Top shelf edition! (Very SFW!)

Been a bit busy this week tidying a few things up, sorting  somethings I don't really use but are in great shape for charity and dusting -atchoo! - the top shelf in my room.

 Well when doing that I found something I hadn't mentioned before on here that is I just loved Sesame Street for the characters and especially the message it put over in what could be  very selfish and commercial set of values found elsewhere. 

That was a plushie my parents bought me some years ago.

Other interesting things include in a totally unplanned conversation with the legendary Grump hearing him give acceptance to those of us who are adult littles who love dressing and "playing" or otherwise re-enacting more the age we feel whither it's a school based thing or more the life outside of you enjoy from that time.

That was pretty much what I had been up to this weekend at the Easter party, enjoying the Egg Hunt.

The only thing that matters is in being our authentic selves we deal with, to the best of our abilities, those most essential adult responsibilities we have.

 

Pasts memories and revelations

It is warmer if a little breezy as I type this entry out after morning playtime where this weeks Beano has already arrived ready for me to read, laughing my socks off but there was related post that probably wouldn't work on the main blog.

You see Minnie as anyone who ever really read that blog would understand was the cartoon heroine of mine, tomboyish, tends to get in trouble, sometimes defiant but full of spirit that nothing can ever crush.

It isn't uncommon for a cartoon strip to mirror the world of the reader and for many of us television shows where you would write in asking to do, see or meet people that would otherwise be 'in your dreams' were things we watched.

In the era I lived, one such show was "Jim'll Fix It" shown on Saturday tea times on BBC1 which boys and girls often did, sometimes for them and their friends other times perhaps for others who they felt would appreciate such a gesture.

What that strip in the short lived A5 extended story strip Beano Comic Library alludes to is because of the sheer number of requests we would feel the need to go to great lengths for our request to stand out, have our moment of fame amongst our friends and meet the presenter.

Minnie in the whole strip did tons of things to do to get on the show such was the allure and much the same applies even today to getting otherwise difficult to get access and that has it's risks even though protocols involving children and vulnerable people are much better than they were.

As you'd expect of someone who worked in the field in this country I am sadly only too well aware of the allegations widely held to be true regarding that shows host regarding historic abuse not defending for a split second his actions.

I do have to be honest however and say it the show had us transfixed and we all loved it being a memory in our childhood we adored which like a few others was been tainted by things we leaned about much later on.

To me you can hold on what you loved about the show without condoning all that came out decades later.

Your childhood memories are just that. The memories of the time you recall.

Random Wednesday round up

 This week I am supposed to be undertaking an activity but the part that I have hasn't arrived here of late so instead I'm trying to get other things done so I can accommodate that as soon as it arrives and that includes writing this.

Monday saw the death of Geoffrey Hayes who was the parental adult figure on the commercial ITV Network show Rainbow from 1974 through 1992 keeping Zippy,George and Bungle in order  which was supposed to be for pre-schoolers but many of us who watched were older catching it at Lunchtimes in an era most of us didn't  didn't have video recorders.
The show had segments and one was Rod, Freddy and Jane's folk music slot which was enjoyable to listen too and matched the folk revival in the adult world in the 70's.

I did get out Sunday even though it was drizzling for a walk whereupon I came by his nutkins  playing on the ground where someone had tossed a golden yellow corn cob before clambering up into a tree as I stood looking on in awe of his speed and agility.
Earlier on  I saw the sheep in the freeholding here as the leaves are beginning to fall even if we haven moved into that delightful colour phase of the fall as yet.

Talking of trees we have had some more work on tidying up some of our trees and bushes that had rather taken over parts of our garden during the summer although one side of this is it has exposed a problem in Grumpy's domain, namely one shed roof as partially fell in!
Although I can easily think of a temporary fix until he replaces it which to be honest is what needs apart from a pruning of contents, that's his problem not mine.
I'd sooner sit here and listen to my new cds and have fun than worry my little head over that!

Grange Hill- a UK institution

The BBC TV series coincided for a good many of us with our actual secondary education so coming home from school  or watching in the dorm after formal lessons had ended to wacth it before tea and homework is a strong memory.
The series not without its critics in the education establishment at the time, did tackle some serious issues such as bullying, racism, inappropriate staff behaviour and abuse by and drug abuse.
Our prevailing feeling was one that today would come under the umbrella of "That's so relatable" although Zammo would never pass uniform inspection with that badge on his lapel!

Bagpuss

For many of us a soft saggy cat called Bagpuss provided emotional substance as it did to Emily who loved him as he was growing up and indeed we still own recordings of the show and plushies 

Help from the screen

Tv shows like The Little House on the Prairie  were more than just time sinks for some of us growing up as they showed people keeping going in the most difficult of situations, holding the family unit together as they learned their roles.
Those families may of had hard times but cared for each other, were structured and that care showed in how the children were also disciplined.
It was the kind of family living in  a broken one I so wanted to be in and kept me going even in the darkest of times.

Top Cat

One of my childhood favourite tv shows was Top Cat being heavily influenced by Sgt Bilko with a lot of stuff under the cute sharply observed characters of Benny the Ball, TC himself the gang leader, Choo Choo, Rains and co always scheming in trouble with Officer Dibble.

The action was always centred around the red Police phone box that Top Cat would use lacking any other means, often being caught in the act by Dibble.
TC and the gang could easily run rings around him!!!