Wacaday Memories – The Utterly Brilliant Timmy Mallett

Whatever your Wacaday memories are – share them with the world by emailing [email protected].

I have fond memories of waking up on a Saturday morning at about 6am, dragging my duvet down to the living room and constructing a tent between two armchairs then watching ITV solidly till 9.30am and beyond (no 73 etc)!
The first program was always a music based programme with a presenter called Sally, a guy who played the piano and a puppet called Terry. But it was always WAC and during the school holidays WACADAY that I looked forward to most!

You asked for favourite WAC Memories, here are mine in no particular order:
1. The “WAC pack with the special spooky ingredient!" James Baker always used to say this in a really spooky way. I never worked out what a WAC pack was!
2. The day Dr Pete brought in a Stonefish and emptied it out of a sack in front of Tommy Boyd! I was about 7 years old and had already read that the Stonefish was one of the most venomous fish in the sea.
3. Your trip to Australia
4. WAC discovering Bros
5. A girl called Georgina who presented one of the WAC shows – my dad had been her teacher. I read somewhere that she was a producer thrust into the limelight due to a strike!
6. Mallett’s Mallet (obviously!) and Pinky Punky. I loved the sound effects that went with that game!
7. The segment on WACADAY (can’t remember the name) where inanimate objects did heroic things. Featured the recurring phrase “without a thought for its personal safety"
8. Singing in the shower – loved the now very dated graphics!
I suspect a live children’s TV show like WAC is a bit of a rarity now in this era of sky plus and iPlayer. A real shame I think.

Letter courtesy of Andy Masters.

I’ve great memories from when I was on your show during the “Bonnie Scotland" week!
I was “Wee McRobin frae Clwyd", collected dead insects, and I brought in a massive tartan Pinky Punky for your competition that was as big as me! I remember you using it to bash one of the TV-AM presenters round the head!

From my mother getting chatted up my Les Dawson, to Magic taking a liking to my ear (he just pecked and pecked at it – my ear was red raw), the whole experience was unbelievable. You were as much of a fun character in real life as you were on screen, and it was just the best thing to be on your show and meet you! I still rate my Wacaday experience as my claim to fame.

Question courtesy of Robin Cooke

Timmy says:
“It was Lorraine Kelly on the telly who got the Malletting with your Pinky Punky! Hope the dead insects are a bit better now!"

On 2nd September 1986, aged 11 years old, I was on Wacaday within the Talent On The Telly slot singing “I’m A Walking Over Yesterday", the song that I had written myself and to accompany me was Lucy my Labrador.
I still do a bit of singing, dancing and acting on stage but more often than not nowadays I can be seen wearing a banana costume and running marathons and other races (all in aid of Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research).

I loved watching Wacaday and still have my Wac Pac with the t-shirt and goodies which were inside. I have to say that the day that I came down to the studios was one of my most memorable days and will never forget it. And Timmy, you were brilliant!

Letter courtesy of Kat.

I am a beadmaker in Southampton and I made a set of beads that were so bright and colourful they reminded me of you!
Your fantabulous site has really brought back some fab childhood memories (I’m 29) of summer holiday mornings! My sister and I would watch Wacaday every morning without fail and family summer daytrips were never complete without us posing for photos doing the wac-a-wave!

Just wanted to say thanks for making me smile! You rock Timmy!

Letter courtesy of Laura Sparling.

You never know who you’ll meet at an airport.
The pilot of the shuttle was a wideawaker who told Timmy how he’s been to the equator and watched the water going down the plug hole. From the same chap who showed it to Timmy on Wacaday, he asked: “Does anyone here know Timmy Mallett….?"

Also on the flight Timmy met Sarah and her mum. Sarah had been on Wacaday as a phone in competitor.

Magic flew into me and nearly knocked me off my stool! I won Mallett’s Mallet and got a Wac Sac!
And now I work behind the bar at the Vansittart Arms in Windsor and Timmy came in for a drink!!! It was brilliant! To meet again after all these years was a dream come true!

Letter courtesy of Jo the Barmaid.

Timmy says:
“Jo,
You’re still a little pirate!
Love Timmy."

I was on your show when I was 16 sharing my appreciation of Spandau Ballet.
I won a competition that you set and I was so excited about being ‘On Air’ with yourself on Piccadilly Radio. I remember you asked of my thoughts on Duran Duran. I said I hated them! My Dad was worried about reprisals!

Question courtesy of Phillipa.

Timmy says:
“Hi Phillipa,
Tell your dad he needn’t worry!"

