Monday 6 January 2014

Watch With Mother

Well, I am jolly pleased to see that Bagpuss and Ivor the Engine are being recognised for their children's TV brilliance on the Royal Mail's newest set of stamps. I went on the RM website to check out who else was being featured and was even more excited to see that The Magic Roundabout and Camberwick Green were also there, along with The Wombles, Mr Benn and Paddington. Not so excited to see the likes of Peppa Pig bringing up the rear, but I suppose the RM had acknowledge the whims of 'the youngsters' of today.

It got me thinking about other programmes I enjoyed as a child, aside from the ones already mentioned. Of course, along with Camberwick Green came Chigley and Trumpton. I loved all three! I was fascinated by Windy Miller's ability to get in and out of his windmill avoiding decapitation AND without missing a step, and Mrs Honeyman gliding along on her long frock dumping her baby on anyone who was passing by. And Pugh, Pugh, Barney McGrew, Cuthbert, Dibble and Grubb, the firemen. And Bracket the butler in Trumpton who, despite a very jerky walk, still managed to maintain brisk forward motion along a seemingly endless corridor.

Then there was Roobarb and Custard, and Noggin the Nog. Willo the Wisp narrated by Kenneth Williams who did all the character voices - Mavis Cruet, The Moog and Evil Edna. And Tales Of the River Bank! Who remembers that? Hammy Hamster driving along in his motorboat? I also enjoyed Pogles Wood, The Clangers and The Herbs....'Herbidacious!'...'I'm Dill the Dog! I'm a dog named Dill!'

There were also some programmes I wasn't keen on. The Woodentops, for instance, and Mary, Mungo and Midge. And Crystal Tips and Alistair. And Hector's House because I found Kiki the Frog extremely irritating, always popping up over the wall at the last minute and making Hector look a right numpty. I wasn't keen on Andy Pandy, either, although I liked his stripy blue outfit and matching hat. Most of all I hated Bod. But I think I might have been growing out of children's TV by then. I was moving onto more sophisticated stuff like Rent-a-Ghost and Why Don't You ( Just Switch Off Your Television Set and Go and Do Something Less Boring Instead?) and Blue Peter. And Jackanory. 

On Saturdays (after I had been to swimming lessons and survived yet another attempt at drowning by the instructor who made us do widths and widths of breast stroke legs only, and before I went to Girls' Brigade) there was The Banana Splits (tra-la-la, tra-la-la-la!), Multi-Coloured Swap Shop and...H.R Pufnstuf! And during the school holidays the delights of White Horses and The Singing Ringing Tree! 

I am sure I have forgotten some. At 3 o'clock in the morning I shall probably sit up and shout, 'Crackerjack!' and scare the bejeezus out of Andy, now that proper old fashioned children's TV is on my mind. So, what were your favourites?

...Basil Brush!

...Fingerbobs!!!

(See? I can't stop now!) 

11 comments:

  1. My family didn't have a TV when I was growing up, so most of what you've said is a complete mystery to me! Of course I've seen some of those later on in life, but I have no childhood favourites. I seem to recall watching a lot of bag puss as a student, though.

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  2. I can vaguely remember Watch with Mother. The Flowerpot men probably had a lot to answer for in terms of my future development as a gardener. It would be about that time I converted my dolls pram into a wheelbarrow and never looked back.

    It was the Flintstones for me, I loved the dinosaur powered engineering. And Scooby Doo..

    And the crush I had on Captain Scarlett. Joe 90 never had the same appeal.

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  3. I think you've covered them all! M and I have the same discussion. He being my senior by 6 years didn't always watch the same things. Mungo, Mary and Midge was a favourite of his, but when he showed me I thought it was dreadful! I remember watching POB with my little sister which M had never heard of.

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  4. Olly, I think Bagpuss is required student fodder! We didn't have a TV (or indoor bathroom come to that) until I was abut 4. When I tell students this, they look at me like I grew up in the dark ages!

    Aaaah, Jessica - the Flowerpot Men! And Little Weed!! I have to say I was quite fascinated by Joe 90 because he sat in that enormous egg whisk thing. And what about Thunderbirds???

    I think my sister watched POB, too, but I was a bit too old by then, CT. She also liked something called 'Humphrey's House.'

    Andy, I've already said Fingerbobs! Pay attention, will you?!

    Andy - yes, I quite liked Ludwig. Weird old eggy Ludwig.

    Andy - and Pipkins to you too! Marvellous Hartley Hare. Such a martyr to that ostrich and that monkey!

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  5. We left the UK in 1966 but I do remember some that you mentioned and also Torchy, Torchy, the battery boy. The big thing when we left was Dr. Who and we were into Top of the Pops by that time!

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  6. You used to watch the same programmes I did.. although you missed out the Clangers.. loved the Clangers.. My all time favourite though was Bagpuss :o)


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  7. Even I liked the clangers and the magic roundabout! In the 90's it was all about the smurfs for me! Loved them! Oh and hullabaloo - or maybe that was just on videos!

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  8. Well, Janice, needless to say Doctor Who features large in this house! I have heard of Torchy, but never watched it.

    Julie, it's because we are of the same vintage year!!! And the Clangers were brilliant, too - I loved the Soup Dragon. I got a Knit The Clangers book for Christmas - very excited about that!

    I liked the Smurfs, too, Lou. I had a small collection in my teens as I seem to remember petrol stations were giving them away if you collected tokens.

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