Worzel Gummidge Worzel Gummidge is a 70’s Children’s TV show. The characters were created by Barbara Euphan Todd This was the age when little children could right a pony and trap at high speed and not get done by the police for endangering a minor. This is one of the few shows that I stuck around to see the end of the credits, just to see if Worzel's wooden post would collapse again and send him flying. Maybe all kids are sadistic?   Keep a lookout for the people chasing Worzel at the village fete when he met Aunt Sally. Obviously the extras were so happy to be in shot, that they smiled to death chasing Worzel (Jon Pertwee), even though they were supposed to be angry with him.     Story Worzel Gummidge is a Scarecrow at Scatterbrooke Farm.  He is a lovable rouge who was given life by the Crowman, to scare the birds.  But Worzel had a habit leaving his post at the farm and having a good time by having a cup o' tea and a slice of cake. He has two friends, called Sue and John.  They try to look out for Worzel, but he doesn't always appreciate their help and tells them to 'Buzz Off'.  They are always around to pick up the pieces.   Most of the time it is Aunt Sally who causes Worzel the most grief.  The poor scarecrow fell in love with Aunt Sally the first time he saw her.  She is a life size wooden doll that appears at fairs - if you knocked her over with a ball then you won a coconut.  She treats Worzel like a piece of dirt and laughs in his face when he repeatedly asks her to marry him. Worzel can also change his personality, this is done by changing his turnip head with another one, like the 'Thinking Head' (sometimes the heads don't want to be taken off again). Worzel Gummidge Characters    Worzel Gummidge     (played by Jon Pertwee) Worzel is a mischievous scarecrow that can come to life when he wants. If he's in trouble and is just about to be cornered then he turns back into a lifeless scarecrow. He is accompanied on his journey by a number of animals/birds that live in his straw body, such as a Robin (which he uses as a handkerchief). Not only that, he uses a hedgehog as a hairbrush! If you upset Worzel, then you know it because he goes into a sulk. This isn't any normal sulk, as his eyes bulge out of their sockets, he has a face down to his ankles and he doesn't move.   He has a knack of helping himself to things that he doesn't own. I don't think he understands that its stealing, but he hasn't really got the brain power with his normal turnip head. Talking about turnip heads, Worzel can swap his head for another, when the occasion suits. Such as his 'Singing Head', 'Remembering Head', 'Reading Head', 'Romany Head', 'Adding Up Head', 'Riddle Head', 'Handsome Head', 'Dancing Head', 'Jolly Uncles Head', 'Wangling Head' etc. You need to be thick skinned if you are Worzel's friend and he tells you to buzz off ,go away, shove off, a number of times. Luckily Sue and John Peters are thick skinned and so Worzel has some human friends.   If he does meet up with any other scarecrow then they talk to each other in Worzeleaze, the language of scarecrows. One thing Worzel is terrified of is bonfires!! It's quiet understandable, as he is made of straw. Aunt Sally knows this and taunts him about it when she can. Poor Worzel, he's had his heart broken by that walking wooden skittle too many times. Worzel has to be careful, as the Crowman has always told him that he mustn't be seen by anyone (human) walking and talking, otherwise there will be trouble.   He has a nephew called Pickles Bow Bells Bramble, who speaks mostly in cockney rhyming slang. He's not very nice and threatened to get Mrs Braithwaite to put him on the compost heap. But Worzel tricked him into knocking off the Crowman's hat, so he was ordered to escort Pickles out of the village (which cheered up Worzel).     Aunt Sally     (played by Una Stubbs) An Aunt Sally is a life-size wooden doll that was used at village fetes. It was used like a large coconut shy, knock it over with a wooden ball to win a prize. There are a number of Aunt Sally's around, but Worzel fell in love with one of the most evilest. So how can an Aunt Sally come to life, as she isn't a scarecrow? Well, it seems that the Crowman has had a hand in this again, as he taught her to walk and talk (it's his fault!). But this was down to her owner wanting her to be turned into a scarecrow.   