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Bisto & Bagpuss

Staying with the nostalgic theme from the sewing machine thimble in the last post, here are two more which take me back to days gone by. 

The first one is of the Bisto Kids.  Bisto is a brand of gravy powder which has been popular in the UK since it was first made back in 1908.  The thimble doesn't take me back that far - I'm not that old! 


The name Bisto comes from what it does - it Browns, Seasons and Thickens in One.  The Bisto kids were created by a cartoonist called Wilf Owen in 1919.  The boy and girl are based on Oliver twist type characters with dirty faces and raggety clothes and although used a fair bit in the early days, they haven't been used in Bisto advertising for a number of years now.  I can't remember the last time I saw them on the packets. Having said that, the advertising was so successful and the brand is so well known, I wouldn't be surprised if most people will know them by sight.  Even if they don't, everyone knows the Bisto Kids' catch phrase - "Aah Bisto." 



Bagpuss used to be one of my favourites.  I still have a soft spot for it now.  Now this thimble does take me back quite a way - all the way back to the 1970's.

 

Bagpuss was a BBC children's television show based on a girl called Emily who owned a shop which didn't sell anything.  She used to find things that other people had lost and put them in the shop window.  The idea being that whoever had lost it would see it and pick it up. Nice idea, bit daft and completely flawed but you don't tend to notice that when you're a kid.  What I did notice was that Emily's heart was in the right place. Emily would leave the item in front of Bagpuss, who would wake up as soon as she had gone.  So would the rest of the shop - Professor Yaffle the wooden bookend, the mice on the mouse organ and two dolls called Madeleine and Gabriel.  They would tell a story about the item whilst at the same time fixing it up to be as good as new.  Then Bagpuss would yawn and go back to sleep.  Typical cat! 

Ummm... sounds a bit strange doesn't it? And I'm usually telling my kids the things they watch are weird! 

Bye for now

Olly
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  1. thimbles bobbins paper and ink30 June 2010 at 11:16

    We use Bisto sometimes too and I had no idea how it got its name. I'm starting at your most recent post and will be working my way back through your wonderful posts on thimbles. I've been collecting for about 20 years now. (I'm much older but got a late start in collecting.)

    It is such fun to see your lovely collection and read the accounts that go with them.

    Such a fun blog to discover!

    Cheers!

    Jennifer

    ReplyDelete
  2. Olly1 July 2010 at 20:16

    Hi Jennifer

    Thanks for dropping by - I'm glad you like it. Maybe you could show some of your thimbles? I'd love to see them :)

    ReplyDelete

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