Camberwick Green - Childrens TV | Jedi's Paradise
Camberwick Green Camberwick Green is a 60’s children’s TV animated show narrated by Brian Cant. It started in a unique way that kept the children watching the title sequence and the credits. You see there is a clown and he turns a handle slowly to reveal the title of the show and its creators. It sounds simple, but I know that I would sit there and watch the whole of these sequences just to see the clown turn the handle. Gordon Murray (click to see our interview with Gordon) was the creative genius for this series. He came up with the idea, wrote it and made the puppets. Supposedly years later, Gordon destroyed all the puppets. This was either to stop anyone making another series of the show or to clear out his house. Only 1 soldier boy remains in existence today. A young Brian Cant lent his voice to the show and what a voice. He had the right tone of voice for the show and made you think that the inhabitants didn't have a care in the world. The songs he sang to accompany each episode will stay in your head forever, such as: "Riding along in a Bakers Van, a rackety tackety Bakers Van" Camberwick Green has one famous inhabitant - Windy Miller. The main reason he's famous is because of his death defying walks between the windmill sails, while they are turning. The sails come so close, but Windy isn't bothered and it's second nature bobbing in and out of them. He has even starred in his own TV commercials, with the latest being 'Oats So Simple' for Quaker Oats. Story Each episode began with the words: "Here is a box, a musical box. Wound up and ready to play. But this box can hide a secret inside. Can you guess what is in it today?" The camera then zoomed in on a clockwork musical box, which played a tune and rotated slowly. The top of the musical box would gradually open up and the character that we would centre on for this story would rise up from inside of it. From there we would be treated to a day in the life of that Camberwick Green resident. Camberwick Green is a little village in the county of Trumptonshire. It is a nice sleepy village that likes to take life in the slow lane. Nothing much has changed there over the years, which is how they like it and the place has been frozen in time (apart from Farmer Bell's machinery). There are no advertising hoardings here and if the villagers think that this idyll is being threatened, then they rally together to fight any modern progress. It is so rooted in the past, that you have to do your shopping very quickly on a Saturday, as they close at 1pm and they have no Sunday opening here. Camberwick Green Characters Windy Miller At Colleys Mill works Windy Miller. As suggested by his name, he is the local Miller, who uses his windmill to grind corn into flour (in the old fashioned way). Windy has excellent timing. The reason I say this is because he keeps going in and out of the Mill and misses the windmill sails by centimetres. I think he should get a '10' for artistic merit. But he does realise that everyone else hasn't got the same timing, so (most of the time) he conscientiously stops the windmill sail when guests arrive. He keeps all the corn in the granary, which is a little hut next to the windmill. He really does enjoy his job and loves the distinct sound of the windmill's sails going round. The windmill has been passed down to him over the generations, as his father and grandfather used to work it. In the past all the farmers used to bring Windy all their corn for him to grind, but times have changed and now most of them take it to the monster mechanical millers in town. Windy is firmly rooted in the old ways and when the wind drops, he believes that you have to whistle for the wind. Does he own a car? Oh No! For instead he gets around on his tricycle, which looks more like a small Penny Farthing bike, still he is environmentally friendly. From what I've seen, it looks like it works!. He is also into making homebrewed Cider. Its very strong and it can make you sleepy. Also he is a keen bird spotter. He keeps Ducks, Hens, 2 Cows (one called Bess) and Bees. It all happens to Windy Miller. Once he had to do some maintenance to his Windmill and remove the sails. The boys from Pippin Fort helped to remove them, but were a bit rough with them. So when Mr Dagenham offered to put them back on with the help of his helicopter, Windy reluctantly accepted. Mr Dagenham was waiting for a signal from Windy when the sails were back in place, but Windy waved to Mary Murphy and he was whisked into