books was the topic of the talk given by John Grindrod, Tim Dunn and and myself in October 2016 at the Conway Hall. The talk, chaired by Samira Ahmed, had a long and…
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As we’re at that time of the year for looking back, it seemed a good time to share with you (or remind you) of some of the past winners of my Ladybird caption contest. @distracteddan This contest takes place every…
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