Remembering The Uncle Bobby Show

By Steve Cichon
steve@buffalostories.com
@stevebuffalo

BUFFALO, NY – Back in 2005, I was tickled to be able to speak with Bobby Ash over the telephone… known to a generation of Canadians (and kids just over the border like me) as Uncle Bobby.

In the few minutes of the interview you can listen to here, Uncle Bobby gives background on how and why Bimbo the Birthday Clown started and then begat Mr. and Mrs. Happy and son of Happy, the dancing birthday creatures.

He also details many of the other characters who were a part of the show, and though his memory for some of the details is fading a bit– nothing beats Uncle Bobby sharing the names of some of his old friends from our childhood.

Among Uncle Bobby’s human pals were Alex Laurier, who played guitar on the show, Meredith Cutting, “the Singing Policeman;” Cy Leonard, “the ventriloquist;” Ron Leonard, “the magician;” Traffic Officer John, who gave the children tips about road safety. Nancy McCaig played accordion, and Barry McKay was a drawer of birds, animals and other things. Ruth Winkler sculpted plasticine models and told stories that went along with what she was modelling.

Some clips from The Uncle Bobby Show….

After talking to Uncle Bobby on the telephone, he sent me the following letter:

With that letter came these stills from Uncle Bobby himself,  sent along so that all the boys and girls can remember and enjoy…

Off his rocker?From a syndication Advertisement:
Born in a Staffordshire Theatre, brought up in the “pirate” circuses of Britain and steeped in the rich traditions of the theatre — Bobby Ash naturally steps into his role as the show’s active, animated host. Children love him, and give THE UNCLE BOBBY SHOW top priority on their viewing schedules.

The Uncle Bobby Show.
A Treat of Fun and Fancy.
Distributed by Glen-Warren Productions, Limited.

The Bimbo Story
Birthday announcements were a popular feature on the Uncle Bobby Show, and somewhere along the way, Bimbo the Birthday Clown made his first appearance. Though he was first made of cardboard, soon a wooden backing was added, then wheels, moving eyes, and of course the Happy Crew then came along: Mr. & Mrs. Happy, and Son of Happy.

My Uncle Bobby memories…
I can remember getting up very early, getting an apple out of the fridge, turning on my pre-cable TV, and watching the mystical Uncle Bobby Show… I think made even more mysterious by the melodious BIMBO BIMBO EVERYBODY BIMBO chant… And, of course, Uncle Bobby’s accent. I think the only other person I would have known with a British Accent at that point in my life would have been my Great Grandfather…. And now that I think about it, as a very young sprat, I may have thought that Uncle Bobby was my great Grandpa.

More from The Uncle Bobby Show…
This page, originally at my first website staffannouncer.com, was the first place where you could find any information about The Uncle Bobby Show on the Internet back in 2003.

So many years later, many people have sent photos and videos to share… here are just a few.

 


Reformatted & Updated pages from staffannouncer.com finding a new home at buffalostories.com
Reformatted & Updated pages from staffannouncer.com finding a new home at buffalostories.com

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Steve Cichon

Steve Cichon writes about Buffalo’s pop culture history. His stories of Buffalo's past have appeared more than 1600 times in The Buffalo News. He's a proud Buffalonian helping the world experience the city he loves. Since the earliest days of the internet, Cichon's been creating content celebrating the people, places, and ideas that make Buffalo unique and special. The 25-year veteran of Buffalo radio and television has written five books and curates The Buffalo Stories Archives-- hundreds of thousands of books, images, and audio/visual media which tell the stories of who we are in Western New York.