Adventures Of An At Home Globetrotter

What a day I've had - and quite an exciting one. With my support worker, it doesn't matter how she plans it, but how I plan it.

First off all we went to the train station for our picnic. I've never been to a train station before. There were two men nearby cooking away for the restaurant, and there was a huge enormous tree with white willow flowers, and lots of benches where people can sit and wait for their lunch while waiting to catch a train. There was even an outdoor cafe, and a small wooden carving of a train housing lots of flowers.

And then, we went all the way to the 'Noisy Town', Golspie. First we went to Lindsey's, aka The Blue Peter Store, and guess what? I not only bought a wordsearch, but also some bubbles and some shades for in case my eyes get blinded by the hot sun. For in this weather, journeying around the country is like walking through a long, hot desert. And the best part about the wordsearch I got was it contained a wordsearch full of kids' shows - Babar, Binka, Boo, Softies, Oswald, Pingu, the Tweenies, and best of all.....BRUM!

The delusional little kid on four wheels had his own place on the wordsearch, but of course this book was talking about the terrible times he spent chasing things and causing a public disturbance. That's Series 3. The proper Brum is the one who always helps others and discovers new things about the community of friends he helps build - that was from the '90s. He loves that era, don't you?

#respectfor90sbrum

Anyway, our next stop was the charity shop. I wanted to buy a CD, but I couldn't decide what CD to buy. I wanted to get Now Christmas, but my support worker said Christmas was a long way away. So, I went looking for books to read - there were so many, I couldn't decide what to choose. So many choices, so little time. But finally, I chose a treasury of five minute stories as well as a Daisy novel and a Top Gear Search & Find book featuring Stig and lots of pop culture references.

While there I met this nice young woman named Amy, who was a bit silent most of the time, but we managed to bond through paying for my stuff. Then my support worker and I went for a little drive, and I took some selfies of me myself and I with my cool shades on. I felt like Rainbow Dash in her limosine!

And finally we went to the Spar to get a chocolate bar and something cool to drink. Of course the car was being a bit of a bully and pulled my shoe off, and then my music glitched out and halted most of the time, but somehow for some reason I managed to ask my support worker if I could have a moment of quiet, and I did. When we got in, it was different to how I last visited it.

Everything was in different places, and there was a barista at the far back of the shop. And guess what else? Galaxy Milk Chocolate drinks! Of course I chose the chocolate bar and the can of Coke, because there were fruity fizzy drinks in there, and Mum said fruity fizzy drinks can cause tooth decay.

Still, what a fun day out I've had! I hope I can go on another one again. Don't forget to write! (I meant postcards, not to my blog)

Move Along, Nothing Special

It is an absolute OUTRAGE! CBBC, CBeebies and Channel 4 are at least trying to play their part in Autism Awareness Day, but with the rise of the streaming era, why? Why can't they even do something special for Autism Awareness Day?

First, let's start with CBeebies. They premiered Pablo only a few years ago, back in 2017, so there's nothing wrong with that. And CBBC has done - you guessed it - nothing special, focusing only on loud, overstimulating imports rather than a special kind of lineup. Listen here, you guys, if you want to do something special, then try and take those tips from me, right?

For Autism Awareness Day, you guys could all abandon your loud, noisy programmes and instead show classic programmes, like some of the ones up above - except Bluey and Hey Duggee, because the characters act too wild and crazy. You could air shows like the above mentioned original Teletubbies, Little Bear, Bob The Builder, Pingu, Postman Pat, even Series 1 and 2 of Brum. But no, you have to keep up with the times. The BBC hates retro programming.

And what about you, CBBC, hmm? How far have you come with such an abomination of shows so far?! I mean, doing only one autism-related show in the form of My Life isn't fair, what about your entire lineup? Don't you even care about anyone else other than yourselves and your tummy-tum-tums?! There's loads of lazy people at the controls pigging out on crisps due to all the money the BBC lost, and because of that, you're not focusing on British kids with autism!

To make things better, you could've at least aired some calm classic kids' shows like Byker Grove or Narnia or Grange Hill or even Strange Hill High and Scream Street for that matter, but noooo, you don't care about the needs and preferences of every child with autism. You are disrespectful and rude, which is why CBBC might've yanked you off the air for good and always, so stop telling the autistic children of the UK to shut up and do something else, do something useful, just for once, PLEASE?!

