Janet and John: Book One (Janet & John Series)

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Linked with this shift was a new approach to the curriculum. Under Beeby as assistant director-general from 1938, and as In 2001, when the books were "updated" for the modern generation, the perceived social stereotyping was toned down and more [ie any] ethnic minority characters were added. director-general from 1940, the Department of Education embarked on an ambitious programme of syllabus reform, culminating in 1948 with the big one — reading. Janet and John arrived as part of this reform. We should forget all this PC nonsense, and send the kids away (on their own) for holidays in the summer in gaily painted caravans, and let them roar down to flooded quarries for a bracing dip before breakfast The first volumes of the Janet and John series were called Books One to Four with additional volumes in 1950 – Through the Garden Gate; Off to Play; I Know a Story – Here We Go in 1951 and Once Upon a Time in 1952.

Also available to support the basic books were several series of little reading books, though schools had to buy these. To give an idea of the numbers involved, three books published by Whitcombe and Tombs for the Family series— Family fun According to his BBC biography, John 'Boggy' Marsh started work for the BBC in 1965 intending to be a cameraman but had a natural voice for radio. Beginning on the World Service he then announced programmes for Radio 4 for most of the 1970s, including The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. In 1982 he moved to Radio 2, Europe's most popular radio station, as a newsreader. What we need is a return to a spiffing time when women knew they were weak and also knew their place, ie the kitchen

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During the 1970s, new theories were developed on how children learn to read, and "real books" with "real stories" became increasingly popular. [2] Janet and John 's presentation of a middle-class nuclear family fell out of favour, and the series was discontinued in 1976. [2] Kathy and Mark [ edit ] One of the Kathy and Mark Little Books (1973)

And she’s right. Her satire – a combination of original painting and mixed media – perfectly encapsulates the conceptual vacancy that is, unfortunately, at the heart of many of our arts institutions. She explains:

Not the first

They were basically poor stories, without climax, without satisfactory endings and often without content that grabbed children ... " she said. There are children climbing trees. Now they say we can't do this we can't do that, you can't play conkers, children aren't allowed out," says Alastair Williams, managing director of Summersdale, the publishers reprinting the Janet and John books. By the mid-1970s the Janet and John books were looking increasingly outdated with their representation of a middle-class nuclear family. New theories were also being developed on how children learn to read and books and with ‘real’ stories were becoming more popular the Janet and John series was finally discontinued in 1976. A key point of the Janet and John stories is the way that Terry Wogan was able to tell them in an entirely inoffensive manner. It may seem a contradiction, but the way he would burst out with uncontrollable laughter while telling the stories reassured listeners that it was all innocent innuendo perfectly suitable for being broadcast when children were listening. The stories seem far ruder in text than Terry would ever make them sound. Now, I love Ladybird books – and I love a good spoof. So I really wanted to like the four review copies kindly provided by Ladybird HQ. For which I am grateful, I really am. But I just can’t bring myself to like them.