Did you ever visit Paenmorfa School in Prestatyn North Wales and torment the school Dinner Ladies?

Timmy says:
“I love these bizarre memories, Lynne. Yes indeed I did visit the school with Carol Vorderman (who of course came from Prestatyn) when we were making Go Getters for CITV in 1987! I remember a mad morning with the dinner ladies and the kids went nuts!"
Question courtesy of Lynne Rowlands.

James was on Wacaday few years ago playing Mallett’s Mallet.
“He’s due to marry this summer! Bet they show this photo at his wedding!"
Letter sent in for James Lupton."

I was on Michaela’s first ever Wide Awake Club playing the game George!
I had to hold up the right coloured paddle to answer the question. There were several paddles to choose from red and green etc and Michaela asked me questions like:
“What colour are baked beans?"

I did ever so well and was top of the leader board for ages with 11 points until a girl from Devon got 13! It was a brilliant day coming in and meeting my heroes. But the best thing of all was the breakfast, we sat in the canteen next to the canal and you could eat as much as you like, go back for seconds if you like and it was all FREE!

And now I’ve met Timmy again and been able to tell him all about the best day of my childhood!"

Question courtesy of Heidi Birkett.

When I was 12 years old I was one of the reviewers for his “Hit and Miss" segment on Timmy on the Tranny at Piccadilly Radio. Timmy referred to us as “the ugliest looking panel" he had ever seen!
I hassled Chris Whatmough until he brought me on as a joke telling Frenchman named “Pierre Parfait." Obviously, this turned stale after a few weeks and I brought on a partner, Louise Scott (whom I had a crush on) and we became Pierre Parfait and Cherie Chantal! After Louise left for bigger and better things (O Levels), I replaced her with two school chums and formed a jingle-singing group named: ‘The Tree Fellers". I really only remember one song vividly: To the tune of A Taste of Honey.

I bought a brand new Radio, and tuned into the Timmy Mallett Show.. …..a waste of money! I wasted some money of mine. They were all along the same vein (Insulting Timmy) We were with the show until his final party. I stayed with Piccadilly until I left for the United States in 1988. I too was one of many who had a crush on “Germy Gerry" but what could a “painfully ugly" 12 year old do except adore from afar…or rather from behind the glass which separated master Control from Visitor Seating. These days, I am an actor and screenwriter dividing my time between LA and Chicago. Keep up the good work.

Question courtesy of Jonathon (Jay) Markanday.

Timmy says:
“All that acting and singing on Timmy on the Tranny has clearly set you on the path to greater things Jay! Brilliant!"

Hi Timmy,
My memory of wacaday is being on your show!
It was a little embarassing at the time, but now I can look back and laugh. why was it embarassing? well, this was the year you had been to south africa. we played mallets mallet and I won! yay! you gave me an ostrich egg as the prize and I, being the good boy, and show off, that I am, stood on it and it never broke. Little did i know disaster was to strike. I picked up the egg and promptly dropped it, smashing it into pieces! I think no-one knew quite what to do! But it was all ok, the ostrich came on in the break and “layed" me another on, so all ended well.

Thanks for keeping me and my brother entertained throughtout those long summers and boring weekends. We used to get up really early and sit in our pyjama’s n duvets waiting for you to start! He was always so jealous of me, because i got on the show and he didnt! It’s also kept my family in stitches for the last 15 yrs or so, and probably for the next 15 as well!

Thanks again timmy, I think you are my claim to fame.
Dave Shields (aged 24 1/4)

Timmy says:
“Hi Dave,
I remember the ostrich egg incident! Boy did we laugh about it afterwards. And it’s EGG-STREMELY fortunate we had that spare ostrich egg just in case! Look after it, they’re lucky!
Cheers,
Timmy"

Some of my fondest memories from when I was a kid was waking up and watching Wacaday with my brother.
I am not from the UK, however my Dad was stationed in Scotland during the late 80’s/early 90’s so I was fortunate enough to have been exposed to Wacaday. When we moved back to the US it was shortly before Wacaday went off the air, so I missed the last bit of it. And of course no one over here had ever heard of it, so no one ever knew what I was talking about when I would tell them about how awesome Wacaday was.

My two favorite memories of the show was the Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weenie Yellow Pokadot Bikini bits, Pinky Punky and Twin Peaks. I wore two hats like that for a good while after that. I wish I could have seen more of the show or better yet been on it. But while I was in Scotland, I never missed an episode.

Question courtesy of Joe Campos, 21 Chicago, Illinois USA.

