Spout, handle, lid of metal, what's insiiiiiiide..the singing kettle?
When Anna was little it used to be obligatory to make twice yearly visits to see the Singing Kettle. We would dress her up as a pirate or a fish or a cowboy, whatever the theme required. For two hours we'd sing along to songs like Little Bunny Fou Fou (hopping through the forest, scooping up the field mouse and bopping them on the head), You cannae shove yer Granny off a bus and my personal favourite, The Week Kirkcudbright Centipede.
Now the show's stars Artie Tresize and Cilla Fisher, who founded it 30 years ago, are retiring. They will be really missed but the show will continue without them. They are auditioning this weekend for one woman to replace them from next year.
The Kettle is changing for good and the Happy Gang is no more. Let's just hope that they keep the same team at the panto in the King's Theatre in Edinburgh for a bit longer or all of Anna's live action favourites from her childhood will be gone.
And, just so you can see what I had to spend hours watching, not just in the theatre twice a year but on video in the house, here is the brightly coloured and devlishly infectious. Oh, and there were CDs for the car too. For a while, there was literally no escape. I guess I really should say a big thank you to Artie and Cilla for the many hours of enjoyment they gave my daughter and thousands of other children. I hope they have a relaxing retirement.
