Scotland's favourite family comic strip from The Sunday Post. The Broons history, the first Broons annual and first appearance in the Scottish paper and on television of Tyhe Broons:

First Appearance Of The Broons In The Sunday Post

Nicknamed Scotland's Favourite Family, The Broons, first appeared in the Sunday Post Fun Section on the 8th March 1936.

Ma Broons CookBook

Who better to write a cookbook than Scotland's favourite mother of ten Ma Broon. She has collected her favourite Scottish recipes and hearty family meals in her new book the Maw Broon's Cookbook: The Broon's Cookbook - for Every Day and Special Days which went on sale on the 18 October 2007. Inbetween cooking for Paw, Grandpaw, Hen, Joe, Maggie, Daphne, Horace, The Twins and The Bairns Ma Broon has written down her favourite recipes such as skirlie, stovies, mince and tatties, cullen skink, tattie soup, cock-a-leekie soup, breid pudding, broths and scones. Buy it now!

Many celebrity Scots have given Ma Broons CookBook a big thumbs up and these include Aberdeen's own Robbie Shepherd, every one's favourite chat host and Sunday Post columnist Lorraine Kelly and even Sunday Post writer and Oor Wullie and The Broons storyline contributor Tom Morton. Celebrity and top chef Gordon Ramsey even loves the cooking of Ma Broon.

Over the years Maw Broon and her cook book have featured in the Sunday Post. For example she dreamt in one strip that The Bairn saw all the stains in her cook book and boiled it to make a stew! Daphne often takes it to bed as a bedtime book so that she can dream of cakes. Her cookbook takes pride of place in the kitchen of 10 Glebe Street in the scullery drawer but was borrowed by Waverley Books so that they could reproduce the recipes that have featured in the Sunday Post for many decades.
Now you can own a piece of unique Scottish history and cook favourite family meals at home. Buy Now at a discounted price with free delivery available.

Within a week of the release of Maw Broon's Cookbook it shot to the number two spot of the Waterstone's bookshop Scottish titles top ten and is in position four of the Waterstones hardback books. Maw Broon's Cookbook is even above celebrity chefs books like those written by Nigella Lawson (Nigella Express) and Jamie Oliver (Jamie At Home). Book sellers are predicting that Maw Broon's Cookbook will be a top seller this Christmas and food critics predict that Ma Broons Cookbook may even lead to a revival of good old fashioned home cooking using traditional Scottish ingredients for the recipes.

Broons Annual 2008

The Broons Annual 2008 is now on sale. Buy Now At A Discounted Price With Free Delivery Available!

The Broons Calendar 2008

The Broons Calendar 2008 is now on sale with images and cartoons of The Broons comic strip. Buy Now At A Discounted Price With Free Delivery Available!

The Broons and Oor Wullie The Golden Years Annual

The Broons and Oor Wullie Golden Years Book

The Broons and Oor Wullie Golden Years Book

It has become a new tradition that each year DC Thomson publish a combined The Broons and Oor Wullie annual that celebrates the Golden Years of Scotland’s favourite families. The Broons and Oor Wullie The Golden Years Annual is a collection of older comic strips that have appeared in the Sunday Post newspaper or in previous years annuals, usually decades ago. For example the 2008 The Broons and Oor Wullie The Golden Years Annual is from the years 1946 to 1956. These original annuals often sell for hundreds of pounds on websites like ebay or at collector’s auctions so this is a rare chance to read these historic cartoons. Buy Now at a discounted price with free delivery available.

Maw Broon's Cook Book

Book shops around Scotland have celebrated the success of Ma Broon's CookBook in many ways. Here in Aberdeen Waterstone's ran dry of stock within weeks of the publication being released. In Edinburgh Blackwells Bookshop held a special Ma Broon's CookBook night where Blackwells staff cooked some of Ma Broon's favourite recipes and gave these away as free samples to store visitors. These free Scottish food samples included scones and tablet. Joining the staff was the managing editor of Oor Wullie and The Broons, Mr David Donaldson, who talked about the history of Scotland's favourite comic strips and signed copies of Ma Broon's CookBook.

Within weeks of the publication of Maw Broon's Cook Book it received bad reviews - not from book reviewers or in book reviews in newspapers or magazines but by health experts. Though Maw Broon's Cook Book is a fond collection of grannies favourite recipes and some of Maw's own recipes from the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s it was criticised by nutritionalists, health professionals and dietary experts. They fear that Maw Broon's Cook Book may lead to obesity and could potentially lead to an increased risk of heart disease.

