Scoop Annual 1981

Annual (1981). 7¾"x11". £1.45.
128 pages. Hardcover; B&W, tone and color.
D.C. Thomson & Co., Ltd.

Painted cover (uncredited).

Contents:

..2 Endpaper photographic montage
..4 Contents Page photographs.
..6 Focus On Speed Motor-Cycle Racers text feature (uncredited).

..8 Stark Untitled w: (uncredited). a: (uncredited).

.14 Skills Of The Superstars Taking On Defenders photo feature
.16 Star Features Jody Scheckter
.17 Ray Wilkins photo pin-up
.18 Photo Quiz
.20 Focus On Speed Le Mans text feature (uncredited).
.22 Worldbeaters! photo feature
.23 15 Years Of Stateside Soccer text feature (uncredited).
.27 Star Features Sandy Lyle
.28 The 4 Seasons Of Sport... part one, photo feature
.30 The Mini Maestros text story (uncredited).
.32 John Robertson photo pin-up
.33 Tommy's Tiny Team w: (uncredited). a: (uncredited).
.39 Sports Crossword
.40 It's A Funny Game - Rugby! photo feature.
.42 Picture Power - Tartan Style photo feature.
.44 Hitting The Heights photo feature.
.45 Hyperman On The Rampage! w: (uncredited). a: (uncredited).
.49 Seb Coe photo pin-up
.52 The 4 Seasons Of Sport... part two, photo feature
.54 Star Features Stan Cummins
.55 Klog Untitled w: (uncredited). a: (uncredited).
.56 Gordon McQueen photo pin-up
.57 Trevor Brooking photo pin-up

.58 International Computer Soccer part one, text feature (uncredited).

.60 Life With The Rovers photo feature
.62 The White Water Wonders... photo feature
.63 Star Features Kenny Dalglish
.64 Glenn Hoddle photo pin-up
.65 Kenny Dalglish photo pin-up
.66 Star Features Kenny Dalglish
.67 Star Features Ian Botham
.68 Focus On Speed Grand Prix text feature (uncredited)
.70 ...Car Wars photo feature
.72 The 4 Seasons Of Sport... part three, photo feature
.74 Ballboy Untitled w: (uncredited). a: (uncredited).
.80 John McEnroe photo pin-up

.85 International Computer Soccer part two, text feature (uncredited).

.87 Star Features Ivan Mauger
.88 Quiztime!
.90 Kenny The Kangaroo text story (uncredited).
.92 The Goalie's Got Guts! w: (uncredited). a: (uncredited).
.97 Peter Shilton photo pin-up
100 Focus On Speed Speedway text feature (uncredited).
102 Strike Force text feature (uncredited).
103 Ballboy Untitled w: (uncredited). a: (uncredited).
107 Star Features Pat Jennings
108 The 4 Seasons Of Sport... part four, photo feature
110 Speed Kings w: (uncredited). a: (uncredited).
112 Speed King Ron Hutton photo pin-up
117 Star Features Andy Gray
118 It's A Funny Game! cricket photo feature
120 Sports Crossword
121 Windsurf... Or Bust! w: (uncredited). a: photos (uncredited).

I can't seem to find an intact copy of this particular annual, so - from the three butchered copies I have managed to find - this is as close as I have come to sorting out the contents. There are some things missing (and the confusing contents page doesn't help much), so I'm leaving this entry here until I have sorted it out. The annual is a confusing mish-mash of sports, with a frentic energy which doesn't feel like the D.C. Thomson annuals I enjoyed reading. Of course, sports were never my favorite genre of reading material, so I'm possibly not the best to critique this particular publication.

Blue Peter Annual 2007

Annual (2007). 9"x12". £7.99.
112 pages; hardback. Full color.
Pedigree Books, Ltd. / BBC

ISBN-10: 1904329993

Features written by Richard Marson. Photography by Chris Capstick.

Photo cover.

Contents:

..2 Blue Peter photos.
..4 Contents
..5 Title Page
..6 Hello There! text introduction.
..8 Try Hard rugby photo feature by Richard Marsdon.
.12 All The Queen's Horses text feature by Richard Marsdon.
.14 Totally Blue Peter text feature by Richard Marsdon.
.20 Flying Angels cut-out feature by Gillian Shearing.
.24 Winter Safari To Namibia photo feature.
.28 Be A Blue Peter V.I.P. photo feature.
.30 Gethin Jones pin-up
.31 Gethin Jones text feature by Richard Marsdon.
.32 Geth Gloves Up boxing photo feature.

.36 Zarafa illustrated feature by Richard Marsdon. a: Bob Broomfield.

