Beryl the Peril

[percy toboggan]

...on holiday in Fife t'other week I was browsing in a second hand shop and spotted an old 'Beryl the Peril 'album.
I was never a fan as a kid but thought my Grandaughter would like it..you know a girl being naughty and getting into trouble. Our little 'un is a sweet thing and good as gold most of the time but her and this auld book from 1987 have become inseperable. She loves it! and carries it all around the house, apparently.

Every little story seems to end with Beryl getting a darn good thrashing from Dad or slinking red faced to her room - a refreshign blast of non-pc' ness. I wish I'd bought the rest of 'em - there were several other Chrsitmas Albums on show.

I also introduced her to George Formby and Popeye last year and both of these are firm favourites too now! E.bay needs another visit.

Maybe she's as barmy as her grandad.
It's refreshing to see little kids get pleasure from things that needn't cost the earth.

[garble]

Makes me wish I'd kept all those old annuals that I got when I was 'much' younger, Topper, Beezer, Dandy and Beano

[unicorn]

I am gonna have to buy a dandy or Beano if you still get them, just to see how much they have changed in our new PC world.
There was always trouble for Beryl every issue but we never thought of it as wrong...it was what happened if you behaved badly :roll:

[golach]

I was always a Dennis the Menace fan, not sure if Beryl and he were related....but they came from the same publishing company D C Thomson's of Dundee

[unicorn]

They had the same dress sense too :lol:

[rich]

In don't usually have much to say to you of a pleasant nature but in this case it might enhance your enjoyment of Beryl and the rest of the comic characters you are enjoying so much.
They are, of course, from Dundee.
D C Thomson and company are the culprits. The main office where all the mayhem and malarkey used to happen are in a boxy looking building just across from the statue of Burns and the public library. I believe Burns is not the only statue nowadays - you can visit Desperate Dan and Minnie the Minx there too.
By way of an aside you have doubtless noted that Desperate Dan's Cactusville is in fact, Dundee. Look at the gas lamps and the dry stane dyking.
I used to work in the Bank Street offices, seated on a high stool with a view of a cemetry.
Through the cemetry regularly as an alarm clock, would pass this elderly gent with a walrus moustache, immaculate tweeds and a fishing bag satchel of the type popular nowadays. He was one of the Thomsons - was it Mr. Michael? - it wasn't Mr Harold, he was the CEO and used to drive to work. The were a secretive bunch and hated trades unions so all the printers were paid above union rates. Writers on the other hand were paid substantially less.

And I have more for you before this unexpected altruism curdles (as it will)

Dundee has one of the best old photograph collections inany library anywhere. There you can see the old sailing ships, the kids with no shoes, the Tay Bridge disaster and that eerie stillness that one gets from old pix. Anyway it's right up there with Aget. But maybe you found all this already.

http://www.dundeecity.gov.uk/photodb/main.htm

[joxville]

I was a huge comic fan when young. I bought The Beano, The Dandy, Topper & Beezer. Dennis the Menace & Gnasher were big favourites, also Beryl the Peril, Minnie Minx and Rodger the Dodger. Now you all know how my stupid schoolboy mentality was shaped. ;)

Something I've always wondered though-what kind of dog was Gnasher? He's an unruly ball of fur, usually dirty.

[golach]

The were a secretive bunch and hated trades unions so all the printers were paid above union rates. Writers on the other hand were paid substantially less.
D C Thomson's were also very anti Catholic Rich, strange for a city like Dundee.
Eh wis a creeler in a Jute Mill off the Perth Rd, and eh ken what an ingan ane an awe means and tastes like[lol]

[Kodiak]

I remember Mr Harold very well indeed, he was a Gentleman. If you met Mr Harold in the lift he always spoke to you and asked how you was getting on. He also seemed to remember if you told him of any problem you had, as he would ask you if it had been resolved and if not, could he help. I believe Mr Brian took over from him. Mr Allan never did much though.

I used to work for D.C.Thomson as well. As a Matter of fact so did my wife. I worked in the PhotoLab in Bank Street where the PhotpLabs were supposed to be Haunted by a Monk.

Right next to the PhotoLab was the PhotoFiles and they had then one of the greatest collection of Old Negatives in Scotland. My Wife worked in Albert Square in the Artists Department there and then just before she left in the Ladies Artists as a Colour Artist.