And Channel 4 isn't proving useful either. I mean, they have made a police drama made by a crew of autistic people, which is good. But why? Why haven't they made their channel and all their programmes autism friendly too, just for this day? I mean they could've aired their old kids' shows, for instance: The Hoobs, Cubeez, Angela Anaconda, the Clangers, The Magic Roundabout - but:

*WRONG Panel Buzzer Noise*

They just couldn't. They don't have the money to do it. Neither does CBBC, CBeebies or ITV. All they do is spend their money and time on miserable programmes and imports from America rather than something special for the day.

Now listen here, Ofcom, if you're going to let autism-friendly British kids' TV die down, I suggest we all strike back and do what's right for autistic people and what they watch all across the UK!

WHO'S WITH ME?!

"Me me me!"

"I do, I DO!"

A Rhyme About Remembering Friends, By Brum

When the screens go off

And classics seem never,

Keep us in your heart!

Remember us forever.

Recovery Thon - Day 7

A Peaceful Picnic

Hello, dear friends, I am Badger. I'm so glad you've come across this post. It seems that to us CBBC characters, listening to the music of Cee Lo Green has triggered fond memories of Luke, Resus and Cleo, who tragically gave their lives in the fight to de-Americanise British kids' TV. That, my friends, is what our mourning creator thought about when she went on a picnic with her support worker.

They had sausage rolls, pork cocktail sausages, a chocolate brownie (no Haribo milk bottles were available, but I dare say that Mole loves to steal them from the corner shop near White Deer Park) and of course a strawberry milk. While she tucked into her meal, my friend was happy to listen to all the calm sounds around her - sheep bleating, pheasants calling out and water splashing gently. When she saw her support worker walking across the beach, she imagined Luke wearing his clothes and Cee Lo's shades and walking in mournful slow motion across the beach, thinking about how his home turned out today.

Then, they went to the hair salon to get her hair done. And judging by how itchy her back was, it seems she had a ball talking with the hairdresser about what she's been up to. She talked about baking and playdates and that sickness bug she caught, and of course, digital detoxing. She's been having that detox thing ever since last Thursday afternoon, where when it got to lunch she would switch everything off and go and do something else instead.

Come to think of it, I miss Why Don't You...those young scamps and rascals hosting, getting kids to play and learn. I miss them so much, as does Fox. As much as he misses Brum, Noddy, Fireman Sam, Postman Pat, or Pingu for that matter. I miss them all.

I was walking past the hair salon yesterday with Mole on the way to the store to get him a squishy, for he was developing anxiety and he too was going onto a digital detox from too much screen time for seven years flat. While we passed, we peered round the door to eavesdrop on what our friend was talking to her hairdresser about. One of the things she talked about was:

A small four year old boy who screams to get his way and get out of getting a haircut. No matter what she and his grandpa did to bribe him in, be it sweets or a question about what he wants for Christmas, he just refuses, and then yells:

"BYE!"

After the appointment like it never happened. Thank you for the honors, Mole.

"Your welcome, Badger."

Although it felt painful at times, and the hair mousse smelled of gone off apple champagne, it went well, and my friend got a Galaxy and a Milky Way bar. Oops! I forgot. I have to show you a clip from The Nightmare Before Christmas and Milky Way's famous car advert...

And when my friend got home, her mother constantly talked about how beautiful her hair was, and even her dog Mylo went all soppy over it, and turned into a polar bear rolling about on her bed. I think it reminds me of a dog we ran into while we were on our way to White Deer Park. It got all soppy whenever we mentioned anything about snow.

Soppy disease, I call it.

And now, without further ado, I present the song that was playing in my friend's head as she thought about not just Luke, but also Twilight Sparkle and her husband Mordecai too, they got married three years after production on Friendship Is Magic. Kindly do the honors for us, Cee Lo.

