Puffin Club/Puffin Post - anyone else a member

I was a memeber, & remember coming to a couple of the day events in London.

I remember the colourscape tunnels (in my memory they are on the South Bank, but the inside of the building that I remember sounds more like the Commonwealth Institute) and meeting Rumer Godden who thought I was a boy & spelt my name wrong.

Superweeks look great - they sound a bit like the quite wholesome Scripture Union camps that I went to in the 1980's (minus the bible study).

Thanks everyone, will go for Pufflings. DD has this problem with her guided reading at school - a lot of what is challenging for her to read is just not interesting for her at her age .

p.s. Elkiedee, I saw that biography of Kaye Webb reviewed and thought it looked good...

Moor Park. Have found a Colony facebook group. Apparently they're still in existence as ATE Holidays, who run things called Superweeks.

I was a member, and DD is a subscriber to Puffin Post for Pufflings.

She is reading at a 9 yo level but emotionally she is not ready for "Carroes War" etc so I joined the Pufflings one and she really enjoys it, and the free books that turn up.

I still have my badge!

It was my greatest ambition to go on the Puffin Colony Holiday! I didn't, but I did end up going on four other colonies - one at Bloxham, one (fantastic one) in the Orkneys, one near Ludlow and one at somewhere I can't remember... they were excellent.

As was the Puffin Club. Goodness, I loved those magazines. I still have them all, in their pink folders... My DNs have just joined, and are apparently enjoying it - I haven't heard yet what the quality of the books is like.

dd is 7 and a very able reader - she was given a subscription for Christmas last year (i.e. when she was 6) which was before they had the Pufflings version - although we always managed to choose an appropriate book, a lot of the content of the magazine was over her head - not in terms of reading ability required, purely because it was dealing with stuff she had no interest in

my parents wanted to renew for this past Christmas and I asked them to choose the younger version - the books are a bit too easy for her now, she generally goes for the non-fiction option from the magazine (and gets her fiction fix at the library) but like OrigamiYoda she's in a bit of an awkward in-betweeny stage

Boffin Mum, a fellow ex Colony holidayer! Weren't they amazing? I talk about Colonies a lot to be met with blank stares by many, more popular than PGL back in the day.

I would have loved to go on a Puffin Colony! I went on my first Colony in 1980 and how exciting it was! I remember seeing Bilton Grange in one of the coveted brochures that used to arrive brand new and shiny through the post in the pre-internet days. Did you have the Puffin Colony Holiday Song Book? Do you remember the wide game? I could go on...

My dd is a very good reader at 7 and has the younger version. To be honest i have found many of the books are a bit babyish for her. However, her sister gets the older version. Some of the books in there are a bit too scary and perhaps even teenager ish. I think they are in an awkward stuck in the middle time when they are able readers at that age.

Am thinking of getting DD1 a subscription to Puffin Post but not sure which edition (6+ or 9+) to go for -- she will be 7 but is a very good reader. Any views, Puffineers?

I was a very proud member, my first piece of published writing was in the Puffin Post (I won a denim pencil case with a special biro in it, amongst other things), and I even went to the Puffin Club Colony Holiday in 1977 at Bilton Grange.

I loved the Puffin Club. It was the only place in my MiniBoff world you were really allowed to be clever.

yes,I was a puffineer - I had a folder full of Puffin posts !

clare - email them. We have done that - they can't send you last month's books, but they will let you claim 2 from the new magazine (in fact, I think DS might have managed to do the same again this month )

I think we'll give this a go - at least I'll enjoy the nostalgia trip (confused)

I was a member and we went to the exhibitions, sure one was at Commonwealth Institute. I still have a copy of a book called Spotter Puff or Spotter Puffin by Patricia Wrede (sp?), signed by the author and illustrated with a little puffin. I met Raymond Briggs too, and then 30 odd years later ended up working with him and his books, and my now boss's first job was helping out at those exhibitions. I signed my daughter up for the new Puffin Post, but failed to send off for the first books (durr) and don't think you can redeem them once the new magazine comes out.

I was - and we went to events. I met Noel Streatfield, whose books I loved, and she was old and grumpy

DS is now a member (Christmas present from my DM) and he absolutely loves it. His Puffin is very proud of his postman's outfit which came with the renewal pack.

Sniffup?

I was - went to the puffin shows and everything. And I've just signed DD up for the relaunched version.

Yes I was a member of the Puffin Club too in the 80s. But I seem to remember the magazine being called 'The Egg'....

And OMG Surreygirl - I also used to go to the Commonwealth Institute Puffin Club events! That takes me back.

Dd2 is now a member - she loves getting the magazine and choosing her free book.

dd1 is also a member and loves it, atlhough I do question the quality of the books...

I've still got my magazines and my badge (crap at decluttering ).

DS is a member of the new Puffin Club and he loves it. They have cleverly updated a lot of the old stuff; remember the book plates? £46 is quite a lot but as iheartdusty points out you do get 6 books per year included. You also get a penguin toy, plus new outfits and a new badge each year. Lots of competitions too. I think it is worth it.

I was a member too - and managed to go to a couple of their days at the Commonwealth Centre in Kensington. Used to love the magazine

Yes, I was a member. I remember going to one of their summer day events. It was amazing, and they had one of those colourscape things (you know the ones where you wander through coloured rooms.... I think one broke its moorings a couple of years ago and killed people...)

I used to love the puffin post, and I had two different badges, one black on white and the other white on black. I think the latter was for long-standing membership.