Timmy says:
“Dear Joe,Thanks for your fabulous email!
So glad to know that Wacaday’s influences have touch the US as well!
Good on you, Joe!”

Geoff Mega makes kitchens but he started out as 1980’s rock star and got his taste for show business from appearing on Timmy on the Tranny at Radio Oxford!

At Oxford United’s open Day Paul Beavers came over to say hello! He was one of the young jinglers on Timmy on the Tranny at Radio Oxford.

Hi, I was on the wide awake club in 1983/84 on a game I think was called SPLAT.

We all got blue tee shirts with the word SPLAT across the front, and one of the prizes I can remember getting was a wall clock with the picture of an egg in an egg cup, the game comprised of answering questions, in two teams, which I think were regional, and when you got a question wrong a large chickens egg, which was above our heads cracked open and rubber chickens and the like fell out.

I have been telling this to my own children but I cannot find any record of it. I have searched a number of sites already. So please could you help me track this down as I would be very thankful.

Question courtesy of David Ingram.
Aged 10/11 (back in the day) from Belfast.

Timmy says:
“Dear David,
Here’s your answer from Arabella!
Splat was one of the last Saturday morning programmes produced on TVAM before Nick Wilson took over from Anne Wood.

It was made of of 4 different segments (soap – a brilliant childrens improvised soap – laughter, something and something, that stood for SPLAT) Anyway I produced the segement he is talking about – it was a quiz called Crack It, and was full of endless puns of breakfast and eggs. I think there was a scrambled eggs round etc. James Baker was the quizmaster!!!!!

Everytime you got a question right, there was a mechanised chicken that laid an egg, except it was always going wrong – sometimes it laid 2 eggs and sometimes none at all.

It should be revived immediately!!"

As a kid growing up in the United Kingdom during the 80’s I was, of course, a massive fan of yours.

From the Wide Awake Club with Tommy Boyd and Michaela Strachan to your very own gig on Wacaday I loved it!!

The time you were in Germany singing ‘Bler-Bler-Bler-Bler-Bler-Bler-Blermany’ always stands out when I think of my childhood. My Dad used to keep budgies and when he bought a cockatiel I was delighted, I bet you can’t guess what we named it?? That’s right… Magic! Great days indeed – many an hour whiled away on the way to the seaside playing Mallett’s Mallet with my younger brother on the train! I even had my picture taken with you once at Supa Snaps in Crewe!!

Anyway, the real point of my e-mail is not to reminisce but to say thanks. I came across your website and thought, there’s a man who deserves a pat on the back! So thanks for the memories Timmy, they remind me of brighter and more innocent days when Bermuda shorts and fluorescent socks were warn with gusto!

Cheers Timmy Mallett, keep up the good work.

Question courtesy of Adrian Chadwick.

Timmy says:
“Dear Adrian,
Great letter! thanks!
I remember that photo at Supa Snaps. As soon as you mentioned it, it brought a smile to my face!"

I think I was on the show the Summer of 1991 when I was 10 yrs old! It was the Kenya one and I was dressed as a Zebra, or at least portayed a zebra, name of Susie Williams, and the other contestant on was a boy called Daniel Bart O’Kane who I believe was about 8 years old.

The first thing I remember was the call back saying that I’d got to be on the show, and when the lady on the phone asked me to sing the Wac-a-day theme down the phone I had to send my mum out the room because I was so embarrassed!

The next I remember was being at the tv:am studio and just taking in all the sights and surrounding and just being in awe of everything! One of the producers introduced me to Daniel and we just talked and talked about how happy we were we got chosen, then they called us into the Wac-A-Day set and we saw Timmy, we were just so excited, it was like a dream come true!

I think when I was on it it might have been when the Disgustin’ Custard game first started (during which, Magic sat on my head), and also we did the Are We Nearly There Yet-T song! Fabulous day, fabulous memory, and at the age of 24 I’d still love to do it all again! Only this time I wish I wouldn’t be so nervous! At one point you could see just how much my hands were shaking! But it was a fab time and a fab memory and a fab programme that SHOULD be brought back! Thanks Timmy and co., you made my childhood dream come true.

PS: Give Pinky Punky a huuuuuuge kiss from me! I still love that little guy!"

Letter courtesy of Susie.

I was on the phone in the Ski Slope game. I was about 13 or 14 years old, and I’m now 30, and still get called Wacaday from old schoolmates!

I called my little skier Adelle, after my sister. It was hilarious when she plopped into the gunk below. I was meant to be on it one week but hung the phone up thinking you were going to ring me back, only to hear you shouting down the TV at me to speak to you. Then you called me a nutter.

