Val Biro: 1921-2014

It was recently reported that veteran artist Val Biro died back in July at the grand old age of 92. To many children he will be best remembered as the writer and illustrator of the long-running Gumdrop series of stories.

During the 1980s, he worked on a number of illustrated storybook editions of the Worzel Gummidge TV stories for Purnell and St Michael, capturing the likenesses of the show's actors. He was a prolific figure in children's publishing and will be much missed. Here's a charming piece of his work from The King of the Scarecrows book, showcasing Val's distinctive caricatures of Scatterbrook's regulars.

Worzel Musical CD

A rare Worzel merchandise release comes later this month, when Stage Door Records issues the full soundtrack to the Worzel Gummidge Musical on CD for the first time. Produced in 1981 to coincide with Worzel's transfer to London's West End, the CD features Denis King's complete score, plus bonus tracks taken from the A Cup o' Tea an' a Slice o' Cake Christmas special, presented in full stereo.

The musical marked the high point of Worzel's run, with Jon Pertwee, Una Stubbs and Geoffrey Bayldon playing to packed houses, and comes highly recommended. It can be pre-ordered from Amazon now by clicking here.

Elsewhere, I'm resuming work on my Worzel Gummidge behind-the-scenes book following a break over the summer. I've finally finished cataloguing the BBC radio broadcasts, along with uncovering information about a hitherto unknown 1970s Jackanory adaptation featuring a very surprising narrator. Keep visiting for more updates in the coming months.

Pathé Rarities

Pathé have recently taken the ambitious step of releasing their entire newsreel archive on Youtube, which includes a couple of Worzel Gummidge-related films. Of particular interest is a 1949 film of Mabel Constanduros, who played Earthy Mangold in the BBC radio stories, judging a scarecrow-making competition. Mabel apparently attended a number of these events, often accompanied by Worzel author Barbara Euphan Todd. Watch out for her companion, who is seen holding a copy of the first Worzel Gummidge book.



And, just for fun, here's a raffish 1950s Jon Pertwee, out on the town with wife Jean Marsh at the London Waistcoat Club.

Radio Daze

As some people will know, Worzel Gummidge's early success was fuelled by the regular appearances on the BBC's Children's Hour radio broadcasts in the 1930s and 1940s. A great deal of misinformation about the productions has been published over the years and I'm keen to redress that balance in my upcoming book.

In addition to the first comprehensive guide to the radio stories, I've managed to collate a wealth of information on the productions, which introduced earlier generations to Scatterbrook's scarecrow. I was lucky to recently make contact with John Clark who, as a child actor, played John in several of the stories. His recollections genuinely help to bring some of those lost broadcasts back to life and I'm delighted he was able to share some new insights into Worzel's formative years.

Memories of Worzel DVD

The story of Worzel Gummidge's production has been crying out for a proper documentary treatment for years, and one hopes that eventually the show will get a proper DVD restoration and extras. While that may be a hopeless dream, in the meantime, filmmaker Derek Pykett has taken the initiative to produce a full-length independent DVD documentary, with proceed benefiting Alzheimer's research and an animal charity.

Derek has succeeded in gathering a remarkable number of the show's cast and crew, including Crowman Geoffrey Bayldon and Jeremy Austin, who played young John Peters. Return to Scatterbrook: Memories of Worzel is a charming, homemade production thats shines with genuine love for its subject. It's a long-overdue tribute and comes highly recommended. Do yourself a favour and order your copy by clicking here.