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...Robinson. I can't tell you how happy this news made me. They've been in my life since the early 90s but it took ds reading me 'Green Island' (Stage 9 stories) for me to uncover this nugget of truth. It's in the newspaper article on the last page, along with the news that Chip is 7 and Wilma is 8.

I should not be this excited about that, should I?

They have real names too!

Christopher, Elizabeth and MaccieJax.

Lies

Hate to say it but they aren't that age now! There are updated stories now for them as teenagers. It isn't the same knowing they have grown up.

Oh gosh, no! They are not allowed to grow up! It's not like we know how Janet and John entertain the grandchildren, is it? Or how Peter went into banking and Jane into advertising?

Greta, they are David (Chip), Barbara (Biff) and Christopher (Kipper). Floppy is, as far as I know, just Floppy.

Here is one of the books. It's not the same as when they were children.

I think you'll find that Floppy's real name is Floppington.

The Time Chronicles are absolutely wonderful books!

I've always assed Biff = Elizabeth as my second most annoying house mate was.

What age do children read Biff and Chip up to? I was hoping it was nearly over - end of Reception... (though I am surprisingly excited to know their real names)

They are called those nicknames cos when kipper was little ge couldn't say their proper names!

DDs reception teacher once told me Biff was really called Barbara. I asked her how she knew, and was told there was a special book with all the background info in. She never showed me this book, though.

I bet even the nosy neighbour has a name.

I met the illustrator today. Very interesting man!

Why is there always a very suspicious looking man in the pictures though?

How funny

One of the non-fiction books is a biography of the illustrator

As a teacher, I am going to make it my mission to hunt down the special book (no idea if we have this at school though) with all the background Info and repor back

Is it just me who seems to remember that Biff=Barbara, Chip=David and Kipper=SomethingICan'tRemember.... I'm sure I read that somewhere as a kid!

I thought chip was Christopher.

Am about to embark on ORT again with DD having gone through it with DS.

Never knew about the hidden glasses though!!

The times chronicles are indeed fab, we have just got the 2nd set (the one with the great fire of London in).

www.oup.com/oxed/primary/oxfordreadingtree/resources/teachershandbook/
is required reading for every Kipper fan!

I always thought the suspicious man was the illustrator!!! A self portrait!

can't remember where I got that from, probably a thread here!

www.st-thomasmore.medway.sch.uk/about_our_reading_scheme.htm Yes!!!! I knew it!!!!

What a tragic memory I have

and what is the significance of the hidden glases? and the deer wading through the snow??