You sent me a goodie bag for the mix up which had a Wacaday pencil case, book, stickers and Leprechaun statue in it. So, instead I appeared on the show the next week and had a great time, although I always wanted to appear in front of the camera but never got to.

You are so much fun and a really nice bloke. Since meeting my husband 7 years ago, I found out that that he was one of the carpenters that made the Wacaday set. Strange eh??

Letter courtesy of Leanne King-Smith.

I watched WAC when I was on holiday in Scotland in 1985.

I still recall the theme song (which an English colleague got stuck in my head this morning at a meeting).

Wasn’t the exterior shot for Auntie Boney Kneecaps’ cottage taken at a home in the village of Derwenlas near Machynlleth?

I went on holiday to that area just before it was on the show, and I remembered seeing this home with a big tree with a star on the top. I’m sure that was used as the Aunty Boney Kneecaps exterior. I remember because I stayed in Pennal where “Owain WACdwr" lived and went to church!"

Question courtesy of John Wilding.

Timmy says:
“Dear John,
Wow – I’d forgotten about that – but yes, you’re right! Auntie Boney Kneecaps’ cottage was the setting for a very different series of Wacaday in October 1988… There was no Mallett’s Mallet (we played a game called Mallett’s Mess instead) and it was all hosted from a specially built cottage set (the first time we had done a special set!). It was great fun though and we had a great time filming all the location stuff in Wales – including that great gag falling off the platform at the train station with name that’s longer than the platform!"

I am 29 years of age and it seems like yesterday I used to come down in the morning of my school hols and watch you and eat my toast trying to see if could the beat the kids who played Mallet’s Mallett.

This is one of our best warm up games for my acting college course! My and I chums got bored of the same old warm up games so I suggested mallets mallet. Best idea I ever had! everyone got very excited. So now instead of 2 people playing the wonderful game there are 20 of us and our tutor starts off as you then the first to mess up then takes over and so on and so forth.

Are you coming to Bradford college at all it would be cool if you did!!

PS: How about you take over GMTV as you might liven the show up no end!!!

Question courtesy of Tina the Actress!

Timmy says:
“Dear Tina, A bunch of wacky actors and actresses hey? Or is that wactors and wactresses? Brilliant! I’d love to come to Bradford college. keep an eye on the gigs page for all the upcoming dates!"

Big fan of the Wide Awake Club! Kept my kids enthralled of a Saturday and Sunday morning.

Wacaday had a pen pal club and my son Russ then aged around 10 was invited down to the studio along with us, his mum and dad to meet, for the first time, his penpal from Basingstoke – Matthew I think his name was. We were put up in a hotel over night, wined and dined, then the following morning taken to the studios. We met all the crew and were made to feel so at home – like a big party really. The cast played games with all the kids involved, we met Duncan Goodhew too. I have the video tape of the programme still and I’m sure Russ has the plastic lunch box he was given on the day, though he’s almost thirty now and wouldn’t admit it!

Russ must’ve got the taste for television because he’s now a camera operator for Sky TV."

Letter courtesy of Sue Houghton.

Timmy says:
“Sue,
What a brilliant story! I shall watch out for Russ – glad to see that WAC gave us another telly nut! I wonder where penpal Matthew is now?
Cheers
Timmy"

You really revolutionised Children’s TV and WAC (and Wacaday especially) were utterly brilliant!

My Wacaday memory is that I was on Mallett’s Mallett! When I was 10 (I’m now 29). I remember waking up early and TV-AM sent a car to pick me up from Harrow, I was so chuffed! Arriving at the studios, meeting the team behind TV-AM and Elvis Costello who was there that day and then of course meeting YOU and Magic! It was awesome meeting you and I will never forget the whole experience. I still have the episode with me on it – I lost and got the Wacaplaster on my nose and threw my arms up in the air to announce “Go Bots go Botty!". You and Magic were and always will be, fantastic, so thanks for every memory, for being the best thing on the telly and making early mornings worth getting up for.

Good to see you on 100 Greatest Children’s TV Programmes, we should have a reunion with everyone on Mallett’s Mallett and the presenters of Wac (I still have my grey tee shirt too), now THAT would be something!

Letter courtesy of Fuad Omar.

Timmy says:
“Hi Fuad,
The idea of a reunion is a brilliant one. Finding everyone who was on the show might prove a little tricky! There were probably over a thousand people who played Mallett’s Mallet on the show and quite possibly more. Where are they all now?!
Cheers,
Timmy."

Just a quick letter, firstly thanking you for inspiring me so much during my childhood – you were the coolest thing on TV!!