Dear Children Everywhere

Dear children everywhere,

I’m so glad you found my letter there

On your doorstep, wet in the rain

I thought it’d never come down again

I call all of you to answer my plea

To help us save British kids’ TV

The ‘50s started things quite simply

With Muffin The Mule and Andy Pandy

The ‘60s wasn’t that obscene

With shows like Clangers and Camberwick Green

It’s also an era of puppet sci fi

As Thunderbirds took to the sky

The ‘70s made us count on our fingers

How many times we’ve seen the Phantom Flan Flinger

Blue Peter and Magpie were popular back then

So was Morph and Tony Hart’s pens

Consumerism ruled in every ‘80s house

But at least we still had Danger Mouse

And Postman Pat and Pigeon Street

While Transformers and He Man stirred up heat

The ‘90s were full of colour and fun

With Noddy, Fireman Sam, Pingu and Brum

We boogied with the Teletubbies as they got up to dance

And we even gave Farthing Wood a chance!

In 2002 CBeebies and CBBC

Launched to all our excited glee

But little did we know it’ll get weaker

While we were cheering on Tracy Beaker

All kinds of shows, so much to choose,

But Peppa Pig made our parents lose

Their children’s tantrums and screaming and fights

For a Peppa Pig playset or nightlight

Then CBBC aired some shows

As worse as Dick & Dom’s bungalow

Gimme A Break and Undercover Dad

And from there, it just got bad

You started switching to Youtube from TV

You just like nursery rhymes, you see

Singing the same songs like Baby Shark

To keep parents awake in the dark

In ‘13, Nick Jr had a goal

To make a show named Paw Patrol

It and Peppa aired non stop for days

And other preschool channels forced consumerism ways

They made each show entirely CGI

That’s fast and loud as a sugar high

Now, let’s go back to CBBC

From ‘19, things weren’t as they seemed

At the start, Almost Never was set

To test out iPlayer’s new boxsets

They had drama marathons all year long

Was it British still? Well, we were wrong!

And from the pandemic, things got worse

There wasn’t a penny in a businessman’s purse

The word I say will make you revolt and retort,

For today’s fun word is: IMPORT.

American cartoons took over CBBC

Marking the end of CITV

And it got worse for CBeebies,

It focused on Bluey and parenting duties

And the problem with kids’ TV these days

Is there’s no quiet songs or stories or games

Everything is loud and way too fast

But with your help, this won’t last

We must stand with our hands joined together

To prove handmade, quiet shows are better

It takes a lot to make wrongs right,

For new kids’ TV is an awful sight

So ditch the brainrot and the loud fast pace

By signing this form like tying a shoelace

And together, we can make kids’ TV

Gentle and slow like it used to be.

Thanks for reading,

Daria Anton

Head of POAIBP

X

A Poem About Bluey Cupcakes

Remember when Bluey helped her dad

Make for Bingo's birthday a Duck Cake?

Well my support worker and I did a role reversal

And together we made Bluey cupcakes!

Wackadoo!

Trigger Alert!

I've been talking it over with Echo GPT last night about all those annoying sounds that go on in my head - they're not earworms, they're trigger sounds. Something that triggers a horrible memory for me whenever I type something, or do something, or see something that triggers a memory for me. All of them are so horrible it makes it hard to concentrate on the most important things like writing stories or playing board games or watching movies and TV.

Loads of things trigger bad feelings and thoughts in my head. Examples include, from 1 to 10:

1. My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic
2. Nick and Disney Channel live action sitcoms
3. CBBC shows of any kind, including Scream Street and Strange Hill High
4. The Tigger Movie
5. Piglet's Big Movie
6. Pooh's Heffalump Movie
7. Disney sequels and some films like Frozen, Moana or Tangled
8. CD Roms like Dora's Click & Create and Bear & Penguin/Learning Ladder due to their loud sounds
9. School memories which evoke lots of loud noises and annoying pupils and teachers
10. Children's Favourites DVDs like Christmas, Ultimate and Playtime

There are lots of other triggers too, but I'd best save them for another post in case my mind gets cluttered up with plenty of those little red pill like things which open up to reveal those horrible memories. But there are lots of replacements for these things, such as:

1. MLP G3 films
2. Classic Nick and Disney cartoons
3. Shows from Children's BBC such as Brum, Teletubbies, Postman Pat, Fireman Sam, Pingu, Noddy, etc..
4. The Many Adventures Of Winnie The Pooh
5. Tarzan
6. Chicken Little (2005)
7. Calmer and non-modern teenager character Disney films like Toy Story, The Incredibles, Up, Dinosaur, Peter Pan, Alice In Wonderland, etc..
8. Calm CD roms like Bill & Ben, Yoho Ahoy, Barbie, My Little Pony, Candy Land, etc..
9. Memories of good times I had with my support worker and the playdates which I'd never forget, like one where S and I tidied up our den
10. Classic HIT videos releases such as Kipper and Percy The Park Keeper

