This year celebrates 75 years of laughter as The Beano reaches this great milestone anniversary. The Beano has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. My childhood was spent being a huge fan of Dennis and Gnasher, Minnie the Minx and the Bash Street Kids (especially Plug!) I was a member of the Dennis the Menace Fan Club and held my wallet and badges amongst my most treasured possessions. I even had a limerick printed in the comic once! So needless to say, I have a big soft spot for The Beano, and was delighted to receive some of The Beano's fabulous merchandise to review.
An amazing range of products have been launched to celebrate the 75th anniversary including puzzles, classic card games, notebooks, a brilliant range of
Beano toys, baby and adult clothes and of course the
world-famous Annual to name but a few.
The Beano Annual is a perfect nostalgic gift for anyone who remembers getting the comic as a child or for new fans to The Beano. I love that it features loads of Classic Beano cartoons from the past. Old favourites are being given a new lease of life for the anniversary, and I love that parents can share their memories with their children as they enjoy the book together. It is 112 pages of mischief, mayhem and fun featuring comic strips, gags, puzzles and games.
Lakeland have a range of menacingly good Beano stocking fillers this year with prices starting at just £2.99. We received the Super Bouncy Ball Kit from the range. The retro Beano packaging features Dennis, Minnie and Gnasher. The set contains two moulds and six coloured powders to make two bouncing balls. Other gifts in the range include a Paper Aeroplane Making Kit, a Badge Making Kit and some tricks, jokes and pranks. I think the are lovely and great novelty gifts for the young at heart as well as for kids.
The 1000 Piece Jigsaw puzzle by Gibsons is a beautiful design featuring iconic images from the Beano and The Dandy as well as some memorabilia such as the fan club badges, annuals and toy trucks. The resulting collage brings back lots of memories from when the comics were at their peak and were a part of many childhoods. Gibson puzzles are top quality, made in Holland using thick and sturdy recycled board. The finished puzzle is 486mm x 680mm.
This puzzle would make an excellent gift for anyone who enjoys doing jigsaws and will keep them busy over the winter months. It is such a lovely design, it would be a shame to dismantle it afterwards!
I have really enjoyed my trip down memory lane and have loved sharing Dennis the Menace with my own kids who have been enjoying reading the annual to find out what antics he has been getting up to alongside all the other Beano characters. The Bash Street Kids is coming out as a firm favourite with them!
Keep your eyes out for the fantastic retro Beano merchandise which is now available across a wide range of shops for the 75th anniversary. It's perfect for fans old and new!
Details of the items above including stockists:
The Beano Annual, £7.99, All good bookshops
Super Bouncy Ball Kit, £6.99, lakeland.co.uk
Beano & Dandy Vintage Comic Collection (1000 piece
jigsaw puzzle), £12.99, Amazon