I have such fond memories of Magic and Pinky Punky and Mallett’s Mallet and all the rest. I remember one episode when you were in the USSR and standing on a big red square in Red Square, I seem to remember finding that uncontrollably funny at the time!!

Anyway, I think fairly near to when Wacaday was tragically torn from our TV screens, I was set to go up to my grandparents’ house in Birmingham from Kent. Just before we left I managed to watch the first few minutes of Wacaday in which you described a game to play in the car on long journeys (something tells me you were just trying to annoy our parents, but it was still utterly utterly brilliant!!)

I remember that part of the game was that whenever you passed an emergency phone on the motorway, you had to shout “It’s for you-oo!" but that’s all I can summon up and it’s been driving me mad for years!! So can you remember the game? I’d love to be able to play it with my 15 year old brother next time we have a long car journey, and teach it to my 5 year old sister – passing on the Timmy Mallett torch or something like that!!

By the way, I’m currently studying in America, but I have a friend at Uni in Southampton where you went recently, and I insisted that she get your autograph for me since you are my IDOL!! Gotta get some kudos for commitment there, right?!!

Cheers Timmy, for being such a dude and for inspiring me to be joyful at all times."

Question courtesy of Matt Blissett.

I loved the WAC and Wacaday and remember getting up on weekends and school holidays to watch them.

There really is no show that has come close since. I’m glad I was lucky enough to have been born in 1983 so I could grow up with the best kids show there was. I loved the WAC and Wacaday and remember getting up on weekends and school holidays to watch them. There really is no show that has come close since. I’m glad I was lucky enough to have been born in 1983 so I could grow up with the best kids show there was.

My memory is of watching Timmy go to the Berlin Wall after it had come down and clipping a bit off and putting it into a little plastic bag. It was both interesting and great fun.

My other memory is the kissing of that stone in Ireland and the little cartoon that followed it. I’d love to see Timmy on the screen again I cheered him on when he was on weakest link. I’d love to see Timmy back.

Letter courtesy of Byron Law.

My best memories of Wacaday were when I used to turn it on every morning without fail and then Timmy would tell us what we had to wear but it was always something crazy like a pair of wellies or a plaster.

Utterly brilliant! Also, fifteen years on I still remember the song ‘magic goes to norway, norway norway, magic goes to norway, nutty norway!’ Such a catchy tune. Brilliant!

Letter courtesy of Kevin.

I appeared on Mallet’s Mallett when I was about Nine years old, when we were still getting hit over the head with the mallet.

I had just been given a telescope for my birthday, so when Timmy asked me what my hobbies were, I replied ‘Astronomy’ (BIG word for a nine year old!). When He asked me if I had seen anything with it, I replied ‘No, it’s too dark at night’.

Meaning too cloudy, of course. This comment was enough to reduce the entire crew into a laughing fit, and I was subsequently used as a clip for Sunday’s ‘Pick of the Week’ on the David Frost show. Incidentally, I won Mallett’s Mallett, receiving as a prize the Hits Album 6.

Only thing was I didn’t have a record player. D’oh! Oh, and Timmy was really cool to all us kids, but Michaela Strachan was a cow."

Letter courtesy of Bob.

Timmy says:
“Dear Bob,
You had us in stitches with this one! It was recalled at the WAC reunion recently and everyone remembered it! And now you’ve sent it in! Brilliant! Keep up the star gazing and enjoy the wacky memories at the wacaday website!"

Utterly brilliant! Also, fifteen years on I still remember the song ‘magic goes to norway, norway norway, magic goes to norway, nutty norway!’ Such a catchy tune. Brilliant!"

Letter courtesy of Kevin.

Could you please help resolve a rather heated argument we had in the pub last night.

I swore blind that one of the games you used to play on kids TV was called Bonk and Boob! Am I having flash backs to another type of “show” or is everyone else wrong and the game did exist?! Many thanks again and good luck.

Question courtesy of Simon Feek.

Timmy says:
“Dear Simon,
Thanks for your great email.
Well you’re right. There certainly was a great game on the Saturday Morning Wide Awake Club called Bonk n Boob! It was a spelling game and there’s a photo of the Bonk n boob device in the WAC annual!"

When I think back to when I was a kid, watching you in the school holidays will be one of my true lasting memories, along with Tony Hart.

And I had no idea you studied at Warwick (like me), or could paint (that one with the helicopter on the Timmy website is ace). you are such a modest, down-to-earth guy. Anyway, It was fantastic to meet you, you are everything an entertainer should be. Keep up the good work mate, you are a person almost everybody my thinks is very, very cool. Bleugh!