Okay maybe Maw Broon suggesting a huge fry up for breakfast of tattie bread, lorne sausages, black pudding, fried eggs, scones, etc washed down with lager or a cup of tea with three sugars is not the healthiest of breakfasts, but it may well have been the norm decades ago when people did not drive, walked to work or maybe took a tram or bus and performed manual labour. They needed the calories, though maybe beer was not the best drink to start the day! I well remember that my Granny and Grandad took four sugars in their teas and this was considered the norm in their era.

Besides Maw Broon's Cook Book is full of traditional Scottish recipes like macaroon, tablet and black pudding that may well otherwise be lost to new generations of Scots cooks. It could well form an important part in keeping our history alive. Would the odd unhealthy meal harm? Maw Broon's Cookbook is based on a fictitious family and so should be taken with a pinch of salt and a great deal of humour. Even poor Maw Broons famous bacon and egg pie has been criticised because the list of ingredients includes nearly a pound and a half of cheese.

Perhaps the fatty, fried and heavily sugary Scottish recipes should be cooked as an occasion treat and out of curiosity, or even better cook them to help preserve our traditional Scot's food, but substitute unhealthy ingredients for healthier options. For example instead of adding beef dripping to stovies add olive oil. But will beef and potato stovies be the same?

Maw Broon's Cook Book is a bit of fun and still makes an ideal gift and gives a valuable insight into traditional Scottish cooking and recipes.

One week later Maw Broon's Cook Book became the number one selling Scottish title in the Waterstone's Scotland book chart despite the publicity over the unhealthy recipes. Or perhaps because of the extra publicity from health and cooking experts the Scottish folk took Maw Broon's Cook Book to their hearts and recognised the book as a bit of fun and a chance to see some more The Broons cartoon strips. With Christmas approaching AboutAberdeen feel that Maw Broon's Cook Book would make a wonderful Xmas present. Sitting proudly at number one of the Waterstone's top ten Scottish titles and even in the top ten hardbacks Maw Broon's Cook Book has even overtaken the newly published Winning Is Not Enough autobiography by Scot's racing driver Jackie Stewart.

On Sunday 11 November 2007 from 1pm to 3pm, on Remembrance Sunday, Maw Broon's Cook Book was reviewed on air by BBC Radio Scotland. This was on The Reel Blend with Aberdeen radio broadcaster Robbie Shepherd who in the same programme interviewed the managing editor of Oor Wullie and The Broons comic strips David Donaldson. The traditional Scottish recipes in Maw Broon's Cook Book were discussed and during The Reel Blend Robbie Shepherd played some of Maw Broon's favourite tunes and music that she likes to listen too whilst cooking for The Broons family.

Oor Wullie is a big fan of Maw Broon's Cook Book. He and Primrose cooked a clootie dumpling using Maw's recipe in the Sunday Post comic strip on the 2 December 2007. Oor Wullie had not heard of many of the ingredients for clootie dumpling such as cinnamon, suet, flour, currants and sultanas. Primrose had to teach him how to cook the traditional Scottish recipe. Oor Wullie and Primrose did not have a cloot big enough for the big pot full they had prepared so used a large cloth soaked in hot water and lined with flour instead of a traditional cloot.

Gourmand World Cookbook Awards

Maw Broon's Cook Book caught the attention of the president of the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards, Edouard Cointreau. He contacted the publishers of Maw Broon's Cook Book, Ron Grosset of the publishing company Geddes and Grosset, suggesting he submit an entry to the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards. This was an unusual step since most award panels do not approach publishers directly with recommendations but rely on submissions. Ron Grosset swiftly submitted an entry because the competition entries closed within days of receiving the recommendation.

The Gourmand World Cookbook Awards were originally set up as the World Cookbook Awards in 1995 and then renamed in 2001. The aim of the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards is to reward those who cook with words and to help readers find the best food and wine books published that year. Benefits to publishers and authors is that the awards raises he profile of their cookbooks and can lead to international translation and distribution. Maw Broon's Cook Book will be up against stiff competition and many entries: about 6000 books written in as many as 40 languages from 107 countries. Edouard Cointreau loved the homely design of the front cover and thought it had a good chance at winning the prize section for best design. The jury who judge the cook books include The Chairman of the Awards Edouard Cointreau, The President of Oldways Exchange and Trust Foundation (USA) Dun Gifford, The Mayor of Sorges and Commissaire du Salon International du Livre Gourmand Jean Jacques Ratier and the Director of Booktown Grythyttan in Sweden Bo Masser.