This Aunt Sally has designs above her station and tries to speak posh, but fails miserably. She walks stiffly and you can hear her coming as her wooden joints squeak. Worzel was horrified when she found out her current owner wanted to sell her, as she thought she might be sold to the frightful town - Americee. She knows that Worzel fancies her and wants them to be wed, but she laughs at him and says 'do you think I would be married to a lump of dirty rags and straw!'. She thinks he is ugly and stupid and that he should have been chucked on a bonfire (which scared poor Worzel to death).   But she can always get around Worzel and even fooled him into swapping places with her at the local fete and that she would keep him company in 10 acre field. But guess what, she lied and ran off and broke Worzel's heart (not before she threw an number of wooden balls at him). She does have a similar weakness to Worzel - Cakes! She loves them and would put as many in her mouth as possible. If Aunt Sally is really in trouble, then funnily enough, she does turn to Worzel for consolation (well, for a few minutes).     Sue Peters     (played by Charlotte Coleman) Sue is a young girl who now lives at Scatterbrook Farm with her Father and Brother. When they first arrived there, she didn't believe John when he said that the local scarecrow was alive. It took a while before she was convinced. She likes to keep a look out for Worzel (more so than John) and she is always concerned about Worzel's feelings and worries that he might get in trouble. Also she would love to see Worzel and Aunt Sally married, if it made Worzel happy (but I wouldn't bet on that).     John Peters     (played by Jeremy Austin) John is Sue's brother. He was the very first person to spot Worzel. He noticed that the scarecrow was moving and persuaded his sister to come with him to check it out. Boy were they surprised when Worzel said they could borrow his umbrella when it started raining. They jumped out of their skin and ran home, but Worzel followed to get his umbrella back. John has a suspicious mind, and doesn't trust Worzel, but will help him out, if he must.     Mr Peters     (played by Mike Berry) He hired the Braithwaites caravan out at Scatterbrook Farm, as he was thinking of moving to that area. But he wanted to check out what work was available in the area for an electrician. He wants to be a country gent, but has no idea about anything in the countryside. He even thinks that sheep are savage! He's even gone as far as dressing in tweed. We are not sure what happened his wife (the children's mother).   Mr Peters seems a bit boring and tells the children that he has important business to attend to in the village. This usually means that he's off to the pub for a few beers. I'd watch it if I was him, as he'll get reported to the police for leaving his children home alone. That isn't his only vice, he loves to gamble and follow football. He is so much into them, that he could answer any question on these two subjects (anything else, then forget it).     The Crowman     (played by Geoffrey Bayldon) He is the man that created Worzel and breathed life into him. He's a strange type of man, he dresses all in black and wears a Top Hot. From that description, you'd think he's smart, but instead he looks more like a tramp! He is called the Crowman because he creates all the scarecrows round that area. He cycles along on his bike visiting all the local scarecrows and restuffing them with straw and fixing them. He dreads visiting Worzel as he is never in his field and is off causing trouble.   Worzel always calls him 'Your Honour' (or 'Your Majesty') and has great respect for him, but he is also scared of what he could do to him if he was caught acting bad. But he isn't as bad as he sounds, as he encourages Worzel to grow into a better person. Mrs Bloomsburry-Barton wanted him to make her a scarecrow for lawn, but use it as decoration. The Crowman wasn't keen on this idea. She even wanted him to do some odd jobs for her, she called him a workman, but he thinks of himself as a craftsman.   He cycles around on his 3 wheeler trike, which tows a small trailer with his tools of his trade. Not only that, he has a basket on the front where his Jack Russell dog sits, who is called Ratter. Worzel is always stunned when the Crowman seems to read his mind (its no trick either - its quite spooky) and he tells Worzel that it is because he knows him so well as he made him.     