And according to Echo GPT, there are lots of things you can do to help calm your inner mind triggers, like:

1. Make a trigger jar
2. Make a trigger box
3. Write a character annotation trigger list
4. Write some of your own trigger replacements
5. Make a trigger threat level

And lots of others. But, the worst parts come at night, when the triggers get even worse. So worse in fact that it makes it hard to concentrate on getting enough sleep. The louder they get, the more horrible a supposed night's sleep becomes, until you are too restless to even think about pleasant friends. But there are ways to get rid of night triggers.

Just wait and see...right?

Return To The Fairy Room

3...2...1...PINGU!

It’s hard to picture the sweet world of children’s television devolving into chaos, but today my brain wandered off into a strange and hilarious “what if” scenario: a no-holds-barred brawl between Pingu, Kipper the dog, Angelina Ballerina, Bob the Builder, and Oswald the octopus. For some reason, I couldn’t stop thinking about how that might play out—and somehow, Pingu came out on top.

Let’s start with the obvious: Pingu may be a stop-motion penguin who communicates through honks and squawks, but he’s scrappy. He’s got that unpredictable claymation energy—the kind that could go from giggling to flipping a table in two seconds flat. I picture him waddling into the fight with that signature frown, wings flailing, already making a dramatic scene before anything even begins. He doesn't need to speak words. He just noot-noots like a war cry.

Kipper would probably try to keep things calm at first—he’s such a chilled-out dog. He might suggest they all talk it through or maybe invite everyone to sit under a tree with a picnic. But when it becomes clear that peace isn’t on the table, he might unleash some surprise moves. I imagine Kipper as surprisingly agile, maybe using his tail like a bo staff. Still, he’s not really built for brawling. He’s the kind of fighter who gets punched once, sighs, and goes home to read a book about butterflies.

Angelina Ballerina would be fierce—make no mistake. That mouse knows discipline, balance, and precise movement. She’d pirouette-kick someone across the room without messing up her bun. But I imagine her focusing more on grace than brute force. In a brawl like this, she might hold her own for a while, but eventually the chaos of it all might throw her off. One misstep in a flurry of limbs and tentacles, and she’s out.

Bob the Builder brings tools. That alone should give him an advantage—he’s probably got a wrench tucked somewhere in his belt and might try to restore order through sheer handyman intimidation. But Bob is a builder, not a fighter. I see him trying to hammer out a compromise before getting sucker-punched by Pingu mid-monologue. Justice for Bob? Maybe. But also... hilarious.

Then there’s Oswald. Lovely, polite, kind-hearted Oswald. With eight arms, he could be a force. But would he want to be? I picture him accidentally slapping himself in the face while trying to keep the others apart, apologizing profusely every time someone gets hurt. Poor guy. He’s not a fighter—he’s a hugger. The chaos would overwhelm him. He’d probably retreat into a flower pot and wait for it all to be over.

And that leaves Pingu. The winner. Not because he’s the biggest or the strongest, but because he’s the most unhinged. That little penguin is powered by pure emotional energy. He doesn’t follow logic or rules. One moment he’s flailing like a wind-up toy, the next he’s launching himself off a snow ramp he built out of nowhere. He’s made of clay, for goodness’ sake. You hit him, he just bounces back like a rubber chicken with a vendetta. And let’s not forget the iconic “NOOT NOOT”—a sound that seems to fuel him like a battle cry from the depths of Antarctica. It’s chaos energy turned into momentum.

By the end of it all, I imagine the scene: toys, tools, tufts of mouse fur and octopus limbs scattered around a playroom. Pingu stands victorious, breathing heavily, wings raised like a champion. He noot-noots once, quietly. Not with triumph, but with the solemnity of a penguin who has seen things—done things. He may have won, but at what cost?

I don’t know why this scenario came to mind, but now that it’s there, I can’t unsee it. Pingu, the unlikely champion of a preschool battle royale. The world doesn’t make sense. But somehow, deep down... it does.