In early December 2007 it was announced that Ma Broon's CookBook won an award at the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards. This was in the Scottish category. This book award from Gourmand World Cookbook Awards entitles Ma Broon's CookBook an entry to the Best in the World book competition.

More information about the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards can be found at www.cookbookfair.com

Maw Broons Cookbook made its first appearance within The Sunday Post The Broons comic strip on Sunday 23 December 2007 in the Christmas cartoon where Maw Broon is seen flicking through her cookbook whilst sat on her favourite armchair. Maw then decides to cook a big clootie dumpling for the Christmas dinner and sends the family for all the ingredients. However lanky Hen Broon trips and sends flying a large bag of flour and everything and everyone is covering in the white stuff. But The Broons family turns it around into a Christmas scene and start to sing Christmas carols in the snow like background before sitting down to a turkey Christmas dinner followed by clootie dumpling pudding.

The First Broons Annual

Their first annual book was published in 1939 and each is now published in alternate years along with the Oor Wullie annuals.

On the 25 October 2006 The Broons: Facsimile Edition of the First Ever Broons Annual was published which is a slip cased copy of the first ever Broons annual of 1939. Each cartoon has remained unedited and includes language and phrases commonly used in the late 1930s, some of which are no longer used.
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Number 10 Glebe Street

The Broons family all live at Number 10 Glebe Street, except Grandpaw, who lives round the corner. The family are - Granpaw Broon, Maw and Paw Broon, their children - Daphne, Joe, Maggie, Hen, Horace, the Twins and the Wee Bairn.

Glebe Street is so named because the land was formerly ground attached to a parish church before the houses were built upon the land.

In September 2007 The Sunday Post set out to find any 10 Glebe Street in Scotland and if any family living there were called Broon or Brown. They found 18 Glebe Streets which were Bellshill, Campletown, New Cumnock, Dalkieth, Denny, Dumfries, East Kilbride, Falkirk, Glasgow, Hamilton, Inverness, Kilwinning, Leven, Paisley, Renfrew, Saltcoats, Stranraer and Stevenson.

Read more about the publishing history on the Oor Wullie page.

Buy The Broons Annual books:

It is possible to buy old copies of The Broons annuals from Amazon and the new Broons annual at discounted prices. Free delivery is available. View the range available.

Happy Birthday To The Broons

The television documentary programme Happy Birthday To The Broons was shown on Hogmanay night of 2005 and repeated on New Year's Eve 2006. It was broadcast on BBC1 Scotland to celebrate 70 years of The Broons comic strip in The Sunday Post. The thirty minute show featured Scottish celebrities talking about their favourite strips and characters from The Broons and their fondest memories of Scotland's much loved comic family. These included Still Game actor Sanjeev Kohli, journalist and broadcaster Muriel Spark and comedienne Elaine C. Smith.

Happy Birthday To The Broons was narrated by Scots actor Ewan McGregor.

Happy Birthday To The Broons was repeated on BBC4 on 17 September 2007 as part of the Comics Britannia documentary series.

The history of The Broons comic strip was also narrated which included the life of The Broons artist Dudley D. Watkins who first brought to life the characters created by senior Editor of DC Thomson & Co Ltd, RD Low. Dudley D. Watkins would draw The Broons cartoons at his studio in Broughty Ferry where he also drew the Lord Snooty, Oor Wullie and Desperate Dan cartoons. RD Low wanted a cartoon to entertain readers but also to be a realistic family with the real problems faced by Scottish folk in the great depression. His words and the cartoons of Dudley Watkins captured the resilience and humour of many a Scots family. The TV programme also showed modern day illustrator Peter Davidson and writer Tom Morton working on the Birthday edition of The Broons.

The Broons Trivia

Maggie Broon was based on the sister of RD Low.

Scottish comedy TV programme Naked Video did a comedy sketch of The Broons with Gregor Fisher as Ma Broon, Tony Roper as Pa Broon, Elaine C Smith as The Bairn and Jonathan Watson as Joe Broon.

No Broons annuals were published during the Second World War because of paper rationing.

Paw Broon was thought to have been based on a Chief Editor of DC Thomson called A. C. Brown (Archie) who had a walrus type moustache and a comb over hairstyle and walrus moustache.

No-one knows Grandpaw Broons first name though it starts with a J.

Hen Broon supports the football team Glasgow Rangers whilst Joe Broon supports Celtic.

