ON this day in 1918 Sooty creator Harry Corbett was born in Bradford.
Sooty was created by Harry Corbett in 1948, after he bought the puppet from a stall in Blackpool for his son Matthew.
The Sooty Show has appeared on children’s television since the 1950s.
An interesting bit of trivia on Harry, when Prime minister Harold Wilson wished to have Steptoe and Son actor Harry H. Corbett awarded an OBE, the middle initial "H" was lost in the bureaucratic process, and the award went to Harry Corbett instead. Both were awarded the OBE on 1 January 1976, Harry Corbett being cited "for charitable services".
After he suffered a heart attack at Christmas 1975, his younger son, Peter (stage name Matthew), took over. But the elder Corbett did make occasional appearances on 'The Sooty Show' for several years with his son. Harry died aged 71 in 1989.
There was even a Sooty museum in Shipley as the famous yellow bear continued to make a number of appearances in the Bradford district over the years.
READ MORE: Spreading that Christmas joy, Sooty and his friends
Bradford’s National Science and Media Museum marked the anniversary of Harry’s birth in a tweet earlier today.
It's also a great excuse to post one of my favourite clips from Sooty and Sweep, when Sweep's family visit and cause absolute mayhem. https://t.co/1DH0KnhKXQ
— National Science and Media Museum (@mediamuseum) January 28, 2020
But what are your memories of Sooty? Let us know in the comments section below.
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