Yoffy Lifts A Finger.

TV At It's Best.

I am in a funny old mood lately. The last post looked back to before my birth and the fabulous old encyclopedia I have inherited. Today I am looking back to my childhood and the much missed and, in my opinion, far superior children's television we had back then.

Thanks to my old mate Dave, who is a great one for nostalgia, especially when it comes to the TV programmes we watched when we were nippers I have come across a wonderful website. Little Gems is a trip down memory lane. It is choca-block of well remembered and long forgotten programmes. The Fingerbobs page, for example, is a wonderful reminder of that delightfully simple and gentle programme. Fans of this programme might be surprised to learn that there were only ever 13 episodes recorded. As a child it seemed like there were loads and loads. Each page is packed full of screen grabs from our favourites such as Lizzie Dripping, White Horses, Jamie And The Magic Torch, Think Of A Number (bring back Johnny Ball) and many, many others.

You also get a synopsis of the programme, who starred in it and who wrote and directed the programmes. However by far the most excellent thing about the site is the ability to be able to listen and download the theme tunes. I was absolutely delighted today to find the theme tune to White Horses sung by Jackie. I still have a scratchy vinyl copy somewhere (b-side "Too Many Chiefs And Not Enough Indians") but having a decent digital copy on my PC has made my day.

If you miss proper children's television have a look at this site. It'll make you smile. Unless of course you weren't brought up in the UK of course because we won't have a clue what I'm on about.