Thursday 25 June 2020

1960, Car Spotting: Spuistraat, Amsterdam, Netherlands


Left to right

First row
Opel Kapitän, DKW 3=6, Austin A30 van, Renault Dauphine, unidentified truck, unidentified car, Ford Taunus 12M/15M (P1, aka “Weltkugeltaunus” (“Globe Taunus”)), unidentified car, Ford Taunus 17 M (aka “Barocktaunus” (“Baroque Taunus”) aka "Fliegender Teppich" (“Flying carpet”)), Plymouth Valiant.

Second row
Ford Anglia (105E), Ford Consul (EOTA).

Third row
Citroën ID/DS, Volkswagen Transporter T1 (Type 2), unidentified car probably Opel.

Wednesday 10 June 2020

1977, Television: "Robin's Nest"

The UK sitcom "Robin's Nest" premiered on 11 January 1977 on the ITV network. The series, produced by Thames Television, ran for six series from 11 January 1977 to 31 March 1981 with a total of 48 episodes produced.

The main stars are Richard O'Sullivan, reprising his role as Robin Tripp from "Man About the House", Tessa Wyatt as his girlfriend (later his wife) Vicky and Tony Britton as Vicky’s father. The theme music was written by Richard O'Sullivan himself and arranged / performed by The Shadows's Brian Bennett.

Synopsis
Keen to open up their own bistro, Robin (Richard O'Sullivan) and Vicky (Tessa Wyatt) enter into a business partnership with her father James (Tony Britton). Being the co-owner, and a very protective parent who - initially, at least - disapproves of his daughter's choice of boyfriend, James is on the scene all the time…
Richard O'Sullivan as Robin Tripp and Tessa Wyatt as Victoria ('Vicky') Nicholls/Tripp
Tessa Wyatt as Victoria ('Vicky') Nicholls/Trip, Richard O'Sullivan as Robin Tripp
and Tony Britton as James Nicholls
Main Cast
  • Richard O'Sullivan as Robin Tripp
  • Tessa Wyatt as Victoria ('Vicky') Nicholls/Tripp
  • Tony Britton as James Nicholls
  • David Kelly as Albert Riddle
Richard O'Sullivan as Robin Tripp, Tony Britton as James Nicholls and
Tessa Wyatt as Victoria ('Vicky') Nicholls/Tripp
David Kelly as Albert Riddle, Tessa Wyatt as Victoria ('Vicky') Nicholls/Tripp,
Richard O'Sullivan as Robin Tripp and Tony Britton as James Nicholls
Trivia
  • Richard O'Sullivan and Tessa Wyatt were a couple in real life at the time having one son, Jamie O'Sullivan.
  • The success of the first two series led to Thames Television commissioning more than double the length to 13 episodes for series 3.
  • Creators and writers Brian Cooke and Johnnie Mortimer had to gain special permission from the Independent Broadcasting Authority (IBA), to be able to portray an unmarried couple living together.
  • Vicky's mother Marion (divorced from her father) would occasionally appear, played first by Honor Blackman, later by Barbara Murray.


Opening Credits Season 1


Opening Credits Season 2-4


Opening Credits Season 5


Opening Credits Season 6

Saturday 6 June 2020

1976, Belgian comics: "Ce coquin de cocker"

In 1976 the twelfth Bollie en Billie (original French title: Boule et Bille) album "Die koddige cocker" (original title: "Ce coquin de cocker") is published by Dupuis. The comic was created in 1959 by the Belgian writer-artist Jean Roba in collaboration with Maurice Rosy.

