26 of 50

I had a different post planned for today, I’d even written it but something else came into my head and I just had to write about that instead.

As you may or may not know Bernard Cribbins died this week, he was 93, and one of my childhood heroes. I remember him best from Jackanory, and as the voice of The Wombles.

If you’ve read some of my earlier posts you might also recall that one of his songs is on my Middle Age, Middle of the Road playlist.

I had a few childhood heroes. The ones that stuck, Bernard Cribbins, Kenneth Williams, John Noakes, Tony Hart; are all in one way shape or form children’s TV personalities from the 1970’s / 1980’s. All have passed on, some more recently that others.

The thing is as you reach middle age and beyond in my case, you find those people that you used to look up to and admire, pass away. Some, sadly turn out not to be as wholesome as you thought they were. Ultimately though they all slip from your life. It’s inevitable, as you age so do they and of course they were older than you to start with.

When I look around now, I struggle to pick similar heroes in the same way. I guess maybe you don’t need them when you’re older or perhaps those ones from your childhood are so ingrained in your psyche that you just don’t allow the space for anyone new? Maybe you’re better with the nostalgia and the memories rather than looking for replacements? There are many entertainers I admire but none that perhaps I would go out of my way to watch in the same way as I did my heroes of old. When Bernard Cribbins returned to Doctor Who, it made me want to watch it again.

Anyway I think they’re all gone now.

Thanks for reading.