Worzel Gummidge

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Eddie Muir
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Worzel Gummidge

Post by Eddie Muir »

I have been a fan of the Worzel Gummidge books by Barbara Euphan Todd (1890-1976) ever since I was introduced to the first in the series at the age of eight at my junior school in Stourport-on-Severn. As Barbara was a contemporary of Enid Blyton, I wonder how many forum members have enjoyed reading her books about the Scarecrow of Scatterbrook. She wrote ten in all:

Worzel Gummidge, 1936
Worzel Gummidge Again, 1937
More About Worzel Gummidge, 1938
Worzel Gummidge and Saucy Nancy, 1947
Worzel Gummidge Takes a Holiday, 1949
Earthy Mangold and Worzel Gummidge, 1954
Worzel Gummidge and the Railway Scarecrows, 1955
Worzel Gummidge at the Circus, 1956
Worzel Gummidge and the Treasure Ship, 1958
Detective Worzel Gummidge, 1963

Brabara Euphan Todd was born in Doncaster, South Yorkshire, but her final home was in the picturesque village of Blewbury (now in Oxfordshire, but formerly part of Berkshire). The village is well worth a visit and of particular interest is Barbara's thatched cottage, Chapmans which overlooks a field similar to the one in which her famous scarecrow was erected to frighten off the birds.

There have been a number of radio and television adaptations of the Worzel Gummidge stories, but the most notable and certainly the most successful were the series made between 1979 and 1987 and starring the superb Jon Pertwee as Worzel. The scripts for these were written by the equally superb Keith Waterhouse and Willis Hall.
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Re: Worzel Gummidge

Post by Aurélien »

Read a couple of the books as a youngster, Eddie, and have the John Pertwee dvds.

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Re: Worzel Gummidge

Post by Tony Summerfield »

I have just checked an inner cave, Eddie! I have got nine of the books, but I haven't got 'More About'. Only seven of them are 1st editions, but they have some great dustwrappers, the early ones were done by Will Nickless, who did the cover of Mister Icy-Cold for Enid.

Ow! I have just checked them out on abebooks.com and it looks as if Blyton books aren't the only ones that cost a penny or two! :roll:
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Post by Aurélien »

Tony Summerfield wrote:I have just checked an inner cave, Eddie! I have got nine of the books, but I haven't got 'More About'. Only seven of them are 1st editions, but they have some great dustwrappers, the early ones were done by Will Nickless, who did the cover of Mister Icy-Cold for Enid.

Ow! I have just checked them out on abebooks.com and it looks as if Blyton books aren't the only ones that cost a penny or two! :roll:
After discovering the shocking on-line prices for dustjacketed copies of Will Scott's 'Cherrys' books nothing would surprise me!

Just checked my book collection - no Todds, alas, but I do have the 1979 Purnell Worzel Gummidge (Southern Television) annual, put out by Purnell.

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Re: Worzel Gummidge

Post by Eddie Muir »

Tony Summerfield wrote:I have just checked an inner cave, Eddie! I have got nine of the books, but I haven't got 'More About'. Only seven of them are 1st editions, but they have some great dustwrappers, the early ones were done by Will Nickless, who did the cover of Mister Icy-Cold for Enid.


Ow! I have just checked them out on abebooks.com and it looks as if Blyton books aren't the only ones that cost a penny or two! :roll:
I have got copies of the ten Worzel Gummidge books, Tony, but only five in harback (one with a dustwrapper) and five in paperback (various editions). The cost of the early editions on websites such as abebooks.com has hindered my quest for obtaining all the titles in hardback. Those I own have been found cheaply over the years in second-hand shops and at jumble sales. I agree the original WG books have some great dustwrappers. :)
Aurélien wrote:Read a couple of the books as a youngster, Eddie, and have the John Pertwee dvds.

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I also have all the Jon Pertwee dvds, Aurélien, including Worzel Gummidge Down Under, Series 1 and 2. :)
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Re: Worzel Gummidge

Post by Aurélien »

Eddie Muir wrote:I also have all the Jon Pertwee dvds, Aurélien, including Worzel Gummidge Down Under, Series 1 and 2. :)
Afraid that I don't have the 'Worzel Gummidge Down Under', Series 1 and 2 dvds, Eddie, but the first WG dvd I acquired was the Christmas Special, 'A Cup o' Tea an' a Slice o' Cake'.

Don't think I ever actually owned a Todd book - fairly sure that those I read were all from libraries.

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Post by Petermax »

I was a fan of the Worzel Gummidge books long before the Southern TV series was first broadcast. My Junior school boasted a fine library that contained the works of Enid Blyton, Anthony Buckeridge, Richmal Crompton and of course Barbara Euphan Todd.

The original Worzel Gummidge books had a far slower pace than the TV adaptation and portrayed a far less aggressive Worzel. Nevertheless, Jon Pertwee made the character very much his own. It is rather sad that he is no longer with us as is Charlotte Coleman who played the part of Sue.
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Post by Eddie Muir »

I was saddened to hear that Keith Waterhouse, the co-writer of the television Worzel Gummidge scripts, died yesterday aged 80. He was an extremely talented writer and among his works were Billy Liar, There is a Happy Land, Mrs Pooter's Diary, In the Mood, film scripts for Whistle Down the Wind and A Kind of Loving and television scripts for Budgie (starring Adam Faith). He was also a celebrated dramatist, having written a number of successful plays for the theatre. In addition to these works he was well known to the public as a newspaper columnist, who wrote countless articles for the Daily Mirror and the Daily Mail. His death is a great loss to the world of English literature.
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Re: Worzel Gummidge

Post by Petermax »

The papers are full of tributes to Keith Waterhouse. I used to love reading his reminiscences of childhood in the 1930's and later years as a junior reporter. His columns in the Daily Mirror and later on the Daily Mail always made excellent reading.
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Post by Anita Bensoussane »

I hadn't realised that Keith Waterhouse was responsible for the film script of Whistle Down the Wind. A wonderful film of childhood innocence.

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Post by Eddie Muir »

I agree, Anita, Whistle Down the Wind (adapted from Mary Hayley Bell's novel) is a wonderful film of childhood innocence. :)
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Post by Lucky Star »

I always enjoyed his Daily Mail columns. He had a knack of hitting nails on heads and delivering his points in a very entertaining way. I'm sure he will long be remembered.
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Post by Eddie Muir »

I have just introduced my grandson, Ben (who will be four next month) to the Worzel Gummidge series on DVD. Worzel is played by the brilliant Jon Pertwee and Ben and I are getting a great deal of enjoyment from watching the episodes together during his Thursday visits to Nanny and Grandad's house. :D

Did you ever get a copy of the 1938 book, More About Worzel Gummidge, which was missing from your collection in 2009, Tony?
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Re: Worzel Gummidge

Post by Moonraker »

Elliott, three yesterday, loves WG. I introduced the programme (another winner from Southern) to him via YouTube, and he loves the scarecrow. I even have to make up Worzel stories at bedtime when he (Elliott, not Worzel) stays with us!
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Re: Worzel Gummidge

Post by Eddie Muir »

That's great, Nigel. :D
Last edited by Eddie Muir on 03 Aug 2016, 11:18, edited 2 times in total.
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