Question courtesy of Dylan Stuart.

Feeling very nostalgic at the moment having just been looking at the site!

I thought I’d look Wacaday up after it being shown on the top 100 kids programmes the other day. As for memories, well, I remember ‘Itsy Bitsy’ etc being played on loop at a radio roadshow in 1990, those plasters used to scare me (I have no idea why!) and we used to play Mallett’s Mallet in school at breaktimes using A4 files as the Mallet. Ow! I can’t ever imagine getting up early just to watch a TV programme now, I suppose you don’t appreciate things until they’ve gone!"

Letter courtesy of Kazza.

I saw your show at Southampton university at the weekend and it was utterly brilliant!

I will treasure my signed pinky punky forever! I was telling my mate about the show today and he was very jealous! He said that at one point you were banned from hitting the children on the head with the mallet by the tv company, and you had to hit something else instead. Is that true? You’re a legend!

Question courtesy of Jim.

Timmy says:
“Dear Jim,
I enjoyed the fun night at Southampton Uni too. Are you in the pictures on the Wacagig page? Your jealous friend is referring to the Mallett’s Mallet gismo which we introduced because we liked the idea of a machine type thingy – it wasn’t very reliable which made it very funny. It was just to ring the changes."

This isn’t really a question. I just wanted to say your show at Southampton last night was fantastic.

It’s amazing how so many people (me included) remembered all the catchphrases even though we haven’t seen it for 9 years or so. Well done!
PS: “Why did you leave so early? I didn’t get to meet you! Boo hoo!"

Question courtesy of Barry.

Timmy says:
“Dear Barry,
You must be the only person who I didn’t get to meet, because I stayed until the all 1500 had been bonked on the head! Don’t worry, there may be another opportunity before you know it.
Yours, what are we?
Timmy."

I am 20 and 7/8ths (I actually think I share the same birthday as Timmy – 19th Oct yeah?)

I am a student at Warwick Uni where the great man himself played a gig last monday (as well as being the place he attended in his youth). I would just like to say how much I enjoyed the show and also thank the great man for his many years wacky entertainment (and also wish him a happy birthday). If there is any way of passing this on, I would appreciate it because I didn’t get to meet him due to the high demand of students following him. I even bought “How to be utterely brilliant” which I also thought was great (although I was 10 2/3). Okay, enough sucking up, I just want to say HELLO TIMMY! Bleeuuggghhh!

Question courtesy of Andrew Aminian.

Timmy says: “Timmy’s birthday is actually 18th October – and don’t you forget it!”

When you fist started Wac-a-day I was only a small baby but I grew up to watch your show I never miss one.

When My mum found out that you were coming to the southsea show in portsmouth (Where I Live) my mum took me I was over the moon and you sung ‘itsy bitsy yellow poka dot bikki’ I knew all the words to it. and at the end I ran in to the crowd and got your autograph which i still have to this very day.

Then you played at the kings I think and you wacked my on the head with you malett I was really chuft then I got a t-shirt and you signed the back of it I also still have that. I was hopeing you would at to my collectiong by writing back to my letter to say that you got my e-mail. I’m now 16 years old and still a good fan.

Hope you’re OK and life’s FAB
Love no.1 Fan.

Question courtesy of Michelle Atrill.

I was watching some old off-air recordings of Transformers the other day and came across you on the end of one of them doing an impression of Megatron.

This prompted me to look you up on the internet and I found your page. I used to watch wacaday all the tie, I have memories of a little model bloke falling down a mountain into some goo. I would appreciate it very much if you could send me your autograph.

Question courtesy of Mark.

I am your number one fan, when I was a little bit younger Timmy Mallett was one of the only things I used to watch.

I used to love it… never missed an episode! When you did a show at “The Plymouth Pavillions" not very far away from here, I asked if it could be my birthday treat… And so it was. I really enjoyed it and came home with many items of Timmy merchandise but as I was so young I did not get your autograph. So I was wandering if I could be so kind as to send me your autograph… It would be great if you could…
Many Many Thanks.

Question courtesy of Matthew Retallick (age 13).

Timmy says: “No problem Matthew. It’s on it’s way to add to your other Utterly Brilliant Timmy Stuff!"

My name is Luke and I was on Wac-a-day when I was 4.

I dressed up as Timmy Mallet and sang Wac-a-day. I also got a Wac-Pac and used it as a lunch box. I also met Timmy Mallet at the Ritzy in Nottingham when I was 5, and I also again dressed up as him and again sang Wac-a-day. I was in the greatest bits of Wac-a-day when TVAM finished.

