Atterbury's expert talk, and Andy Pandy Jack-a-dandy

If I was asked to name the most interesting, entertaining, entrancing book about the Kingdom's waterways, I'd say Exploring Britain's Canals.  This coffee table book from about 12 years ago was written by Paul Atterbury and beautifully illustrated by Ian Burgum, and I've sometimes taken it with me to explain to people why I love the waterways.

I see in a press release this week that Paul Atterbury is giving a talk on Wed 18th October at the National Waterways Museum in Gloucester about the canals.  I don't watch TV (except on the gym running machine), so I was surprised to see him described as a 'TV antique expert'.  I only know him as 'that bloke who wrote the great coffee table book about the canals'.

But he's even more than that, as the BBC Antiques page now tells me.  In fact, turns out he was curator of that fantastic Pugin exhibition at the V&A from 1994.   The V&A is my favourite of all the museums I've ever been in, anywhere (I've never been to the National Waterways Museum) and as a founder-member of the 'Betjeman Fancy' I'm a sucker for the Victorian Gothic that Pugin inspired. Obviously I don't read the rubric of exhibition catalogues, or I'd have sussed Paul's contribution early on.

I suppose that if you are an expert about the English waterways, you must be automatically be knowledgeable about antiques.  Whatever 'antique' is (Pre-1840?  1900?  Later?), most of the English canal system predates that, since it's mostly pre-Victorian and much is even pre-Regency.   

Half of the the structures on the canals must be genuine antiques, if a brick can be said to be antique.  Indeed, British Waterways is said to be the second third largest owner/caretaker of 'listed structures' in the UK.

I once read an interesting story about Augustus Pugin and the canals, but I forget it now, sorry.  Was it about a brick canalside church in Birmingham?  Perhaps Paul Atterbury will tell the story.  Maybe it was at his 1994 exhibition that I first read it.  I'd love to attend this talk, but I'll probably find an excuse to procrastinate as usual.

Today I also learned that he's the son of Audrey Atterbury, the lady puppeteer responsible for the 1950s TV puppet Andy Pandy.

In this online biography of his mother, Paul was rumoured to be the inspiration for Andy Pandy.  When I was at prep school I told my friends I loved Andy Pandy, and was thenceforth teased mercilessly for being 'Andy Pandy', and when I took it badly I was told I was a cry-baby too. 

For many years thereafter I would bridle when I was called 'Andy' - it sounded like babytalk and reminded me of my teasing. 

These days I don't mind.  If you want to be post-ironic, you can even call me 'Andy Pandy jack-a-dandy', my father's nickname for me when he was in good humour (dads get away with anything with their children if they are in a good mood).

Would someone ask Pauly-Wauly what he knows about Andy Pandy?  And if you want to probe his psyche, ask him what he thinks of Rosie & Jim, who are the Looby Loo and Andy Pandy of the contemporary canals.  Feedback, please, because it might help my analyst!

That makes me wonder on whom Rosie & Jim are modelled. If you want an Andy Pandy doll to stick in your narrowboat window (or to send to Granny if you are stuck for Christmas gift ideas for me), you can buy one here.

Comments

[David A. Holland]

My full name is David Andrew Holland but my mother had always intended that I be called “Andy.” And I was for the first five years of my life. (Born in 1959)

Then, right before first grade we moved to a different city and I started being called David. My mother has always insisted that I made the change. . .that I simply started introducing myself to everyone there as “David.”

I’ve been “David” ever since except to my aunts and uncles who knew me as a baby.

This morning I came across a blog that mentioned the name "Andy Pandy." The lights came on. Kids in the new neighborhood... a taunt-song about my name. . . “Andy Pandy, Jack-a-Dandy! Andy Pandy, Jack-a-Dandy!”

That was a phrase buried in my memory that would surface from time to time. That blog post sent me off on a google seach and, lo and behold, I found your entry.

For 42 years I've assumed that Andy Pandy, Jack-a-Dandy was a nonsense phrase made up as some schoolyard taunt.

Today I discovered that it originated as a chant that went along with a game of marbles in Great Britain; that Andy Pandy was a character in a series of books; and why I took it upon myself to change my name at the age of five.

[gary swrtout]

i have an antique button that has a ring of dot on the edge. It is slightly smaller than a quarter. It has a seven pointed crown in the center over a cligraphic 2. It is about a 1/32 thick an appears to be either silver or pewter. it was found in 1948 in Ithaca n.y. Can you PLEASE help me identify it .

[Andrew Denny]

Thanks, Neil. Glad to hear you liked it, and I don't have to sort out a refund with Amazon :-)
I wonder if (on the strength of my testimonial) I'll get a free ticket to see Paul Atterbury?

[Neil]

Paul Atterbury is one of the resident experts on BBC1 TV Antique Roadshow, shown on Sunday evenings when you are likely to be on the road homewards from the boat.

Thanks for the review of his canal book, on the strength of which I bought a copy from Amazon Marketplace, arrived today and the photography is as excellent as you said. I rarely buy canal books, but this one is special.