the air on the end of a rope. Jonathon Bell He is a local farmer who still takes his corn to Windy Miller to get it ground into flour. But that is the only old fashioned thing that he does, as he has the most modern farm in Camberwick Green. He is very proud of his truck, which is the latest model and he has a Chicken Battery where the hen's lay thousands of eggs. Because of this, he is constantly teasing Windy about his old fashioned ways and that he should modernise. His Forklift Loader makes a wonderful noise. One time he started to get worried why people in Camberwick Green were buying less and less eggs from him. He worried and worried about it, until he asked his customers why they were buying less. To his astonishment, he found out that Windy Miller had been selling them his Free Range Eggs. People liked the idea that the hens were free and happy. So Windy suggested that Farmer Bell should send his eggs to the packing station, it would be easier for Jonathon. He knew that he couldn't compete with Windy's Free Range eggs, so agreed to this (I'm sure its not that simple in real life!). His wife suffers from Rheumatism, which Dr Mopp treats, and he likes to treat his farm hands to Walnut Cakes. Yum! Mrs Honeyman She is always walking round carrying her baby, maybe she's a bit too protective. I'm sure she will have trouble trouble with the baby when it grows up. Her husband runs the Chemist Shop. She is the village gossip and will tell you everything that is going on around the area. She talks so fast, its surprising that she comes up for air. So because of this, it is advisable to never tell her a secret. Maybe she likes talking to people so much because she is lonely? She does look after the baby all day and her husband is always working in the shop. One day she was so busy gossiping that she left her baby outside of the Post Office. When she got back to her baby, it was covered in spots. She rushed to the doctors only to find out it was red paint spots, from the Post Office which was being repainted. Not only that, but she forced her baby onto Captain Snort, so that she could go into the nearest town to buy a hat!! She's lucky she hasn't been reported for neglect! Even though Mrs Honeyman is the biggest gossip ever, she does have some uses. It is like she is the vocal newspaper for the area, so that everyone knows what is going on in Camberwick Green. Peter Hazel He is the postman of Camberwick Green and really enjoys his job. He can even be found dancing in the Post Office with Mrs Dingle (what would her husband say?). He especially likes delivering post to Mickey Murphy the Baker. I think its because he is hoping he'll get something in return. Once, when delivering mail to Windy Miller; Windy started the windmill sails up, but little did they know that Peter's postbag was sitting next to one of the sails. Next thing you know, the postbag is going round and round on the sail. Mary and Paddy Murphy They are the children of Mickey Murphy, and they play together very well. On Saturdays, Paddy puts on his roller skates and zooms over to Thomas Tripp's Dairy, where he helps out with the deliveries. But there is one special delivery for Windy Miller, a special cake, pink icing with cherries on top. Windy is independent, but he doesn't like making cakes. Mrs Dingle She runs the Post Office and has a puppy called 'Packet'. Mrs Dingle likes to gossip, but isn't in the same league as Mrs Honeyman. Mr Carraway He owns the Fishmonger in the middle of Camberwick Green Village. Every Wednesday, half of the men in the village go out to the back of his shop, where a stream passes by and they all enjoy a spot of fishing. He likes to get out in his van and visits his old friend Windy Miller, as he does get tired of the smell of fish. He likes to tell him stories about his Great Grandfather, who used to be the Captain of the finest steamship that sailed the seas - The Northern Prince. Windy has heard all the stories before, but likes to hear them all over again. He doesn't just tell these stories to Windy, but anyone that will listen to him. He is so good at talking to people and making things interesting, that he has been asked by Captain Snort to give the soldier boys their geography lessons. One of his most treasured possessions was a very large painting of The Northern Star, but it accidentally fell off his truck after he has just got it reframed. To his horror, a number of passing cars ran over it and ruined it. Before this had happened, Windy Miller had already begun making a wooden model