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Produced by Southern Television for ITV, the kids’ sitcom, Worzel Gummidge, starred the classical actor Jon Pertwee (perhaps better known for his role as the time-travelling Dr Who) as Worzel. The friendly scarecrow gets into all kinds of scrapes at Ten Acre Field on Scatterbrook Farm, where he's supposed to scare the birds off the crops. RADA-trained actor Pertwee played the suave Doctor in the sci-fi drama between 1970 and 1974, so it was a massive change when the 60-year-old star became the scruffy, dishevelled scarecrow, who liked nothing better than to sit and enjoy "a nice cup of tea and a slice of cake" with Aunt Sally. With a total of 31 episodes, the final show was broadcast just before Christmas in 1981. Long after it had finished, Worzel Gummidge was voted number 50 in the greatest kids' TV series of all time. Origins British fiction writer Barbara Euphan Todd first wrote the Worzel Gummidge stories in the 1930s and they were published in 1936 by Puffin Books, before being adapted for the radio at the turn of the second world war for BBC's Children's Hour. In the 1960s and 70s, they were read on Jackanory, but it was the ITV screenplay, written by Keith Waterhouse and Willis Hall, that rocketed the stories to global success - the series was also sold to New Zealand TV in 1987. Worzel spends his days standing in a field scaring birds, but his secret life begins when he befriends two children, John and Susan, who are staying on the farm for the school holidays. The scarecrow is always getting up to naughty pranks and causing trouble, but then he pretends to be a normal, lifeless scarecrow again afterwards, so John and Susan are frequently in trouble for Worzel’s antics. Worzel's pals British actress Una Stubbs played Aunt Sally, a living fairground doll and the feisty subject of Worzel's unrequited love. The Crowman, who had made Worzel and his scarecrow pals, was played by Geoffrey Bayldon. Previously, Bayldon was the star of another quirky kids' TV show from the same era, Catweazle, about a magician from Norman times who is catapulted into the future. Worzel Gummidge was like a "who's who" of 1970s comedy stars, as Connie Booth, the writer and star of Fawlty Towers, took over the role of Aunt Sally after Stubbs left the series; comedian and actor Bill Maynard played policeman Sergeant Baynard; and Carry On star Joan Sims played the wealthy Mrs Bloomsbury-Barton. Child stars Jeremy Austin and Charlotte Coleman played John and Susan. Both went on to pursue acting careers as adults, with Austin starring in The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole in 1985 and Coleman playing Scarlett in Four Weddings and a Funeral in 1994. Head swapping Worzel was able to swap his head for a different one whenever he wanted, as he had a head for every occasion! His heads were made of various vegetables, such as mangel wurzels, turnips and swedes. Each enabled him to perform a specific task. As well as his everyday head, he had a "handsome head", which was to help him go courting. He also has a "clever head", which he loses in one episode. He finds it near a local school, puts it on and then gets mistaken for a genius by a teacher who bumps into him! Worzel's handsome head is used to woo Aunt Sally, but she continually exploits his feelings and uses him to do all the jobs that she can't do herself, without genuinely returning his love. Christmas ball One occasion when Aunt Sally relents a little is when she agrees to have a dance with Worzel at the scarecrows' Christmas ball. Worzel sings his famous song, A Cup of Tea and a Slice o' Cake, to lead the musical entertainment at the annual festive gathering of all the local scarecrows! The ball featured in the 1980 Worzel Christmas Special, when Worzel was preparing to enjoy the impending festivities at Ten Acre Field. He goes looking for Aunt Sally to invite her to the ball, but then runs into his old pal, Saucy Nancy (played by another Carry On star, Barbara Windsor). He is side-tracked for a while but eventually sets off again to find Aunt Sally. Then, he bumps into the Scots scarecrow, Bogle McNeep (played by comedian Billy Connolly). McNeep and his pals are very anti-Christmas and never celebrate it. Once again, Worzel is side-tracked dealing with their altercation. Will he ever find Aunt Sally so he can enjoy the ball and the festive season with the love of his life? A few years ago, reports appeared in the newspapers that the BBC was resurrecting Worzel Gummidge, starring Mackenzie Crook, 46, as the errant scarecrow. There have been no further updates so far. Scarecrow festivals Promising oodles of colour, vibrancy and fun, scarecrow festivals have been uplifting the British countryside since 1990. Using materials including old clothes, straw, hats, plant pots and wood, people have been creating characters, such as Paddington Bear, to entertain their neighbours for the past three decades. At times like these, we need a little distraction in our lives, so why not have a go at making one of your own… and if you’re using some of your own clothes to kit out your scarecrow, why not treat yourself to something new from our Spring/Summer range? Deep in the heart of Cornwall, MA Grigg’s country store has plenty of outdoor clothing suitable for all your outdoor activities! Please contact us for further information on our wide range of reputable clothing brands.