The Cemetary you are talking about was between Bank Street and Ward Road and was called "The Howff" and I spent many a Lunch Hour there with my Girlfriend, now my wife. This was a handy place to meet since it was between both our places of work.

What not many know that there was a set of Vacuum Tubes that ran right through the Howff from Bank St Offices to Albert Sq Offices. We used to send many a Photograph this way to the Offices in Albert Sq.

D.C.Thomson was a Good Company to work for, there was never a problem getting a rise in pay as we would get a Pay Rise once every 6 months. This was rare indeed as most company's only gave a pay rise once a yrear, if that.

Picture of D.C.Thomson Offices with The Howff in the foreground, red arrow points to D.C.Thomson Offices and the Boardroom at the top.

http://i43.tinypic.com/b53ynr.jpg

[scorrie]

...on holiday in Fife t'other week I was browsing in a second hand shop and spotted an old 'Beryl the Peril 'album.
I was never a fan as a kid but thought my Grandaughter would like it..you know a girl being naughty and getting into trouble. Our little 'un is a sweet thing and good as gold most of the time but her and this auld book from 1987 have become inseperable. She loves it! and carries it all around the house, apparently.

Every little story seems to end with Beryl getting a darn good thrashing from Dad or slinking red faced to her room - a refreshign blast of non-pc' ness. I wish I'd bought the rest of 'em - there were several other Chrsitmas Albums on show.

I also introduced her to George Formby and Popeye last year and both of these are firm favourites too now! E.bay needs another visit.

Maybe she's as barmy as her grandad.
It's refreshing to see little kids get pleasure from things that needn't cost the earth.

Does anyone remember Danny's Tranny from the Topper Comic in the 70's?

See here:-

http://images.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http://www.internationalhero.co.uk/d/danytran.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.internationalhero.co.uk/d/danytran.htm&usg=__09M-ygmnTjrbaG61qXDfpckqEkE=&h=352&w=375&sz=22&hl=en&start=3&um=1&tbnid=x3KSF2pD783R6M:&tbnh=115&tbnw=122&prev=/images%3Fq%3DDANNY%2527S%2BTRANNY%26um%3D1%26hl%3D en%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26channel%3Ds%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-GB:official%26sa%3DN

His radio could do all sorts of wonderful things.

It boggles the mind to think what a cartoon called Danny's Tranny could be about in these less innocent times!!

[Kodiak]

I Remember "Danny's Tranny" very well.

But do you remember "General Jumbo" He was the Lad who had a Prifessor for a Dad who made him an Army, Air Force and Navy all controlled by a Remote Control that he wore on his wrist. It was Cool this story and I loved it.

http://www.internationalhero.co.uk/j/jumbo.htm

I am sure there are lots of other comic Characters that you might remember. If so post them here for all to read about.

[JAWS]

I seem to recall there was an attempt to reintroduce the Bash Street Kids fairly recently.
I can’t recall the exact details but they tried to “modernize” by making it more PC, updating the characters to make them more “inclusive” and introduced such things as computers etc. into the school.
I seem to remember that it wasn’t a very successful transition and even today's children far preferred the original version.

[Aaldtimer]

Hi Kodiak, ..."My Wife worked in Albert Square in the Artists Department there and then just before she left in the Ladies Artists as a Colour Artist."... I wonder what years you are referring to, as my late sister used to work there. I'm not sure, but I think she used to do the captions for the cartoons, she was a Tracer to trade. That would have been the early/mid '80s.

[percy toboggan]

And I have more for you before this unexpected altruism curdles (as it will)




I look forward to it Rich.

If you'd keep up with my posts you'd know I was in Dundee just a couple of weeks ago. Forearmed with your information we might have followed a different path after noon. After all we could have seen 'Ben Button' anywhere.

I've been aware of the city's connections with publishing from a very young age. It was my good fortune, from the age of about seven to be given five or six comics every Friday night by a generous Uncle. Allied with his Sister's habit of a weekly bag of 'broken biscuits' from the factory where she cleansed all the biscuit tins I was in clover on a weekly basis.

I trust you will return to normal service soon. Righteous wrath suits you well and I quite enjoy being someone's Nemesis.

Don'y forget I tweet - and there's a blog out there somewhere !

