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Original poster

Phoebe And The Hot Water Bottles

26 replies

MillicentMargaretAmanda · 15/09/2019 00:59

Random 1am thread, but does anyone remember Phoebe and the Hot Water Bottles from childhood. About a girl who wasn't allowed a dog and got given interesting shaped hot water bottles instead. Then the house (or possibly her dad's pharmacy?) catches on fire and she puts it out with her huge hot water bottle collection. And gets the puppy as a reward. I bloody loved that book, mostly for the illustrations and ALL the different hot water bottles.

OP posts:
Bookridden · 16/09/2019 18:54

Yes! Phoebe Beeberbee. I loved reading this book to DD. A very strange and somehow very English little story. I think it was a Lions picture book.

Clawdy · 16/09/2019 19:28

If you see a copy anywhere, pick it up! It's been out of print for years, and fetches ridiculous prices on the Amazon website....starts at about £70 for a second hand copy!

Michaelbaubles · 16/09/2019 19:30

£70 you say???

But I can’t sell it, I loved it as a kid and my DD loves it now!

Phoebe And The Hot Water Bottles
xSharonNeedlesx · 16/09/2019 19:32

Yes we loved it in our house when we were little. Great book!

Ledehe · 16/09/2019 19:33

Loved this story as a kid. Was just thinking about it yesterday

TheyCalledherPatience · 16/09/2019 19:36

Oh, my favourite. I always keep an eye out in charity shops just in case...

100PercentThatBitch · 16/09/2019 19:40

We had this!

I'd forgotten it

Great book

miaCara · 16/09/2019 23:02

She was the warmest little girl in the world. Grin

We have a copy but it is 'well loved'...

pollyhemlock · 17/09/2019 17:40

My children loved this book and we still have a very tatty copy. As TheyCalledherPatience indicates in the link, it became disapproved of because some uptight people thought it showed inappropriate fire extinguishing techniques! A shame because it’s a great story, and I love the tender relationship between Phoebe and her elderly, overworked Dad.

Original poster
MillicentMargaretAmanda · 18/09/2019 20:25

Ooo I am so envious of those of you who still have copies. Such fond memories!

OP posts:
MargotMoon · 21/09/2019 12:40

Oh I loved that book! If anyone wants to post additional photos of the inside pages that would be lovely for a trip down memory lane Smile

pollyhemlock · 21/09/2019 16:30

@MargotMoon there you go

Phoebe And The Hot Water Bottles
Phoebe And The Hot Water Bottles
Phoebe And The Hot Water Bottles
MargotMoon · 21/09/2019 17:02

Brilliant, thank you! Warmed me cockles, that has. I'm listening to the audiobook of Bookworm by Lucy Mangan atm and have been steeped in nostalgia all day Smile

londonrach · 21/02/2020 20:16

Love to see my photos. Iloved this book and at £70 can afford it as writting the story down if anyone remembers it

Belacqua1975 · 27/02/2020 09:32

OH this was my favourite childhood book! I tried to find a copy too but couldn't - ended up going to my local copyright library to read it! So gorgeous to see the photos and to meet fellow Phoebe lovers. I thought it was actually a really moving story about a parent learning to really listen to their child - really related to it as a child (and in fact now as a parent). And the colours were magical

SoCrimeaRiver · 27/02/2020 16:14

We have this! I got it for 50p in a charity shop.

DS loved it because it's so random. I'm off to hide the book under the mattress if it's that much as it's currently in toddler DD's room waiting for her to be old enough to appraciate it.

Original poster
MillicentMargaretAmanda · 28/02/2020 12:16

50p Crimea????

Envy - definitely envy!

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letsgomaths · 19/06/2020 07:20

@MillicentMargaretAmanda Late to this thread, but I loved that book! My parents are hanging on to our copy. It's so beautifully illustrated, and showed lots of things from the 1970s, such as the chemist shop being closed for lunch, and the striped clothes. I loved the loving but busy and absent-minded father. One of my favourite pictures was the swimming pool one, where the pool is full of the hot water bottles, and the other swimmers are totally ignoring them, except one girl who has a hot water bottle on her head. Also Phoebe's creative ways of entertaining herself with the bottles is a lesson from pre-screen times, I don't think she's seen watching TV. It's a shame the book was "discredited" because of Phoebe's heroic act. I suppose giving children puppies as presents came to be frowned upon later, although her father gave very good reasons for not giving her a puppy.

Original poster
MillicentMargaretAmanda · 23/06/2020 22:27

OK @letsgomaths, I need your parents address so I can go an commit a minor and baffingly specific robbery! I'd totally forgotten about the swimming pool picture. Ah, the memories!

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Getitdonesharpish · 23/06/2020 22:29

Oh my word. That was my favourite book as a little girl. I loved the illustrations. I’m going to ask mum if she held on to our copy.

Bioprepper · 02/07/2020 10:17

I took this book out so many times from my primary school library my teacher gave me a copy as a leaving present!! unfortunately its got lost over the years.

i was telling DH about it a couple of years ago and we went in search for a copy to read to our girls and every single copy was over £100 on ebay Shock now every time im in charity shops or browsing ebay i look out for it. Such a lovely book :)

anotherpassword · 29/08/2020 21:44

I ‘d forgotten all about Phoebe until I came across this thread ! Our children loved it and it is probably still up in the loft in a box so I must have a search and read it to the grandchildren .

FreeButtonBee · 15/10/2020 21:30

I Loved that book! My DS would also adore it. Can’t believe it’s so expensive!!!

It is ringing a few bells of other similar stories but I can’t quite dredge your the memories.

Ploughingthrough · 23/10/2020 12:37

Oh wow we loved this book as kids. My brother especially as like Phoebe he was desperate for a dog! He never got one, but we all adored this book so much. My mum will def still have it I am going to let her know how much it's worth! Her nostalgia would never let it go though.