Spout, handle, lid of metal, what's insiiiiiiide..the singing kettle?
When Anna was little it used to be obligatory to make twice yearly visits to see the Singing Kettle. We would dress her up as a pirate or a fish or a cowboy, whatever the theme required. For two hours we'd sing along to songs like Little Bunny Fou Fou (hopping through the forest, scooping up the field mouse and bopping them on the head), You cannae shove yer Granny off a bus and my personal favourite, The Week Kirkcudbright Centipede.
Now the show's stars Artie Tresize and Cilla Fisher, who founded it 30 years ago, are retiring. They will be really missed but the show will continue without them. They are auditioning this weekend for one woman to replace them from next year.
The Kettle is changing for good and the Happy Gang is no more. Let's just hope that they keep the same team at the panto in the King's Theatre in Edinburgh for a bit longer or all of Anna's live action favourites from her childhood will be gone.
And, just so you can see what I had to spend hours watching, not just in the theatre twice a year but on video in the house, here is the brightly coloured and devlishly infectious. Oh, and there were CDs for the car too. For a while, there was literally no escape. I guess I really should say a big thank you to Artie and Cilla for the many hours of enjoyment they gave my daughter and thousands of other children. I hope they have a relaxing retirement.
5 comments:
Love it - my kids were brought up on Day Full of Fun - featuring Janet Ellis of Blue Peter fame. We actually wore out the video of this http://youtu.be/fyrlr0JqK0k
I have a Singing Kettle 12" record at my Mum's house which I got when I was about 7 or 8. I still remember some of the songs and sing them to Alexa now, when she's in the humour.
When I looked at the cover sleeve the other week, I was shocked and delighted in equal measure to discover that the accordian was being played by a guy called Stuart Anderson and the drums by Sandy Coghill. As things turned out, years later in my teens and twenties, long after I'd forgotten about that record, I played the fiddle alongside Stuart for a few years in a hotel show in Edinburgh, and later went on to play in a ceilidh band on board cruise ships with Sandy.
Funny the way things turn out sometimes... here's hoping they keep the formula a winning one for years to come :-)
Oh dear... Guess I'm not in the target market for that!
I'm not sure, Andrew, it's a bit like the Glee Club for kids.:-)
Richard, what an experience, to play with the musicians you enjoyed listening to as a child.
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