In the early 1970s, I along with tens of thousands of Australian kids would wait for a rocket ship to make a trip between the Moon and the Earth. The rocket would land in Melbourne, Australia and much to the dleight of myself and my siblings out would pop a puppet with a pencil for a nose.
The rocket ship of course was another puppet character on what was Australia's longest running TV show: Mr Squiggle. The show ran for 40 years from 1959 to 1999 and apart from the news must be one of the longest running TV shows in the world.
It was a very simple formula. No hype, no marketing, no violence, no negative twists. Kids would send in doodles and Mr Squiggle would turn them into pictures. We were engrossed. Mr Squiggle was backed up by Miss Pat, Miss Jane, a Snail character, the grumpy blackboard and Bill the steam shovel with his terrible jokes. Anyone else remember Mr Squiggle? Did anyone get their squiggle on the show? Miss Pat of course was Patricia Lovell who became an amazing Australian film producer producing Picnic at Hanging Rock and Gallipoli, (see below for an interview with Pat Lovell from a 2004 tribute).
Norman Frederick Hetherington (pictured) who was the creator of Mr Squiggle died last December aged 89. He dedicated his life to the Mr Squiggle show. I don't think he got rich out of it but it seems to me that he epitomises some good lessons for life:1. use your talents and gifts
2. commit yourself for the long haul (40 years to one thing!)
3. be professional
An unusual world changer: a man who created a puppet with a pencil for a nose but doesn't that tell us that any one of us can make a difference? Vale Mr Squiggle