The stories center on a typical family: a man and his wife, their young son Bollie and Billie the cocker spaniel. The main character Bollie is based on the son of Jean Roba and the dog Billie is based on his own cocker spaniel.
"Die koddige cocker"
No 12 "Die koddige cocker"
  • full-colour
  • never published in English
  • story and drawings by Jean Roba
  • pre-publication in Spirou/Robbedoes
Billie the Cocker Spaniel
Bollie
Bollie's father and Bollie
Billie the Cocker Spaniel and Bollie's mother
The main characters in this album are:
  • Bollie, a young boy, always dressed in a blue overalls and a yellow T-shirt.
  • Billie the Cocker Spaniel of the family. He can communicate with other animals.
  • Bollie's mother.
  • Bollie's father.
  • Caroline the green family turtle, living in the garden.
  • Pim (Pouf), Bollie's best friend.
  • Madame Stick is the neighbour of Boule's family. She is the owner of Corporal, a cat who is Billie's arch enemy.
  • Frits, an old schoolfriend of Bollies’ father.
  • Dolfie, the pig.
  • Monsieur Coupon-Dubois is the boss of Boule's father.
Pim (Pouf)
Billie, Caroline and Bollie
Monsieur Coupon-Dubois and Bollie's father
Frits, Bollie's father, Billie and Bollie
Corporal, Madame Stick, Bollie's father and Billie
Cars
  • Citroën 2CV
  • Renault Dauphine
  • MAN truck
Citroën 2CV
Renault Dauphine
MAN truck
References
  • Gene Kelly with the song "Singing in the Rain"
  • Flemish dialect reference to foreigners, it could be Brussels dialect.
Gene Kelly with the song "Singing in the Rain" (Bollie's father, Caroline and Billie)
Flemish dialect reference to foreigners, it could be Brussels dialect

Monday 1 June 2020

1975, Car Spotting: Lier, Grote Markt, Belgium


First row, left to right
Opel Manta B, unidentified car, Citroën Dyane, unidentified car, unidentified car probably Fiat, Volkswagen 1300 (Beetle), unidentified car.

Second row, left to right
Volkswagen 1200 (Beetle), unidentified car probably Opel, Peugeot 504, unidentified car probably Honda Civic, Ford Taunus L (TC1), Simca Horizon, unidentified car, unidentified car probably Opel Kadett, Opel Manta B.

Third row, left to right
Ford Taunus (TC1).

Fourth row, left to right
Unidentified car, Citroën 2CV, unidentified car, Citroën Dyane, Volkswagen K70, Ford Consul/Granada Mk I, unidentified car probably DAF, Volkswagen 1200/1300 (Beetle), unidentified car, Citroën CX, Fiat 850.

Fifth row, left to right
Volkswagen Golf (Mk1/Type 17), Austin 1100/1300 (BMC ADO16), Ford Taunus L (TC1), Volkswagen 1200 (Beetle), Volvo 142, Austin/Morris/BL Mini, Ford Taunus Turnier (TC1), Mitsubishi Celeste, unidentified car, unidentified car.

Sixth row, left to right
Ford Capri II, Austin/Morris/BL Mini, Ford (Taunus) P7, DAF 66, unidentified car probably Japanese, Citroën CX, Volkswagen 1300 (Beetle), Fiat 126, unidentified car, Ford Consul/Granada Mk I.

Seventh row, left to right
Peugeot 504, Austin/Morris/BL Mini, Toyota Crown (S50), Citroën 2CV, Citroën DS, DAF 66, Fiat 127, Opel Kadett C Coupé, Citroën GS station wagon, unidentified car, unidentified car, Volvo 240, unidentified car, unidentified car probably Toyota or Datsun.

Eight row, left to right
Peugeot 204 cabriolet, Peugeot 504.

Ninth row, left to right
Opel Rekord (D)/Commodore (B), Volkswagen 1300 (Beetle), unidentified car, Mercedes-Benz W114/W115, Fiat 128 Coupé, Peugeot 504, Audi 50, unidentified car, Volkswagen Golf (Mk1/Type 17), Fiat 850, Honda Civic, unidentified car, Peugeot 304, Ford Consul/Granada Mk I, Simca 1100.

Tenth row, left to right
Fiat 132, Toyota Celica (A20/A30), Peugeot 504, Volkswagen T2a, Volkswagen 1302/1303 (Beetle), Volvo 144, unidentified car, unidentified car probably Volvo, DAF 66, Opel Rekord C, Renault 4, unidentified car.

Eleventh row, left to right
Honda Civic, Datsun Cherry Coupé (E10).

Further in the photo you can see at least one Simca 1000.