Talk:Winker Watson

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Boarding schools were commonplace amongst Dandy readers in 1961, but by the 1980s had suffered a large drop in popularity (but are now enjoying a considerable revival as people seek to educate their children in supposedly more enlightened surroundings)

Er, really? Unless anyone can cite statistics showing that the comic was predominantly read by toffs and aristocrats, I would object to the notion that "boarding schools were commonplace amongst Dandy readers in 1961" :-) Just because a fictional Dandy character lived in that world, doesn't mean it was reality for the majority of Dandy readers. (The obvious modern example would of course be Harry Potter.) 217.155.20.163 00:40, 29 November 2006 (UTC)

Yes, The Dandy was aimed at, and most popular with, the lower middle and working classes. Winker was a public schoolboy, but used to talk the same way as all the other Dandy characters. In the 1969 annual, for example, his lines included "Thanks, lady" to a woman giving his carol-singing group money and "Thanks for the grub, cookie" to the school cook. Public schoolboys in other comics and children's novels of the time spoke in a much more affected manner. "I say, chaps!"... that sort of thing. RossyG 15:53, 10 December 2006 (UTC)