[rich]

On a passing note......
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f7dV_8bqjBk

[Kodiak]

Hi Kodiak, ..."My Wife worked in Albert Square in the Artists Department there and then just before she left in the Ladies Artists as a Colour Artist."... I wonder what years you are referring to, as my late sister used to work there. I'm not sure, but I think she used to do the captions for the cartoons, she was a Tracer to trade. That would have been the early/mid '80s.

Hi

I left DC's in 1974 to take over the Family Business.

My wife left in November 1975 for the Birth of our First Son.

Neither of us went back to work at DC's after this as in 1978 I became a Lighthouse Keeper.

My Wife was also a Colour Artist and for a while worked on the Comic "BUZZ" and when that went down she was moved to the Ladies Department as a Colour Artist until November 1975.

[percy toboggan]

Neither of us went back to work at DC's after this as in 1978 I became a Lighthouse Keeper.
.

Wow! How interesting.
Which one?
When I was sixteen I held an ambition to do this but the odds were stacked against me - t'was ever thus.
I think it's one of those jobs which transcend working - more a way of life.
Would give my right arm for such a position today but sadly, they're nearly all gone eh?

(would hope the grab rail for descending stairs was on the left)

[scorrie]

I Remember "Danny's Tranny" very well.

But do you remember "General Jumbo" He was the Lad who had a Prifessor for a Dad who made him an Army, Air Force and Navy all controlled by a Remote Control that he wore on his wrist. It was Cool this story and I loved it.

http://www.internationalhero.co.uk/j/jumbo.htm

I am sure there are lots of other comic Characters that you might remember. If so post them here for all to read about.

What about Face-ache, the boy with a hundred faces?

http://uk.geocities.com/pjgkenreid/faceache3.html

I think he was in a few comics but I remember him from Buster and Cor.

[Kodiak]

Wow! How interesting.
Which one?
When I was sixteen I held an ambition to do this but the odds were stacked against me - t'was ever thus.
I think it's one of those jobs which transcend working - more a way of life.
Would give my right arm for such a position today but sadly, they're nearly all gone eh?

(would hope the grab rail for descending stairs was on the left)

I am sorry to say but there is No such job as a Lighthouse Keeper in the UK at all now. All Lighthouses went to being automatic and the last few went automatic on the 31 March 1998. This was a sad, sad day. I personally was made redundant in March 1991 due to the automation process.

At that time I had been working at Stroma Lighthouse for seven and half years. Before that I was at Cape Wrath for four years. Other Lighthouses I have worked at included :-

Girdleness
Rattray Head
Pladda
Ailsa Craig
Neist Point
Cantick Head
Muckle Flugga

It was fun being a Lightkeeper but like all jobs there were good days as well as bad. While employed by the Northern Lighthouse Board I was also employed by the Coast Guard and the Met Office.

[Aaldtimer]

Kodiak, We're just a wee bit out of synch on the time line...just a thought though.
Are you from Dundee yourself?

[percy toboggan]

Four years at Cape Wrath !...that's the kind of post that should get time added
for good behaviour. I probably sound naive, and as a younger man the isolation might have got to me after a while. Now though it sounds like a dream come true !
Thank you Kodiak for your 'list' which sounds like a glossary of so many places I'd like to visit.

[golach]

On a passing note......
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f7dV_8bqjBk

Rich a rendition of one of Dundee's poets W T McGonagall I thought you may like.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aA7mLHZRGTE

[Kodiak]

Kodiak, We're just a wee bit out of synch on the time line...just a thought though.
Are you from Dundee yourself?

Yes I am from Dundee and I left there in 1979 when I was appointed to Cape Wrath as Assistant Lightkeeper. I then moved to Scrabster in 1983, Holburn Head Lighthouse is where I lived and I worked out at Stroma. After a while my wife was Appointed as the Att Lightkeeper at Holburn Head. So both of us were Lightkeepes for a while. I was made redundant in March 1991 due to automation.

When I was made redundant the Lighthouse Board would have moved me any where I wanted to live in Scotland but we liked it so much up here that we decided to stay. I have now been living in Caithness for 26 years.

[Aaldtimer]

I know what you mean! I left Dundee in '67, nine years in the RAF, three years in Aberdeen, moved up here in Jan '79....just to see if I would like it...30 years on, still here!:)