Memoryshare

Sooty and Harry in black-and-white days!

Sooty's fame goes all the way back to 1948 when Harry Corbett, an engineer from Horton in Bradford, was on holiday in Blackpool. Digging around in the seaside shops for something to entertain his two sons, he discovered a yellow glove puppet. It was a must-buy and also the beginning of a legend!

Sooty and Harry on the BBC in 1955!

As Harry explains in The Secret Life of Sooty - a fascinating look at the story of this little yellow bear written by Geoff Tibballs with an introduction by none other than Sooty fan and former Beatle George Harrison - despite Sooty being bought for the kids, things soon changed: "I supposed the teddy bear was really bought to amuse the children, but you know what kids are like at that age, they play with something for a bit and then get bored with it. I'd have the puppet peering from around the lapel of my jacket and David would stroke it but I think it only amused him for about ten minutes. Then he was off to play with something else. But I fell in love with it!"

Back in Bradford, Harry - who was actually the nephew of Harry Ramsden of fish'n'chip fame, fact fans! - was a bit of an entertainer on the side. Piano-playing, magic and conjuring were all part of his repertoire, and the puppet was soon added to the list.

Originally just known as Teddy, the little yellow bear was re-named after Harry added some soot from the chimney to his ears and nose. Whether that's true or not, it's certainly the case that Harry and his much-loved puppet were soon to go from Blackpool via Bradford to the bigtime! Within a few years, their double-act was to make them stars of the TV screen, first appearing on BBC TV's Talent Night in 1952. The rest, as they say, is history...

Since then, there's probably hardly a child in Britain who hasn't enjoyed Sooty's antics on the TV and on stage. Along with Sweep the dog (annoying or loveable? We'd love to hear what you have to say!), Soo the panda and an ever-expanding cast of sidekicks, it seems that Sooty and the show's famous catchprase 'Izzy wizzy let's get busy' have hardly ever been away from the small screen. In fact, Sooty is one of TV's longest-running children's shows and the reasons for that are obvious - after all, what's there to dislike about a cute yellow bear getting up to all sorts of stuff!

Old friends: Sooty and Matthew in 1997

Famous for firing his water pistol, playing the xylophone and wielding a magic wand, Sooty has one big personality - even though he's never been heard to say a word! Getting up to all sorts of mischief, it's always his 'right hand man' (if you pardon the pun) who has to put up with his antics. First, that was Harry Corbett and then - when Harry retired in 1976 - his son Matthew, also Bradford born and bred, took over the show for the next 22 years. Finally, in a new lease of life in 1998, Richard Cadell became the brunt of Sooty's tricks and is still going strong to this day! Not bad when you remember that when he first hit the small screen he was only seen in fuzzy black and white and now we're in the age of ultra-modern digital TV!

Despite all the changes, this little bear still has strong roots in his adopted home city. For instance, did you know that he's been used as a mascot for the city of Bradford and that not so very long ago there was even a Sooty museum in Shipley? And his fame was such that when a toy shop named after him was opened in Bradford decades ago the crowds were so big that the police had to be called!

So what exactly makes Sooty so popular after all these years? Well, in a recent interview Richard Cadell explains his theory: "His essence hasn't changed. In an era when people say tastes have changed and become more sophisticated, it's re-assuring that children still laugh at the same jokes they've laughed at for the past sixty years. Sooty's also had such staying power because he's a teddy bear, and the first toy a child always gets is a teddy bear. Here's a teddy who looks just like theirs, and yet this one moves around and plays tricks!"

Sooty, Sweep, Soo and Richard

But what do YOU think? We want to hear from you about your favourite Sooty memories as he celebrates his 60th anniversary! Do you remember him from those old black-and-white days or do you think the best was yet to come when Matthew took over? Or are your children or grandchildren enjoying watching the latest Sooty incarnation with Richard Cadell? Did you even manage to see one of Harry or Matthew's celebrated stage shows starring Sooty, Sweep and the gang?

One person who's been in touch with us, Beth in Bradford, says she has very clear memories of the city's Sooty shop: "When I was a very little girl in the late 1950s there was a Sooty shop on Manningham Lane in Bradford which was a high class shop selling baby clothes, prams and toys. I can remember the stained glass windows and the big Sooty statue over the door. I remember my mum buying me my first special party dress there when I was about four. I'm not sure, but I thin Harry Corbett's wife owned the shop."

Now it's over to you!

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