Post by John Green on Feb 17, 2021 2:49:28 GMT
The Guardian's running a series of articles on celebrities' favourite memories of TV.
The one on Tony Robinson www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2021/feb/09/tony-robinson-childrens-tv-was-more-than-a-babysitter
Has some fun comments, not least:
"My late Mother, Rita Tregellas Pope was responsible for the first glove puppets on BBC Children's TV. It was in the early 1950s, before Freda Lingstrom and under the auspices of Cecil Madden. The series was called Vegetable Village and the 'cast' were vegetable puppets made by the brilliant puppet maker, Harry Whanslaw. They were Bertie Bean and Barbara Beet, Dr Parsnip, Granfer Marrow, Tramp Toadstool (the villain), Annie Apple, the school teacher, Millie Mushroom and Squire Strawberry, and his car. I can remember visiting Lime Grove Studios to watch a performance and see the puppet theatre set up in one corner of the studio with cables snaking all over the floor. Unfortunately all the programmes were broadcast live so there are no recordings and now they're forgotten and never mentioned in any of the programmes about children's TV.
I still have the puppets, which were turned into marionnetts in the 1970s. The puppets' heads were made from papier-mâché and are now rather battered unfortunately.
As well as visiting Lime Grove there was a puppetry exhibition at Brixton Town Hall and all the TV puppets, including Vegetable Village, were there. I remember a cowboy puppet, but not his name, Muffin the Mule of course and I think some of the early Thunderbirds were there too.
I think there were two series, but they ended when Freda Lingstrom took over and wanted her own choice of programmes."
And later, in reply to) "Lovely story. Thanks for sharing.
Do you have any of the scripts? It would be marvelous to recreate these lost shows for posterity." he says "Yes, I do and have a video of one that Mother recorded in the 70s. Not sure how to transfer it to YouTube tho'."
TVBrain doesn't list Vegetable Garden (a series from the 50s). Anyone know the archive status?
The one on Tony Robinson www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2021/feb/09/tony-robinson-childrens-tv-was-more-than-a-babysitter
Has some fun comments, not least:
"My late Mother, Rita Tregellas Pope was responsible for the first glove puppets on BBC Children's TV. It was in the early 1950s, before Freda Lingstrom and under the auspices of Cecil Madden. The series was called Vegetable Village and the 'cast' were vegetable puppets made by the brilliant puppet maker, Harry Whanslaw. They were Bertie Bean and Barbara Beet, Dr Parsnip, Granfer Marrow, Tramp Toadstool (the villain), Annie Apple, the school teacher, Millie Mushroom and Squire Strawberry, and his car. I can remember visiting Lime Grove Studios to watch a performance and see the puppet theatre set up in one corner of the studio with cables snaking all over the floor. Unfortunately all the programmes were broadcast live so there are no recordings and now they're forgotten and never mentioned in any of the programmes about children's TV.
I still have the puppets, which were turned into marionnetts in the 1970s. The puppets' heads were made from papier-mâché and are now rather battered unfortunately.
As well as visiting Lime Grove there was a puppetry exhibition at Brixton Town Hall and all the TV puppets, including Vegetable Village, were there. I remember a cowboy puppet, but not his name, Muffin the Mule of course and I think some of the early Thunderbirds were there too.
I think there were two series, but they ended when Freda Lingstrom took over and wanted her own choice of programmes."
And later, in reply to) "Lovely story. Thanks for sharing.
Do you have any of the scripts? It would be marvelous to recreate these lost shows for posterity." he says "Yes, I do and have a video of one that Mother recorded in the 70s. Not sure how to transfer it to YouTube tho'."
TVBrain doesn't list Vegetable Garden (a series from the 50s). Anyone know the archive status?
