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Children's books

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Original poster

Puffin Club/Puffin Post - anyone else a member

31 replies

elkiedee · 19/05/2010 12:42

I've just read a biography of Kaye Webb who ran Puffin Books in the 60s and 70s. They had a club with a members' magazine called Puffin Post.

Did anyone else get the magazines, or even participate in the events?

This is probably one for the older mums, late 30s upwards, as I'm nearly 41 and I think a lot of former Puffineers would be older than me.

OP posts:

dbm · 19/05/2010 21:55

yes i remember it with great fondness, I think they should revive it ; that early brand loyalty and engagement is still with me as I prefer buying Penguin books!!!

iheartdusty · 19/05/2010 22:16

Puffin Post has been revived!!

it is great fun, and you get a free book with every issue.

can't post a link at the moment cos website is playing up but the address is puffinpost.co.uk

I got a discount on the subscription through Red House books at the end of last year.

CMOTdibbler · 19/05/2010 22:18

I remember having a puffin club badge, but not more than that - but must have been a member

dbm · 19/05/2010 22:32

thanks for the info iheartdusty, I've just had a quick look at the website; the full price subscription seems pretty high at £45; anyone got any codes fo a discount?!

hester · 19/05/2010 22:34

I loved the Puffin Club! I never attended events, but I used to love the magazine. Those brilliant illustrations... And they used to send you a diary every year.

iheartdusty · 19/05/2010 22:35

it is high for just a mag, but as I say, you get to choose a free book (out of about 10 titles) from each issue if that is any consolation.

Aranea · 19/05/2010 22:38

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.

surreygirl · 19/05/2010 22:44

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

JeffVadar · 20/05/2010 10:59

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.

cazzybabs · 25/05/2010 19:24

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

Dancergirl · 28/05/2010 18:39

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.

exexpat · 28/05/2010 18:41

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

BigTillyMint · 29/05/2010 19:37

Sniffup?

Original poster

elkiedee · 01/06/2010 10:44

Spotera

OP posts:

stealthsquiggle · 01/06/2010 10:52

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.

clare21 · 01/06/2010 21:57

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.

dbm · 01/06/2010 22:21

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

stealthsquiggle · 02/06/2010 11:19

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 )

MaryAnnSingleton · 02/06/2010 11:21

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

JulesJules · 02/06/2010 20:42

Yes, my sister and I were both members! I absolutely loved it, used to enter all the competitions and won quite a lot of prizes, plus go to the puffin days too. My 8yo DD was given a gift subscription for Christmas, she got a box full of stuff with her first magazine and I was delighted to see the secret codes etc are still in use!

It made me feel part of something really special and I hope my daughter gets as much out of it as I did.

BoffinMum · 03/06/2010 21:51

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.

SchnitzelVonKrumm · 12/06/2010 01:32

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?

OrigamiYoda · 12/06/2010 08:11

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.

Cortina · 15/06/2010 10:41

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...

basildonbond · 15/06/2010 22:05

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

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