Anyone remember a charitable scheme called Sunny Smiles.
At your local Sunday School you were given a little booklet
featuring detachable photos of unfortunate toddlers.You were asked to hawk these round friends and family in return for a contribution.
The buyer was then given the photo of the toddler .
Sadly you usually ended up with a few bob and some unsold pictures of the ugliest kids.

Ha Ha I remember those. It was all in a good cause.
Ahhh Sunny Smiles :) Wonder what happened to those kids and if their life improved.

Every year the whole school was given 'Sunny Smile' books to sell to friends and relatives. Mum usually bought loads of books because she didn't like us going round too many neighbours asking them to buy them. There was always a few pictures of really ugly babies left in the books as no-one wanted to buy them

These must have been going a long time, I remember them when I was at school in the 1950s, I had totally forgotten about them until I read this thread. I wonder if anyone knows what charity set them up, and if it still exists today.

I remember them as well..were we supposed to sell them?

I remember them. but now I would like to think that I would buy the non so pretty ones, getting soft in my old age.

my dad told me he was one of the children photographed in the sunny smiles booklet. he was in a childrens home at the time. i would love to get hold of one of the books, does anybody know where i can get one from? i know they are years old, but i would really like one. any info appreciated. thanks

Also at school in '50s, and we had Sunny Smiles books too - this had made me think of other things we did for charity - I can remember some pink flowers being sold (similar to poppies for Remembrance Sunday, but I have a feeling they were made of paper) - can anyone recall what these were for?

I had to sell them for the Brownies..thye were a good idea i think. people used to take pity on them and buy the ugliest ones first!...not sure what they did with them after!

These must have gone on for years, because I remember selling them in 1980 / 81. Can anyone remember if they saw them much after this? I didn't, but I changed schools at that time, so maybe that's why!

I remember my uncle buying two pictures from me, but signing his name as Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck on the counterfoil; I was frightened to death that I would get into trouble for him doing that. Strange what worries youy when you are six!

I remember selling/buying them in the 40's at a penny each photo, what was the value in the 80's.
I too used to pick the pretty ones. How awful for the others, I hope they never knew.

Hazel

Originally posted by hazel
what was the value in the 80's.

Hazel

They didn't have a set price I seem to recall, a bit like poppies now. Most people used to give me about 10 or 20p

I don't remember them at all, strange ! I must ask my sisters about them.

:thumbsup: SUNNY SMILES
I am an old boy of The National Childrens Home and can confirm that SUNNY SMILES were used to encourage children to raise funds for NCH. The money was often presented at the Annual Festival of Queens when brownies,guides,cubs,scouts etc etc paraded on a Sunday usually at a large Methodist Church or City Hall.
I can remember coming down from Harrogate on a bus with our NCH choir to sing in Sheffield City Hall several times.
I was cared for by NCH from 1942 to 1954 and wish to say A BIG THANKYOU to anyone who raised funds.
David Green,Tickhill

Also at school in '50s, and we had Sunny Smiles books too - this had made me think of other things we did for charity - I can remember some pink flowers being sold (similar to poppies for Remembrance Sunday, but I have a feeling they were made of paper) - can anyone recall what these were for?

Weren't these for "Fairthorn Homes" or something similar to that? It sort of popped into my mind when reading that.:)

Anyone remember a charitable scheme called Sunny Smiles.
At your local Sunday School you were given a little booklet
featuring detachable photos of unfortunate toddlers.You were asked to hawk these round friends and family in return for a contribution.
The buyer was then given the photo of the toddler .
Sadly you usually ended up with a few bob and some unsold pictures of the ugliest kids.

I remember the Sunny Smiles. They were sold to raise money for the National Childrens Homes. :) They used to hold a show at the City Hall. I remember one year Harry Corbett and Sooty performed. Great memories.

Anyone remember a charitable scheme called Sunny Smiles.
At your local Sunday School you were given a little booklet
featuring detachable photos of unfortunate toddlers.You were asked to hawk these round friends and family in return for a contribution.
The buyer was then given the photo of the toddler .
Sadly you usually ended up with a few bob and some unsold pictures of the ugliest kids.

I too remember Sunny Smiles. I would have been about 7 when we used to sell these. I always remember going to the neighbours who would look through the book and buy them. I always remember one of the ladies always wanted the photos of the black babies. I think people used to pay a penny for the photo and if anyone gave more you felt really good. It was amazing how the money added up.

