Bea-ing Educated

My father left school at the age of just 14. It seems unbelievable now that his official education finished when he was so young. I say ‘official education’ for the good reason that he found other ways to continue learning. 

My father bought The Wizard and The Hotspur every week. These were not cartoon comics, but rather short story magazines filled with tales of fictional heroes. In fact, he continued to subscribe to these comics until they ceased circulation, so as a child I too got to read the stories of ‘Wilson, the wonder athlete’.

Throughout his life he continued to read voraciously. I grew up in a house full of books, from cheap paperbacks to travel guides to encyclopaedias, and every other genre imaginable. In those pre-internet days, they provided a wealth of written information to aid my school work.

My father was also a collector, of anything and everything. This included stamps, coins, records, model cars and with each collection came reference books and guides, all conscientiously studied. He was definitely the man to have as your ‘phone a friend’ companion!

It is thanks to my father’s collection of postcards that I have an article published today in The People’s Friend Special, issue 111. My piece references just some of the many cards he owned.


Selection of postcards from my father's collection

There is a happy co-incidence that it is DC Thomson who have published my writing, for it is that company who were the publishers of my father’s early favourites, The Wizard and The Hotspur.

It is to my father’s memory I dedicate the article, ‘Send Me a Postcard!’