Memories of Childhood...Images only please

Do you remember Sunny Smiles booklets?
At school you were given a little booklet featuring detachable photos of unfortunate toddlers. You were asked to show these around to friends and family in return for a contribution. The buyer was then given the photo of the toddler and the money given into your teacher at the end of the scheme's run. The money went to the National Childrens' Home charity.


(I hope this is okay to post as it is years old)

Also remembering another televisual hero of mine: James Burke(not related to Michael) who made some fantastic programmes like Connections and The Day the Universe Changed. He was a great presenter and got his points across in an easy-to-understand way. I remember at school we had a copy of Connections, his book of the series and it was a fascinating read. He also turned up on Nationwide and had also been part of the team watching the first Moon landing back in 1969 as it was televised here.

My first memory of James Burke was on the day the Apollo 13 crew returned to Earth, was absolutely electrifying viewing. My Mam and Dad were so quiet during those final minutes before the crew emerged from radio blackout, as young as I was I knew something major was happening. James Burke, Cliff Michelmore and Patrick Moore were so tense, then the sight of the capsule with the parachutes open...

So many people were talking about nothing else immediately afterwards...

Cadbury's Girl Flake ads PHWOAR!!!
Janis Levy(Lee-Burns)


Catrina Skepper

Remember playing with these?



Various electronic games and machines.

Two other heroes of mine. David Bellamy and Tony Hart
David was a great presenter of programmes and in his time was a real environmentalist before it became the trendy thing. He introduced us to the wonders of Biology and plant life. One of the programmes he made he was shrunk down to the size of a small insect and told us the stories behind the plants he was interested in.

Tony Hart was a big hero of mine in the world of art and loved watching him bring a few swishes and swirls to life and of course introduced us all later to Morph. Here is a picture of the Vision On team which is Pat Keysell who was deaf and did sign language, behind her was Ben Bennison, I think he was a mime artist but he also spent most of the time chasing this fluffy thing called the Whiffenpoof around the studio, then Tony Hart absolute art genius and finally mad inventor Wilf Lunn, whose contraptions usually ended in some kind of explosion!

Remembering the late, great Roy Castle of the excellent programme 'Record Breakers' which he presented for many years. He was a terrific all-round entertainer. He once appeared on The Morecambe and Wise show(as Eric had introduced Roy to his future wife and had been his best man at his wedding to Joan Morecambe) He could play just about any instrument and in some cases even things that weren't instruments like a kitchen sink! He was a great tap dancer and held records in that including a speed record for the number of taps in a certain amount of time. He also parascended under all the bridges in London to set another record and did a zip wire with the Royal Marines from the top of Blackpool Tower(and this from a man that didn't like heights) I am sure we all remember this series especially the Christmas special of All-Star Record Breakers and yet another record for tap dancing with a large group of girls in the forecourt of BBC Television Centre. He had a successful career in radio and played trumpet in cabarets, but that was take its toll and in the end he got leukaemia from inhaling the smoke around him.

Record Breakers was co-presented with Norris McWhirter and what he didn't know about records wasn't worth knowing. Only one person ever stumped Norris but it was found later that the reference book the kid was quoting was wrong itself. His brother Ross McWhirter was brutally gunned down outside his house by the IRA. Norris was the also on the jury of the European Court of Human Rights. On a personal note I was once bought a Coke by Roy and allowed into the BBC Club(although being underage, my family were his guests) and I didn't like Coke! We had been to see a recording(my second time, the first being with my sister a few years before and we sat in the audience) Norris was my Dad's boss when he worked for Guinness Books and he came to my Barmitzvah. He presented me with a signed copy of The Time Atlas of the World which I still have. Roy was such a nice guy and is sorely missed by many, many fans.

See that chap on the left-that is my Dad's protege Julian and he went on to be successful film director.

Wacky Races, a teatime treat for kids to watch on BBC1 and thankfully no laughter track to annoy us.

Anyone have one of these?