Nellie the Elephant - who else remembers?

I do indeed but Sparky the piano was my favourite. Also partial to 'I'm a Troll fol de rol' our kids loved that as a game.

I lived with my parents in Stratford upon Avon during the 1960s and mum ran a B and B mostly for the theatre people. Mandy Miller came and stayed with us for a day or two. I think she eventually married a farmer and lived in Scotland.

I liked and learned the words of ‘My old man’s a dustman’.

Ah yes, the song about Trump before Trump was a thing!

I’ve just looked up MM and I got it wrong she married an architect and had 3 children. She lives in Weston SuperMare. She is 78.

I sing it still to my grandsons!

Gosh! Children's Favourites - "I'm a Pink Toothbrush, You're a Blue Toothbrush", etc. Was that sung by Max Bygraves?

(I shall now be singing "Nellie the Elephant" in my head all day)

It is one of my favourite children's songs and I still know all the words! I sang it with the radio as a child and with my own children and grandchildren. It is a shame that there seem to be few songs specifically for the young these days, it is all about pop songs or TV programmes.
I loved Sunday morning Children's Favourites with Archie Andrews, a radio ventriloquist's dummy, which seems odd now. I enjoyed the songs such as The Laughing Policeman, Puff the Magic Dragon, Albert and the Lion, Sparky the Magic Piano and Shirley Abicair on her zither with Tumbarumba.

Sparky was scary! I remember songs like 'Inchworm' and 'High Hopes' (oops there goes another rubber tree plant!) Apparently Uncle Mac from Children's Favourites disliked children intensely - must have enjoyed the Beeb salary though!

Oh yes, me too. yes it was Max Bygraves sparkle.

She was born in Weston Super Mare but now 'lives in Britain' so could be living in Scotland. Surprising to see that she was only 12 years old when she made Nellie. Also surprising is that Nellie was produced by George Martin (yes the Beatles' producer).

I was quite happy not remembering "Nellie the Elephant". Now how am going to forget it again..

I too remember many of these especially Sparky oh Sparky, when I was in training our instructor used Nellie the Elephant to chant as we practised CPR the timing was perfect.

Isn’t Nellie the Elephant the right rhythm for CPR?!

Snap!

shysal It is a shame that there seem to be few songs specifically for the young these days, it is all about pop songs or TV programmes.
That is exactly what I think. Children are not catered for as they were. I saw my granddaughter watching something with young girls dancing and singing, which was for youngsters, but it's not the same as the songs we had. There was also the Children's Film Foundation which made films with proper adventures and stories for children with children acting in them. I'm not sure what there is today.

Mandy Miller also starred in the very moving 1950s film, Mandy, where she played a deaf girl.

I clearly remember the final ‘lump in the throat’ scene when she had finally learned to talk and managed to say her name to a group of children playing in the street, and then joined them in their game.

A wonderful film.

Juliet27

Isn’t Nellie the Elephant the right rhythm for CPR?!

Yes, and Staying Alive! Both used by Police Officers for CPR

Oh yes I remember all of these. I loved The Runaway Train.

Is Mandalay a real place?

Yes, JackyB, it’s in what used to be called Burma.
IIRC there’s an old song called ‘The Road to Mandalay’.

My grandchildren all loved "There's a hole in my bucket, dear Liza". And Nellie the elephant brings back great memories.

Shysal, I know what you mean - my Gdcs watch an awful,lot of what to me is trash - but OTOH they really seem to enjoy the odd thing I find on YouTube, and do really enjoy singing.

Three that stand out are ‘Right Said Fred’, ‘You’ve got to pick a pocket or two’ film clip from Oliver, and a brilliant flashmob version of ‘ With Cat-like Tread’ on a Queensland beach. Any G&S fans, do check it out! ‘Redcliffe Musical Theatre Flashmob’ should find it.

‘Hello Mother, Hello Father’ sung by Allan Sherman was another good one and very funny.

So many memories. Only last week I was singing There's a Hole in my Bucket for some reason!