These were something that people used to look forward to getting each year and nobody ever grumbled when we went round. They were always eager to give their money.

Gosh this has certainly brought back memories - I can picture the books now. I had forgotten all about these but I think it was a really good way of collecting money for the Children's Home. I never had any problems selling all the pictures and would always just have the stubs left to take back with the relevant cash. I never had any unsold "smiles".

I remember selling Sunny Smiles at Sunday School. I also rememebr going to the City Hall as attendant to the Sunday School Queen and later as Sunday School Queen to hand the money over. I too remember Sooty being there!

I remember getting them from Sunday School I always felt bad about the ugly ones that nobody wanted to buy so my mum always bought the ones that were left.

I had forgotten all about them until I saw this thread.

I never sold them but I can remember buying them. The first few times, I agonised over which one to choose as I was convinced you got the actual baby brought to your house later. *give me a break I was only about 5*

Were those pink roses with the yellow wax blob over the pin head something like Princess Alexandra's Rose for some nursing charity? Loved those, pretty pink flowers.

I remember selling Sunny Smiles at Sunday School. I also rememebr going to the City Hall as attendant to the Sunday School Queen and later as Sunday School Queen to hand the money over. I too remember Sooty being there!
Sunny smiles,Sunday School,City Hall, attendant to the Sunday School Queen etc
Sooty a puppet, from a TV programme, what an exiting childhood you and your younger sister Nettie J had?
Only joking.

This has brought back a million memories, I remember them from the 70s, didn't realise they were around a lot longer than that. Our RI teacher used to organize it.:)

Hi everyone

I remember Sunny Smiles. I was a member of Dronfield Woodhouse Methodist Church's Sunday School from around 1975 to 1982. We used to sell them every year for 10p each. I remember in all those years, the booklets were identical every year - my mum had the same little black girl every year, and my dad had the same little blonde girl every year. I didn't know that Sunny Smiles had been around since the 1950's till I saw them on here - in fact, I'd forgotten all about them. I wonder if the same little black girl and the same little blonde girl had been in the booklets since the 1950's???

Kerry

I remember selling them when I went to Sunday School, at the Wesleyan Reform Chapel on Upwell Street and at Jenkin Road Methodists. I think it was about 1952 when I was chosen to present the money at the City Hall. Can't remember if it was because I sold the most or what! But I can remember being dressed all in white taffeta and rustling down the aisle at the City Hall with everyone applauding the lines of us children self-consciously walking towards the stage, then onto it, curtseying and handing over the money. I've no idea how much money there was in my offering! Wonder if anyone took any photos of these occasions?

I'd love a pic and also a sunny smiles book. I'm glad somebody else remembers them as well as me, because nobody I speak to has ever heard of them.

I remember selling them when I went to Sunday school in the 50's. I always looked through them first and bought the prettiest ones with my pocket money!

some one some where must have a booklet with the photos i remember them very well we discuss them all the time and have nearly convinced our younger brother we bought him from the book we went to hucklow road school in the 70s

Athelstan Juniors in the early sixties. I could never sell all my Sunny Smiles. I didn't like selling them. Didn't we have to write in the book the names of people that bought them?

Yeah, I'd forgotten that bit. You had to fill in the stub. I never sold all mine either!

I seem to think the paper flowers were Mickelmas daisies and the proceeds went to Fairthorne. :)

I was just about to post the note below in the Sheffield History chat section, not sure what suddenly revived my memory of this.

"Does anyone remember the Sunny Smiles books, these were pictures of childrens faces (usually smilling) that were sold for charity, there was a book of around 10 faces and you chose the picture you wanted. This could have been a sunday School/ Church fundraising activity.
Imagine going door to door selling these pictures these days."

I had also completely forgotten about the Sunny Smiles, I remember them from the '50s, though not much more - I doubt my mum would have allowed me to go round selling them so I don't know what happened to them!

Mentions Sunny Smiles here

http://www.theirhistory.co.uk/70001/info.php?p=15

I had to sell them for the Brownies..thye were a good idea i think. people used to take pity on them and buy the ugliest ones first!...not sure what they did with them after!

I bought the whole booklet and stuck the pictures on my bedroom wall. I even gave all the kids names!