'Children In Need' 🧸 Friday 19 November 2021

"I believe the children are our are future

Teach them well and let them lead the way

Show them all the beauty they possess inside

Give them a sense of pride to make it easier

Let the children's laughter remind us how we used to be."

'The Greatest Love Of All', Whitney Houston

'Children In Need' takes place on Friday 19th November 2021, hence the theme for this week's CST activities page focused on 'Children's TV'.

We asked members to attend the Zoom virtual CST session with stories about their first memories of watching TV and their favourite children's TV show.

After introductions, we discussed some facts about 'Children In Need'.

The first ever 'Children in Need' fundraising event was held on Christmas Day in 1927. It was a five minute radio broadcast that raised £1,143, 18s and 3d!

In 1955, the appeal was shown on television for the first time.

The BBC Telethon started on 21st November 1980. It raised £1,000,587. On 18th November 2016 the highest maximum ever raised was £60,000,000.

Pudsey Bear made his first appearance in 1985.

'Children In Need' fundraising efforts have included:

- 'The Rickshaw Challenge' (Matt Baker BBC 1 'One Show')

- 'The BBC Radio 2 Bonanza Auction'

- 'Car Fest' (Chris Evans DJ)

- Sponsored silences

- Cake bake sales

- Sitting in a bath of beans

- Costume fun runs and

- Various other weird and wonderful sponsorship events.

We remembered that Terry Wogan presented 'Children In Need' from 1980 to 2014. He sadly died in January 2016, aged 77. Other things Terry Wogan was known as a 'National Treasure' for included presenting the 'Eurovision Song Contest', his chat show 'Wogan', hosting 'Blankety Blank', his BBC Radio 2 'Breakfast Show' and of course his hit record, 'The Floral Dance'.

Here it is - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OlH1af4siKQ

Next, we thought about other special children's shows. One that sprang to mind for most of us was Ed (Stewpot) Stewart's BBC Radio 1 show 'Junior Choice'. This show started in 1968 and ran for a dozen years. Sadly, Ed Stewart also died in January 2016, aged 74 years. His other famous hit show was, of course, 'Crackerjack'.

Note: This album was today's virtual prize.

IDIOMS ABOUT CHILDREN

Ask members to complete the following phrases together ...

As easy as child’s PLAY – very easy and simple

Babe in ARMS – a very young child

Babe in the WOODS – a naive, defenceless, innocent young person

Baby - BOOMER - a child born between 1946-1964

Blue-eyed BOY – someone's favourite person

Boys will be BOYS – boys, or men, will behave in certain ways, often noisily or irresponsibly

Children should be seen and not - HEARD

Latchkey CHILDREN - children home alone while parents work

Like a kid in a SWEET SHOP – very excited and happy about something

Mummy’s BOY – a man who is still very dependent on his mother

New kid on the BLOCK – a person who has recently joined a company, organisation, team, etc, and does not know how things work yet

Sleep like a BABY – if you sleep very well

Spare the rod and spoil the CHILD - corporal punishment doesn't work

Throw the baby out with the BATH WATER – get rid of useful things when discarding inessential things

Daddy's little - GIRL OR BOY - favourite child

Watch with - MOTHER - TV stream

MONDAY'S CHILD

Read this well known poem together ...

We then had a more focused think about the best children's TV shows from our childhood, using the music and picture quiz below to promote memory recall and reminiscence.

MUSIC & PICTURE QUIZ

Note: It is important to remind members that these clips and the following rhymes, remembered from childhood, are included to prompt long-term memory and recall and of course to celebrate our younger selves. Perhaps they were simpler, happier times and certainly children's TV and entertainment is very different today.

Round 1. Watch With Mother