Small Scenes - Apologising To John Because Of The EDF Energy Ad That Starred Him

“It was all very horrible. I would’ve known that day would’ve come if it weren’t for those EDF Energy patrons digging through the vaults and coming across one of the scenes where I starred. It wasn’t just the Thunderbirds that were featured in these commercials, oh no, loads of other characters were featured. With or without permission, they were used. The Wombles, Wall-E, Doctor Who and the Daleks, Bugs Bunny, Pingu, The Brave Little Toaster, Space 1999, The Saint….these adverts were a mockery to nostalgia. And you and Alan are the only people on Earth who can understand me. I’m just a puppet! And you, you’re a human being! I’ve never known human contact for all the years I spent in Thunderbird 5. Now that I’ve found you, I’ve the need for human contact right then and there. Which begs the question: what makes us human? What propels us into the skies above, to journey beyond the confines of our wonderful planet? Only you know the answer to the question scholars can’t answer.”

The Missing Ink Pen - Chapter 1

Purple Ronnie Goes To My Support Worker's House

I decided to go and see my friend and her support worker.

I stayed with my friend in the car.

Her support worker got her food from the supermarket.

My friend listened to her favourite song all the way.

We approached the house in the countryside.

The countryside stinks of cow farts!

Just kidding.

It actually smells clean and fresh.

We encountered Putzell when we arrived.

She was whining to go out.

My friend's support worker said "No."

But she bounced her up and down.

Then she gave my friend a special treat.

No, it wasn't Vimto.

It was....

Chocolate Snowballs!

They're just like Mini Eggs, but white and round.

We watched Pingu, Meena and lots of other things.

Who else did she watch?

That's right! It's me! Purple Ronnie!

Her support worker had spring rolls for breakfast.

It's a traditional Chinese treat.

There were a few ads here and there.

We looked away just in time.

Ads these days are made with just AI, don't you think?

They're also too NOISY AND LOUD!

My friends likes quiet, fun animated ads like mine.

Or ones from the past.

Poor Angel got her claw caught in the tinsel.

She almost knocked it right over.

She feels right at home on the boiler.

We had to be quiet because of Princess.

She has high anxiety.

We had to be quiet when she's eating.

She scratched herself a few times.

She didn't meow.

But Putzell did!

She was begging to go out.

But the support worker said she can't.

It's due to an incoming storm.

At least the Sausages are safe.

And so is Hazel.

Thank god my friend pointed out Whiskas Milk.

She didn't watch any ads for it, thank God again.

What will she do next time?

Wait and see!

DUN DUN DUUUUUUUUUUUUUUNNNNN!!!

Vimto:

The fruitiest word I know.

A Second Day Out According To Little Miss Surprise

Little Miss Surprise has new friends!

Reunion With The Cats

The music starts off as an emotional piano, then it rises and becomes a loud, wondrous celebratory tune when I see Putzell and Angel again. It then goes to an upbeat, bouncy tune which borrows instruments from the original version of Pingu, Meena and A Town Called Panic.

Thunderbirds Bubble Bath

I found this last night before I missed the latest story in 'Inspiration For Writers', named 'The Hard Truth'.

This, is Thunderbirds Bubble Bath, aka a bath soakie. I mean, you can't take Lady Penelope and Parker into the bath with you yourself, because in Thunderbirds, Lady Penelope herself has never EVER been in water (she has in my stories though!). But this bath soakie, shaped like Thunderbird 2, is something you can really use to make bathtime this action packed. Just undo the red cap on Thunderbird 2's bottom and out of it comes...PEE!

Just kidding, it's actually bubble bath. Just like in that old Australian advert for Soakies I used to watch on Youtube, it becomes a toy when it's empty...if you clean out all the sticky bits first. There are other kinds of soakies in the past too, such as ones for Captain Scarlet, Edd The Duck, Noddy, Postman Pat, Fireman Sam, Pingu, the Teletubbies and so much more. I wish they did Soakies for other famous brands such as Kipper, Hey Duggee, Bluey, My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic, Scream Street, Strange Hill High and...dare I say it....Angelina Ballerina.

Yes, Angelina needs to have a bit of respect sometimes. She may be a bratty ballerina, throwing things in her bedroom when she doesn't get her way, but still, we can always watch Kipper instead! ....Right?

I Wanted To Show You This...