See the handsome chap on the left with the 70s hairdo?
That, my friends, is my baby brother. I was almost 10 when Callum was born so I’ve always felt more like a psuedo-parent to him than a big sister especially since I spent the first two years of his life at boarding school. When I got back home, I used to love spending time with my wee brother. Alas, Callum being a typical wee boy only liked two things – Toy Story and The Singing Kettle.
For all of you non-Scottish folk out there who are scratching your heads quizzically and asking, “What the hell is The Singing Kettle?” I’LL TELL YOU. It’s a magical show so it is. The Singing Kettle started off as a husband-and-wife double act, acres classier than The Krankies who made it their mission to keep all the traditional rhymes alive. Over the years they drafted in a friend, then their daughter, then they hired someone else to back the team up and they’ve been fairly popular in Scotland ever since. When Callum was wee they had a five minute show on the BBC where they’d sing a song or two and Callum loved this so much that he got the videos which we watched over and over and over and over and over again. And again. We actually went to see the show at the King’s Theatre in Glasgow and Artie picked me to go on stage! I can’t remember what song we were singing but I was holding a frog in a bikini. I would have been 12 or 13 and pretended I hated it but seriously I thought it was amazing.
Thanks to that constant repetition, I now have a humungous backlog of songs that I can sing to my kids and Nairn in particular absolutely loves singing along. Yet, I’ve never introduced them to The Singing Kettle…
…until today. I put the video below onto my laptop and the babies were falling over themselves to jump around my bed dancing. The ironic thing is that I’ve really been struggling for what to get Erica for her birthday and The Singing Kettle is on tour in Scotland over the next couple of months. So, I guess my kids will be getting that Singing Kettle upbringing after all!
This is Nairn’s other favourite
Posted under with the kids
This post was written by Vonnie on April 24, 2009
Bookmarked for tomorrow! Kids have been watching heaps of old Sesame Street on You Tube lately, alas, the computer is no longer my own…
Brilliant, we are huge kettle fans too but being based in Lancashire we have to travel miles to see them each year. We haven’t managed a christmas show yet as they tend to stick near home and B&B for all five of us would be a bit much just to sing songs and dress up. We do have all the old videos and newer DVDs and play the songs in the car. Oh, tis so good to find other kettle fans!
Spout, handle, lid of metal, what’s inside……
xxx
Mitchell’s mum asked if we wanted to take Dev to see The Singing Kettle with them in May but it’s a bad weekend for us so boo.
Sesame Street is a favourite here at the moment too. I think it’s because Brodie’s nappies have Elmo on them.
That brought back memories! I remember when The Singing Kettle (I can’t believe the same guy is doing it now – I’m 30, what age must he be!) used to come to our primary school. My english DH was amused when I started singing ‘Little Bunny Foo Foo’ one day, with actions of course. Now I have proof I didn’t dream it up!
I went to the Singing Kettle in Aberdeen a couple of years ago with my boss’s kids – it was ACE! Not many acts who can do 2 shows a night so well.
I was in one of their houses when I was wee! I don’t know which one though…a Filipino bloke(friend of mums).
House was heeooooge with a kitchen built for caterers and massive party room.
I’m trying to remember songs I liked…was there one with an oompa pa and any ee aye oh?
Pee an oh! that was it, a music song and it was Wooompa pah for the trombone!
I take it you mean “I am the music man…i come from down your way and I can play…”