Patridge bantam chicken poorly foot?

[Lesley]

Oh dear! - I've never known that happen

 

I completely forgot the original post - I will go and look!

[Mrs Frugal]

Yes, I've had a go and can only manage the first 2 levels (after several attempts !)

[Egluntyne]

Re Reg, found this on t'internet.

 

'I was Reginald Molehusband'

STOP LOOK LISTEN

The Magazine's Public Information Film festival

 

 

 

Ian Gardiner was paid £10 for playing Reginald Molehusband

The hunt for Reginald Molehusband, a 1960s film Public Information Film about bad parking, has been an underlying theme of Stop, Look, Listen: the Magazine's Public Information Film festival marking 60 years of such works.

 

The search for Reggie Mole, as he became affectionately known, has been picked up by network TV and the national press. Yet despite several promising leads, a copy of this classic film still eludes us (and we don't mean the audio file on the TV Cream website).

 

One unexpected result is the man who played Britain's worst parker can now be revealed - retired actor Ian Gardiner. His nephew Toby Hart Dyke, of Pennsylvania, US, spotted our original story and put us in touch with Mr Gardiner... and he too is keen to find a tape of his greatest career moment.

 

"I was a jobbing actor all my life; Reginald Molehusband is my sole claim to fame. Even my grandchildren have heard of it," says Mr Gardiner.

 

 

STOP LOOK LISTEN

 

Stop Look Listen is the Magazine's festival of Public Information Films, with the National Archives and the COI

 

Mr Gardiner, who is 77 and lives in London, says the fabled Public Information Film won him more recognition than anything else, although it wasn't always of the welcome kind.

 

Even while appearing in West End plays or out on the streets, members of the public would shout out "Mr Molehusband", often to the annoyance of his fellow theatre staff.

 

Complete strangers would approach Mr Gardiner and tease him about his driving skills.

 

"There was an amazing reaction. I was recognised in the streets for years after. People used to shout 'Oh, you are Mr Molehusband'."

 

The name "Reginald Molehusband" became shorthand for anyone whose driving skills weren't quite up to scratch. Jeremy Clarkson has been known to use Molehusband in driving put-downs, saying of Ralf Schumacher: "He just cruises around at the back, getting in everyone's way until he has a Reginald Molehusband accident."

 

Household face

 

The film was broadcast hundreds times during the 1960s and 70s, but while Reginald Molehusband made Mr Gardiner a household face, it didn't make him a fortune to match.

 

 

I'm so cross they have lost the film, it would be fantastic if it did turn up

 

Ian Gardiner

"I was paid the princely sum of £10," says Mr Gardiner. "It was the only one I did and it went out for years, my agent tried to get repeat fees for me but I don't recall getting anywhere.

 

"After time Equity changed contracts so anyone who did a COI [Central Office of Information - the government information service] film had to be paid the same as ordinary films."

 

Even now, Mr Gardiner remains surprised by the interest in the film, and is at a loss to explain why Reginald Molehusband captured the public imagination.

 

The actor says he would love to see the film again after all these years to understand why it had such an impact.

 

AN ACTOR'S LIFE

Made his West End debut in a play with Thora Hird and Arthur Askey

Had parts in Howard's Way, Z-Cars and The Avengers

Married to Janet Davies, who played widow Mavis Pike in Dad's Army

"I'm so cross they have lost it," he says, "I think the only way [we could get it] is if someone had taped it. I wish I could have. It would be fantastic if it did turn up."

 

And in that sentiment, he's not alone. A spokesman for the National Archives says anyone who finds a copy of Molehusband would be "held aloft and carried through the streets by public information film enthusiasts".

 

So where is it? With the promise of national hero status and the chance to help a retired actor revisit his most glorious role - can you help find Reginald?

 

 

Thought I'd share it with you all!!

[OH]

There was also another "public information" film with a chap called Dave who could swim like a fish, oh, and another about an old codger who rode his bike safely and doffed his cap.

[OH]

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/films/view_all_films.htm

[Egluntyne]

I remember the Broken Glass one OH! Cringeworthy!!

[Mrs Frugal]

There was a horrible one about not swimming in rivers and lakes. Really creepy! Used to give me nightmares!!

[Mrs Frugal]

Back to Reginald Molehusband - I've found a remake of the original advert. The original was lost years ago but they remade it with the original actor - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/4770268.stm

[Egluntyne]

Lovely, Kate. He looks better now that he is older! And the link was there!!

[Mrs Frugal]

Phew !! He does look right for the ad now, doesn't he.

[theherd123]

I recall one from years ago about safety at the seaside.

 

A couple were having a picnic on a cliff edge watching a man in a dinghy at sea waving for help.

The line i recall was the wife calling 'Coo-ee its a din-geee!'

 

Anyone else recall this one too?

[Nicola H]

ooooooo Petunia...... check out this link http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/4997012.stm

I loved these adverts Joe and petunia were very funny....

[Lesley]

That was hilarious - check out the 1968 version and then the 2006 remake. The 'spot the difference' is interesting!

[buffie]

Just sen this what a great link. I have a tufty club badge

Anyone else a member

 

 

BBx

[Guest]

 

I was a member of the Tufty Club!

[Guest]

Just sen this what a great link. I have a tufty club badge

Anyone else a member

BBx

 

 

c'mon now, guys,,, this is no place to discuss personal grooming...

 

 

Phil

[Egluntyne]

 

Has anyone apart from Kate attempted the game at my original post??

 

Here is the link again to save you the bother of trawling all the way back.

 

It's quite good fun.

 

http://www.107.peugeot.co.uk/peugeot.swf