Question courtesy of Luke.

Boy how long has it been since Wacaday?

The last time I saw WAC I was just a little kid about 8-9 years old now I’m 20 getting on a bit hehehehehe. I am trying to find the Wacaday theme tune I havent heard it for a few years. Saturday without fail I never missed WAC and you made me believe what I believe today.

Question courtesy of Micheal Coles.

Timmy says:
“Thank you Michael, you’ll find the Wacaday theme tune on the Wac–A-Downloads page, as well as the Mallett’s Mallet sound effect. It makes a great addition to your emailing pleasure to mallet your emails around the world!"

Wow I can’t believe I found a web site dedicated to Wacaday!!!! It’s sooooo cool.

I used to watch it everyday,and the WAC too. I always wanted to be on mallets mallet! never did though.{SHAME!!}
I sometimes see your show erm is it Timmy towers, well it all came back to me your’e zanyness and your still mad!! I’m studying drama at college and I know that all my mates loved you and would love to see you, maybe you would like to visit Gt. Yarmouth colleges’ performing arts department, I know we would love to see you and the mallet too.
Love,
Your No.1 fan.

Question courtesy of Sophie Whitpen.

I can only say what a privilege it is to have been of the wacaday generation.

I still wake up on Saturday morning and remember I do not have to go to work and sing to myself “it’s Wacaday no school today so what, we gonna do?" I loved the programme more than life itself and always looked forward to the big mallets mallet session with the plasters and always wanted one.
If you could possibly help me and send one out I would really love you more than I already do. My parents still remember you which is more than can be said about other presenters of my generation.

Letter courtesy of Chris Elwood.

One of my most profound memories from Wac-a-day me was the utterly brilliant Spaghetti-Malletti, Timmy’s Italian brother or cousin or something.

He appeared once when Timmy went to Italy. He had a hugely entertaining method of eating his spaghetti which involved turning his ears as he sucked up the pasta. For weeks me and my brothers were convinced that this was the ONLY way to consume spaghetti and that it was impossible by any other technique. My mother was disgusted with us and even went as far as to ban our daily dose of Wac-a-day until we kicked the habit. Still I remember it as pure comedy.

Question courtesy of Rob Spackman.

You were my favourite TV presenter when I was young! I had a photo taken with my sister and brother doing the WAC-a-wave but we never sent it in!

On your site you should set up a gallery for people now to send pictures of them doing the WAC-a-wave!

If my memory serves me correct, we were wearing Bermuda Shorts, with one leg rolled up, we had odd socks on, and wearing two caps! For my birthday one year my Mum and Dad bought me a Pinky Punky (We I still own in a pride of place) With the Pinky Punky there was a little photo of you with a printed autograph!

Letter courtesy of Carl Guyton.

Timmy says:
“Great idea Carl! Send in (or email) your Wacsnaps Wideawkers and we’ll put them on NOW!"

I met you once many years ago when I was 8. I was out for a day trip with a local summer club to London Zoo, and when we saw you, none of us could contain our excitement!

You did give me your autograph, but at some point over the years, I seemed to have lost it, sadly. A group of friends from college and myself have realised that we all share the same childhood fondness of you – we even have pictures of you on our common room wall! I don’t think I have laughed so much since the days of “Mallet’s Mallet", and I am mortified that I lost the one and only thing that separated me from my friends here – your autograph.

We do hope to be booking you in the future, and we trust your mallets are in perfect working order! Love and thanks for making my childhood so memorable.

PS – BLEEUUUURRRGGGHHHH!!!!! XXXXXXX

Letter courtesy of Louise.

Oh yes, I was on Wacaday when I was 7 years old. I was and still am at 20, very proud to say that I was in the SAME ROOM as Timmy Mallett and MICHAEL WAC-SON (the current game of that time, which involved a caller on the phone answering questions and for each correct answer Michael Wac-son moved one step up into the path of the porridge and rice pudding!!)

Probably one of the most memorable moments of my life was when MAGIC, the most famous and highly respected cockatiel of our generation, sat on my head and dug his feet into it! I haven’t washed my hair since! To all who have appeared on Wacaday, I salute you with a big “Blah!" and as many of us hang up our plasters and go onto far less meaningful lives such as doctors, nurses and other life savign careers, just remmeber you’ll never be alone. There will always be a special place for all of us in Timmy (our God’s) heart.

I’m now going to dig out my video and wipe my weeping eyes!
Thank you again.