.40 Darth By Chocolate recipe by Gillian Shearing.
.42 Konnie Huq pin-up.
.43 Konnie Huq text feature by Richard Marsdon.
.44 Land Of The Rising Sun photo feature.
.48 No Oil Painting photo feature.
.50 Smackdown cut-out feature by Gillian Shearing.
.54 What Not To Wear...? photo feature.
.58 Who Peter Doctor Who text feature.
.62 Exterminate! Exterminate! cut-out feature by Gillian Shearing.
.66 An Eiffel Of Paris photo feature.
.70 Marie Antoinette photo feature.
.74 Socks Rocks! photo feature.
.76 Feline Fun cut-out feature by Diggy Hicks-Little.
.78 Treasure Trail text feature by Richard Marsdon.
.80 Zoe Salmon pin-up.
.81 Zoe Salmon text feature by Richard Marsdon.
.82 Commando Yomp photo feature.
.86 Badge Winners photo feature.
.90 Music Makers photo feature.
.92 Happy Endings photo feature.
.96 I'll Try Anything Once photo feature.
100 Happy Birthday Mabel photo feature.
102 Andy's Audition photo feature.
104 The Top Ten No. 10 photo feature.
106 Eggs-travaganza! cut-out feature by Gillian Shearing.
109 Solutions & Credits

Blue Peter - Eighteenth Book

Annual (1982). 8"x11". £1.95
80 pages; hardback. Full color.
BBC

ISBN-10: 0563179384

Features written by Biddy Baxter, Edward Barnes & John Adcock.

Photo cover.

Contents:

.2 Blue Peter Animals part one
.3 Contents
.4 Hello There! text by Simon Groom, Sarah Greene & Peter Duncan.
.6 Time Gentlemen Please! text feature by Peter Duncan.
.9 Rags Goes Back To School text feature (uncredited).
10 Who Stole The Stone? illustrated feature by Dorothy Smith. a: Robert Bloomfield.
16 Who's Who? text feature (uncredited).
18 Witches And Wizards cut-out feature by Margaret Parnell.
20 Joey text feature (uncredited).
25 Weddings photo feature (uncredited).
26 Great Jumping Bullfrogs photo feature (uncredited).
28 Leap Frog cut-out feature by Margaret Parnell.
30 Kevin Keegan photo feature.
31 Tina's Baby text feature (uncredited).
34 End Of An Era text feature (uncredited).
36 HMS Ark Royal cutaway. a: Roland Berry.
38 Christmas Stamps text feature (uncredited).
40 Marathon Man text feature (uncredited).
44 The Case Of The One That Got Away text story (uncredited).
47 The Big One text feature by Peter Duncan.
50 Malaysia text feature by Sarah Greene.
54 Butterflies And Headhunters text feature by Dorothy Smith. a: Robert Bloomfield.
57 I Don't Care A Pin photo feature by Sarah Greene.
58 Bradgate Park text feature by Simon Groom.
60 Goldie's Puppies photo feature (uncredited).
62 What A Snip! illustrated feature (uncredited). a: Cindi Harwood.
64 Simon And The Thirty Theaves text feature (uncredited).
66 Blue Peter Meets Grange Hill text story by Paul Manning. a: Brian Delaney.
69 The Fishers Of Mousehole text feature by Sarah Greene.
72 Star Gazey Pie recipe by Margaret Parnell.
74 The Bear Facts! illustrated feature.
76 Solutions answers to puzzles printed in reverse.
77 Spot The Spots competition.
78 Blue Peter Animals part two

Under a bolder cover than previous years, the contents are - surprisingly, given the changes made in previous years - rather less different than readers might have expected. There are overly familiar elements, which have been reported on at length in episodes (the Stone of Destiny, the Ark Royal), and blatant plugs for other BBC shows (Doctor Who, Grange Hill), but the essential Blue Peter-ness is maintained throughout, with features on things to make at home, recipes, and plenty of photos of the presenters. This annual is appearing here rather than on the main blog, due to the lack of comic-specific content, and even the aforementioned Doctor Who article is merely a brief overview of the series' history rather than a meaningful contribution.

The most immediately noticeable thing about the features is the bluntness of language. The article on Joey Deacon uses the word 'spastic' freely, which probably contributed to the proliferation of the word as a term of insult in school playgrounds up and down the country in the 1980s, and is at odds with later annuals careful use of language. Of course, even with the worrisome contents, there is enough here for readers to consider - an especially interesting two-page article on Rupert Bear lays out the history of the character, and his early creators. There are gaps in the narrative, along with what seems like a joke on 'Girl Power' over a decade before it was coined, but it does enough to justify its' inclusion.