Best children's books for Christmas - win over £200 worth of gorgeous gifts

In the 1940s, in the years during and after the war, toys were not easy to come by. Somehow, my parents managed to find me a second hand, large black tricycle which made all my friends very envious. But, although I was a child who much preferred books to dolls, there was one year when I yearned for a black doll and on Christmas morning I woke up to find just such a doll sitting on the end of my bed, wearing a pink spotted dress and bonnet - the same material as a dress my mum had made for me. That is the one present I remember but I have no idea what happened to her.

I was 10 and my parents gave me a leather pouffe to sit and read on. I was a real bookworm and in a very large family space to sit and read was always at a premium, especially as floors were cold in those pre-central heating days. This was MINE, and nobody was allowed to forget it!

A budgerigar in a cage. Never had a pet before and he was my friend for several years. He taught me so much about caring for another creature.

I can remember getting a stylophone . It was my bestest ever present I'd ever had. I used to play along with the shadows LPs on Dads Radiogramme in the 70's . Those were the days .

No Christmas would have been Christmas without a Christmas annual of that years favorite comic,for me it had to be Bunty or School Friend .

I was lucky enough one year to get the 'Sooty' puppet complete with wand. Always loved Sooty and Sweep as a child.

A tall new Walkie Talkie doll - IN HER BOX! My nana who lived next door had saved up to buy her for me. I remember my mother going mad telling her off for spending all her money on me. On a toy. At around seven years old I thought she meant I wasn’t worth it - it was a lot later when I was grown that she told me that nana had no money and had gone short herself in order to save for that doll. I still have her. My children call her scary doll as she’s lost all her colour and creaks when she walks. But she’s very precious to me.

A Racoon radio, it was a soft toy with a radio in it's tummy. I loved it, even years later when the radio stopped working.

It was a Cadbury mini bar dispenser when I was about 8, I had wanted one for ages, where you put a coin in and it dispensed a little bar, I loved it.

My best Christmas present as a child was a 1970s Chopper bike I didn't know how to ride a two wheeler bike at all! I kept falling off all the time! When school time finish I rush home to ride it. I don't remember now what happen to it if I gave it away. Those were my best memories!

The present I remember the most as a child was my pogo stick, I spent hours bouncing around the garden on it. As an adult it was the St Christoper my then boyfriend and now husband of 30+ years gave me 40 years ago, and I have worn it everyday since.

A puppy.
I know “A dog is not just for Christmas” but I had fallen love with a 6 month old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel called “Borderland Hamish”

Hamish was my devoted companion for the next 8 years, sadly dying relatively young ?

It would have to be my bike. I had to ride my Mums old Raleigh Shopper and everyone used to tease me as it was far too big for me and I couldn't sit on the seat and had a shopping basket on the back. I was so happy when I got a brand new Mountain Bike and people weren't embarrassed to be my friend anymore!

62 years ago I got a cardboard Post Office for Christmas which was absolutely brilliant because it even had an ink stamper for using on the postal orders etc. With words of caution from my dad about not getting ink on the carpet I played with it for hours. On Boxing Day the accident happened, the refill ink spilt so the whole lot was thrown on the fire. Well it was good fun while it lasted!

My best Christmas present as a child was a dolls house. It lasted for years and was used by all the other kids in the family too.

Thrilled at 4 to find a doll at the end of my bed! DM remembered me saying 'I don't care if he hasn't brought me anything else!' Although it was wartime 'he' had also left a pillowcase. I can't remember anything about the doll, or what else I had.
An avid reader at 8 I was pleased to get a book from relatives until I opened it and found it was not Enid Blyton but a dictionary. We didn't have one and it was useful a few years later but I suspect my face fell when I unwrapped it in front of the aunt and uncle who'd given it to me!

Jeannie - I had a much loved post office once too, I was luckier than you, mine lasted for quite a while, it was before ink stampers were included! I think an aunt who worked on a GPO counter gave it to me so I was 'just like her'! Happy memories of Christmases past!

my favourite was the magic robot board game, i was amazed at how it got the answers right every time. simple pleasure.

A large doll from Father Christmas. Waking very early and groping at the bottom of my bed, I found a box. In the darkness, I opened the box and feeling inside of it I found a doll. Knowing that I would be in trouble if I got up, I hugged her to me and went back to sleep.

Spirograph is the one present that sticks in my mind the most. Last year I bought the updated version for my grandchildren and they love it. Happy memories.

The very best present was a puppy dog. I’d just seen Lady and the Tramp and called her ‘Lady’. I couldn’t understand why the adults said she should be Trampled! I had that wonderful present for 17 years.

My favourite present was my Tiny Tears doll. My Mum had knitted and sewn loads of clothes for her and made some bedding for her as well. I played with my Tiny Tears for hours on end every day for years and years and my Mum taught me to sew and knit so I could make clothes for her myself. Very fond memories.

I got a little record player and a copy of GI Blues the Elvis album. I’d been to see the film with my auntie and just loved Elvis. I was very young at the time and thought I was so grown up!

My ballerina Sindy doll off my grandmother, I still have her.