Letter courtesy of Nichola Bennett.

BLEUGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Timmy Mallett you deserve to be knighted!!!!! You brightened up so many peoples lives where other presenters have failed.

You are my hero!!! I remember running to the tv every day in the holidays and at the weekends in joy. Me and my brother had our own song for your show which I remember almost as vividly as I remember the show itself!!!!
Schools out bleugh
Wacadays in yeah
Run run run to the tv
If mum dont let us watch it we’ll get pinky punky to come and bash her on la tete
(and then like the rocket countdown )
BLEUGH BLEUGH BLEUGH BLEUGH BLEUGH BLEUGH BLEUGH BLEUGH BLEUGH BLEUGH BLEUGH-OFF!!!!!!!

I remember sobbing into my homemade pinky punky for months when wacadays and tv:am finished. Infact I dont think I stopped crying till my mum went out specially to buy ‘how to be utterly brilliant’ which my dad has recently thrown away (I am fuming) do you have any Timmy? sometimes even now i suddenly feel a wave of sadness wash over me as I remember me, age 5, burning my toast, for the last time………………

Please put Wacadays back on the tele Timmy……
Why dont you sell plasters???

Letter courtesy of Juliet.

Whenever someone asks me what I remember from when I was a kid, I proudly (bleugh!!) say that my clearest memory is sitting down to watch WAC and Wacaday every weekend and holiday with my big brother shaun (now 18!!!)

Shouting bleugh everytime someone is hit by pinky punky in mallets mallet and crossing my fingers and sitting on them when that shark infested custard thing (with the little men and a thing. Where he falls in shark infested custard…….)

And then if someone asks me ‘what is the most horrible moment you can remember? I have to say ‘Running over to the tv one day yelling ‘Bleugh bleugh’ my brother switching it on sitting down, waiting, waiting and waiting for half and hour before screaming down the house for the rest of the day when my mum told me wacadays would never be on again.

I have to say that wacadays was and still is the best programme ever made. Since then I have had no faith in childrens television, and for a year I watched and archeology (or it may have been history….) programme because I then thought that the man presenting it was ‘(TIMMYYYYYYYY!!) using a fake name.

Bleugh bleugh bleugh!!!
BRING BACK WACADAYS!!!!!!!!

Letter courtesy of Jules R.

Timmy says:
“Dear Jules, Lovely letter, thanks so much. Was the history programme that thing with Tony Robinson, when he wasn’t being Baldrick? I was once asked for my autograph by a lady who was convinced I was Tony and “haven’t you done well since you worked in the paper shop?" I couldn’t let on could I? So I signed it Tony to keep her happy!"

I remember some kid (a viewer) about 7 years old.
He performed his song that went
“10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 none, blast off!
We’re going on a rocket, we’re living soon,
We’re going to reach the moon, blast off!"

He even did a dance routine. I only saw it once, about 13 years ago but I still remember that song. The kid was invited back to do his new song:
“My little robot, he’s a little gobot
He’ll do anything to me.
He can be a train or he can be a plane…blah blah something"

This time the dance routine was a real cracker, with sassy hip swinging. You could hear the cameraman laughing. It remains 2 of my golden TV memories. How can I see this footage again? Has anyone got it on video? His mum? Where is he now? Did he make it in the music business?

Letter courtesy of Stephen Aston.

Bleugh bleugh bleugh!!!
BRING BACK WACADAYS!!!!!!!!

Letter courtesy of Jules R.

Letter courtesy of Stephen Aston.

I’m a child of the 80’s and a die hard Timmy Mallett fan (also a proud owner of ‘On how to be Utterly Brilliant’).

I’d like to thank Timmy for making it cool to wear glasses (I had to when I was five and it was quite a blow) and for the words: Bleurgh and Utterly Brilliant. I hope you realise how you made Wacaday utterly brilliant.

Letter courtesy of Rob Dimond.

It was in October 1984 that the first Wide Awake Club went to air on TVam, hosted by Timmy Mallett, Arabella Warner and James Baker.

2O years on the WAC team were back together again for a reunion party night. Michaela Strachan flew in from Cape Town, Neil Mularkey (the other half of the Sound Asleep club) came to reminisce with Dr Pete, producer Nick Wilson and the rest of the production team.

Everyone brought memories and memorabilia. There were the huge WAC posters, WAC annuals and the WAC books. Everyone was given an original Wide Awake Club badge. (They are like gold dust now.

If you have one. Hold onto it – they are valuable!) Timmy found his original greay Wide Awake Club T shirt and his painted Jacket worn on filming days all those years ago.