'Fat Boy of Coombe Dingle'


Hong Kong Phooey v Danger Mouse - December 1975 Aged 11

May 1, 2014
December 1975 - Aged 11

Every generation of kids growing up, love their TV and especially the cartoons.  Each generation is also very protective of their characters and reckon they have the best Super Heroes.  We had some classic shows in the 70’s, The Hair Bear Bunch, Inch High Private Eye, the Pink Panther Show, Wacky Races, Top Cat and Hong Kong Phooey.  

I think the only fair way to decide the best Super Hero of say the 70’s and 80’s is to have a FIGHT.  “In the blue corner, representing kids of the 70’s, Hong Kong Phooey” and “In the red corner, representing kids of the 80’s, DangerMouse”.  As I was a kid of the 70’s, I’d got to hope that HKP gave DM a good hiding.

Hong Kong Phooey was the secret alter ego of Penrod Pooch, or Penry (sometimes mispronounced "Henry"), a ‘mild-mannered’ police station janitor. Hong Kong Phooey was supposedly a master of kung fu and other martial arts. He worked with Sergeant Flint (‘Sarge’) and Rosemary, the telephone operator, who had a crush on him. After Rosemary takes a call and explains the crime, Penry runs into a filing cabinet (and always get stuck) to transform himself into Hong Kong Phooey. He usually enters the lower drawer as Penrod and leaves the upper one as Hong Kong Phooey. Phooey gets into his Phooeymobile and uses the ‘bong of the gong’ to turn it into whatever sort of vehicle best suits the occasion. He finds the thieves committing their crime but his faithful companion Spot (the Police Cat) is usually the one who finds a way to capture the criminals and foil their crime. Because Hong Kong is the reputed superhero, every time Spot saves the day, everyone else (including Phooey) credits Hong Kong Phooey with being the hero. 

DangerMouse is a British mouse who works as a secret agent.  The hero wore a rakish eye patch and his chest was prominently emblazoned with the initials 'DM'.  He was the greatest secret agent in the world. He spoke 34 languages fluently, including some extraterrestrial ones. He regularly balanced himself on his index finger and bounced up and down on it. Ernest Penfold was a timid, bespectacled hamster. Penfold stood just over half the height of DangerMouse, and always wore thick round glasses and a blue suit with a white shirt and a yellow and black stripy tie. He was the sidekick of DangerMouse, whom he called ‘Chief’. He was of a cowardly nature and became terrified at any sign of danger. He was often captured or got himself into other dangerous situations before needing to be rescued by DangerMouse. His main catchphrase was "Crumbs DM!" and others included "Ooh-eck!", "Ooh-Fiddle!" and "Ooh-Carrots!” all said when things went wrong.

 

The Wimp - February 1981 Aged 16

April 23, 2014
February 1981 - Aged 16

On Sunday 8th February we made our second and unfortunately final movie, again filmed by Andy’s Dad.

The Wimp

Starring, Alister Baldwin, Andrew Sarjeant, Cameron Fraser, Gudge and Brian Fraser

I starred as The Wimp in this classic second movie blockbuster.  I was dressed in a flowery shirt, my hair was slicked back and I’m wearing National Health specs.  The look was completed with a tight pair of shorts and black shoes. Nice hey? 

The film was shot on location at McBa...


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The Beast of Scaniport - October 1980 Aged 16

April 7, 2014

This was the year we became Film Stars.  Andy’s dad had a Cine camera and on the 19th October we drove out to a sleepy hollow called ‘Scaniport’, to make our first movie.

The Beast of Scaniport

Starring, Alister Baldwin, Andrew Sarjeant and Cameron Fraser

It started off with the three of us out for a leisurely cycle ride and we stopped off for a rest in Scaniport.  We got into an argument and I stormed off on my bike.  The other two became concerned for my whereabouts (after about 10 secon...


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Cigarettes and Cider - July 1981 Aged 17

April 1, 2014

'Fat Boy of Coombe Dingle'

July 1981 - Aged 17

Staying on the alcohol theme, in the summer we would meet up on a Thursday afternoon, buy a keg of cider and head down to the River Ness. Andy was seeing a girl called Jenny (bit of a stunner, not quite sure how he pulled that one, must've been his basin haircut!), I was sort of seeing Nicki P but it only really amounted to some drunken fumbles after downing copious amounts of Cider.

I would supply cigarettes (I worked in a Newsagents) when possible...


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Jesus Christ - November 1971 Aged 7

March 28, 2014

'Fat Boy of Coombe Dingle'

November 1971 - Aged 7

Dad had noted in his diary that I ‘filled my pants’ at school. He hasn’t elaborated on that though and you’re probably thinking “what has he filled his pants with?” Money, sweets, bacon butties, chocolate (well, sort of). OK, I’d shit myself at school! It happens, well it had happened to me. Who hasn’t? [Imagine deathly silence and Tumbleweed, at this point].

Strictly speaking I wasn’t actually at school. We were at some school ...


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