of the ship and when it was ready, he presented it to Mr Carraway. He was delighted and forgot all his troubles about the painting (which was eventually fixed). Mickey Murphy He is the local Baker, who bake buns, cakes and pastries. He is very busy on Saturdays, so on this day he makes lots of custard pies using the milk, Mr Tripp and his son delivers. Dr Mopp He is the local doctor who goes around wearing very large spectacles and a top hat, so looks quite eccentric. Dr Mopp doesn't stop there with his eccentricities, as he drives around in an extremely old car. So old, that it should really be in a museum, well it does have a number plate of 1901. He lives in a massive house, in fact its more like a mansion. Plus he's very keen bird spotter and photographer. He writes a lot of his letters on Sundays. Captain Snort He is in charge of Pippin Fort, which is a Military Academy for boys who want to be soldiers. He loves nothing more than having the soldiers on parade and checking that everything is spick-and-span. But each time he does this, there is always something that happens that interrupts them. He has got an enormous moustache. Every Tuesday the boys are taken swimming and every Wednesday after parade he make the boys (Armitage, Featherby, Higgins, Hopwood, Lumley and Meek) do odd jobs for the people of Camberwick Green. He feels its good for them and the boys enjoy doing them. Once they're out of the way, he goes for a spot of fishing at Mr Carraway's. He's a bit of a softie really, he threw Sergeant Major Grout a party for his birthday and even got Mickey Murphy to bake a fantastic cake in the shape of a cannon (even if it was pink!). Sergeant Major Grout He is the Sergeant Major who put the soldiers through their paces, by putting them through constant drills, and loves shouting 'Attention' or 'Dismissed'. I wouldn't like to live close to Pippin Fort as they are always playing their bugles. He also helps out with the odd jobs on a Wednesday. Mr Crockett He runs the local garage, which repairs cars and has some petrol pumps. He even runs a breakdown service and goes out to people with his tow truck. I'm not sure how he can run his business, as I've never seen anyone pay for the petrol (sounds like a great place to me!). I'm not sure I like how he resprays cars. Last time I saw him, he had a normal can of paint in his hand and he was using this to the paint the car (sounds dodgy to me!). PC McGarry He is Camberwick Green's local Policeman (number 452). He uses his police motorbike to get around, and it even has its own phone. Thomas Tripp He is Camberwick Green's Milkman and is Jonathan Bell's biggest customer. Once all the milk bottles got broken when Paddy Murphy was distracted by Tabitha the cat, while he was directing Mr Tripp in his milk float. Most people would have gone mad at Paddy, but Mr Tripp didn't, because he likes cats and could understand that Paddy didn't want the cat run over (can I work for him, he sounds really nice). But when he asked Farmer Bell for more milk he couldn't help him, as his milking machine was in for repairs. Luckily Windy Miller could help with the milk from his two cows, so the village did get milk that day. I think that Windy could eventually take the business away from Farmer Bell if this continues. Roger Varley He is a Chimney Sweep, who zooms around on his motorbike and sidecar. He makes lots of mess while cleaning out the soot from the chimneys of peoples houses. Windy Miller thinks its lucky to touch the collar of a sweep. I'm sure he could be done for this nowadays. Mr Dagenham He is a salesman, who sells vacuum cleaners, cookers, television sets, radios, cars, bungalows, brushes, bicycles. Supposedly he could sell you anything. Farmer Bell gets all his farm machinery from him. Once he even tried to sell Captain Flack and Farmer Bell a helicopter!! Now I bet the commission on that would have been good, but alas they didn't buy one in the end. Like most salesman, he drives a flashy car. His one is a red sports car, but I'm sure he doesn't know that Mr Crockett touches up his car with normal paint (I'm surprised he hasn't noticed).  
Camberwick Green Episodes Series 1 (1966)  1. Peter the Postman  2. Windy Miller  3. Mr. Crockett, the Garage Man  4. Dr. Mopp  5. Farmer Jonathon Bell  6. Captain Snort  7. Paddy Murphy  8. Roger Varley, the Sweep  9. Pc McGarry  10. Mr. Dagenham, the Salesman  11. Mr Carraway, the Fishmonger  12. Mickey Murphy, the Baker  13. Mrs. Honeyman and her Baby
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