Mrs Braithwaite     (played by Meg Jenkins) She is quite a strong willed woman, and mothers the children, well...she likes to boss them around.   She doesn't like the Scarecrow on the farm (Worzel) as she thinks it has seen better days and she is either trying to throw it away or burn it.     Mr Braithwaite     (played by Norman Bird) He runs the farm that Sue and John Peters live in and even bought Worzel off the Crowman to help keep the birds away from his crops (he should have asked for his money back). But when strange things happen on the farm, he doesn't realise that it is mostly his scarecrow coming to life and causing havoc.     Mr Shepherd     (played by Michael Ripper) He is one grumpy old man, but his face does light up when he thinks he can make some money, like the time he found out that the Aunt Sally he owned could be valuable. Worzel scuppered his plans, by taking Aunt Sally's place and stopping the sale going through. But Mr Shepard thinks his Aunt Sally is so sought after, that some people have stolen it. When in reality, Aunt Sally keeps running away.     Mrs Bloomsburry-Barton     (played by Joan Sims) She lives in a large Mansion and is driven round in her Rolls-Royce by her chauffeur called Humphrey. But with money comes stinginess, as she's a bit of a freeloader. She gets free eggs from Mrs Braithwaite, invites Mr Peters round to see her, so that he will do some electrical work for her for free, the list goes on.     Saucy Nancy     (played by Barbara Windsor) She is the figurehead of the ship of the same name (The Saucy Nancy). She was also taught to speak by the Crowman (he gets around, doesn't he), when they were considering her as a Scarecrow after the ships last voyage. She does have a nasty habit of smoking Tabacee (Tobacco to us), which is very dangerous for her, as she is made of wood. Worzel couldn't understand why she couldn't walk until Nancy told him that she didn't have any legs as a figurehead and instead got around on wheels.   Nancy thinks Worzel is really funny and thought that they made a great couple, so she asked Worzel to marry her. But Worzel turned her down, as his heart is already spoken for.     PC Alfred Parsons  He is the local Policeman and is always investigating strange goings on (which are mostly Worzel's doing, as he keeps stealing things). But Worzel and Alfred have had a few run ins over the years. Alfred thinks Worzel is a tramp and has no idea that he is the scarecrow at Scatterbrook Farm. Worzel has even tried to goad him to chase him down the street!! (he was brave)   Worzel Gummidge Images (click to enlarge) Worzel Gummidge T-Shirts - NONE Worzel Gummidge DVDs Region 2 (Europe) - Worzel Gummidge DVDs  Region 1 (USA) - Worzel Gummidge DVDs Worzel Gummidge Video Worzel Gummidge Episodes Series 1 (1979)  1. Worzel's Washing Day  2. A Home Fit For Scarecrows  3. Aunt Sally  4. The Crowman  5. A Little Learning  6. Worzel Pays A Visit  7. The Scarecrow Hop   Series 2 (1980)   1. Worzel and The Saucy Nancy  2. Worzel's Nephew  3. A Fishy Tale  4. The Trial Of Worzel Gummidge  5. Very Good Worzel  6. Worzel In The Limelight  7. Fire Drill  8. The Scarecrow Wedding   Series 3 (1980)   1. Moving On  2. Dolly Clothes-Peg  3. A Fair Old Pullover  4. Worzel The Brave  5. Worzel's Wager  6. The Return Of Dafthead  7. Captain Worzel  8. Choir Practice   Series 4 (1981)   1. Muvver's Day  2. Golden Hind  3. Will The Real Aunt Sally...?  4. The Jumbly Sale  5. The Return Of Dolly Clothes-Peg  6. Worzel In Revolt  7. Worzel's Birthday   Specials  Xmas Special - A Cup o' Tea an' a Slice o' Cake (1980)   Worzel Gummidge Down Under Series 1 (1987)   1. As The Scarecrow Flies  2. The Sleeping Beauty  3. Full Employment  4. Worzel’s Handicap  5. King of the Scarecrows  6. Ten Heads Are Better Than One  7. Worzel To The Rescue  8. Slave Scarecrow  9. A Traveller Unmasked  10. A Friend In Need   Worzel Gummidge Down Under - Series 2 (1989)  1. Stage Struck  2. Red Sky In’t Mornin’  3. Them Thar Hills  4. The Beauty Contest  5. Bulbous Cauliflower  6. Weevily Swede  7. Elementary, My Dear Worty  8. Dreams of Avarish  9. Runaway Train  10. Aunt Sally R.A.  11. Wattle Heartbrush  12. The Bestest Scarecrow © JedisParadise.com Toys & Gifts T-Shirts Bargain DVDs