We only know the Christian name of one of The Broon Twins which is Eck.

Tom Lavery drew The Broons strips in the 1970s.

ButnBen

TheBroons own a But 'n' Ben in the Scottish Countryside, which is a small cottage. It looks much like the But 'n' Ben photo to the left.

Ken H. Harrison was the cartoonist in the 1990s.

Each edition of The Broons annual sells over 100,000 copies.

A Broons Calendar is published each year by DC Thomson.

View More Broons Items

There is no official website for The Broons. However there are some unofficial fan based The Broons websites. I shall list these below:

More Scottish Comedy.

We also run the www.findextrawork.co.uk website where there is information about earning more money from a range of part time and full time jobs which can be done at home or out and about. Visit for more information.

On Sunday the 18 February 2007 Ma Broon caused a stir in Sunday Post readers when she showed a bit of thigh! The Readers Page was abuzz with letters! This Broons cartoon was about Ma Broon having a quiet day at home with the Bairn fast asleep on the sofa. All the other members of the Broon family are out and the flat is so quite Ma can hear the kitchen tap drip. In an attempt to get it to stop the annoying noise she sticks her finger in the tap and gets her finger stuck. A pan on the stove boils over and she cannot get to it and tries to turn the control down with her foot - thus revealing her feet, toes, leg and thigh! The story continues with the phone ringing and an ember from the coal fire falling out of the grate and onto hearth rug, causing a great deal of smoke and a fire. Ma finally worked her finger free from the water tap and the phone call was a conservatory firm asking Ma Broon if she wanted a sun lounge extension to her tenement flat! She gets the cold caller off the line so she can call the fire brigade who come and put out the fire. The fire service recommend she sits down to rest and leave. The family return home to find her resting in her chair with the now awake Bairn. Hen says it must be fine to sit about all day whilst Pa asks if she managed to fix the dripping tap! Ma ends the cartoon by hitting Pa Broon over the head with a frying pan!

The Broons along with Oor Wullie appeared on the Channel 4 programme More 4 News at 8pm on Tuesday 1 May 2007. The TV programme featured the artist Peter Davidson who draws the Sunday Post cartoons. The programme looked at Scottish culture and modern issues ahead of the Scotland 2007 election

The Broons Figurine

With the success of Maw Broon's Cookbook The Sunday Post published a coupon to buy a The Broons figurine for £45 in the UK or £47 in Europe or £50 worldwide in the 4 November 2007 edition of the Sunday Post newspaper. Payment was by cheque or postal order and The Broons figurine had Maw Broon, Paw Broon and the much loved The Bairn. The Broons figurine was limited to 3300 figurines. It may still be able to order The Broons figurine online at www.sundaypost.com

On the Broons figurine Maw Broon is holding her message in a shopping bag whilst Paw is holding a rolled copy of The Sunday Post and in his other hand he is holding his pipe. Paw Broon is wearing his bonnet and tartan scarf whilst The Bairn is clutching her teddy bear.

The Broons figurine sculpture was designed and created by Peter Davidson who draws the Oor Wullie and The Broons cartoons. Peter Davidson has captured the sculpture as if the Broons family are having their photograph taken and smiling for the camera whilst The Bairn waves for the photo.

Last year the Sunday Post paper sold an Oor Wullie figurine and gave the first one to Scottish actor Brian Cox. To celebrate the release of The Broons figurine The Sundaypost gave one of the first Broons figurines to a real Broon who lives in 10 Glebe Street. This was Linda Brown of New Cumnock and there was a lovely picture of her holding The Broons figurine.

As an early Christmas present The Sunday Post presented a Broons figurine statue to Scotland’s favourite actor Ewan McGregor who is now living in London where he is appearing in the play Othello at the Donmar Warehouse in the West End. This was to thank him for narrating the Broons documentary on BBC Scotland in 2005.

The Broons Burns Night

On Sunday 13 January 2008 The Sunday Post magazine published a free The Broons Burns Night booklet for their readers. It was a Glebe Street guide to Robert Burns and how to celebrate Burns Night. It included colour cartoons of The Broons, how The Broons celebrate Burns Night, Granpaw's toast to Maw, Maggie Broons reply to the Toast to the Lassies by Grandpaw, an Immortal Memory by Horace and a Toast to Absent Friends by Hen. The Broons Burns Night booklet also included extracts from the poems by Robert Burns. The Broons Burns Night book also included some of Maw Broon's famous recipes such as skirlie, clapshot and champit tatties.

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