One Flump or Two? (Flumps, The)

Member Name: W Shakespeare

Product:	Flumps, The
Date:	15/07/01 (405 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Grandpa's flumpet

Disadvantages: Bad role models for female flumps

What the hell is a flump? They always reminded me of a family of furry potatoes. But then potatoes don’t wear hats.

Written by Julie Holder and narrated by Gay Soper (who sounds like someone you’d find in a Soho massage parlour), the Flumps first hit our screens in 1977 and ran until 1984.

Only 13 episodes were ever made but its distinctive characters, bizarre storylines, use of songs and the unforgettable theme tune make it one of the all-time classic children’s programmes.

The show followed the adventures of six members of the furry Flump family:

Grandpa Flump – An old codger with a cloth cap, glasses and a moustache. His favourite pastime is playing with his flumpet (and before you ask, it’s a home-made musical instrument) in front of the whole family. We have to assume that Grandma Flump had either popped her flumpclogs or done the off with a younger flump.

Mother Flump – Mother knows her place in the Flump family, which is basically to cook, clean, wash up, and tell stories and sing songs to the children. No bra burning for Mother Flump, she seems happy with her lot, even though she is made to wear Hilda Ogden style headgear. Her starring role is to have a headache in one episode, though whether this is genuine, or a reaction to Father Flump’s amorous advances, is not clear.

Father Flump – Either retired or an idle, work-shy layabout, he prefers his workshop or vegetable garden to the kitchen. Possibly Grandpa Flump’s son as they both sport seriously suspect moustaches (if indeed it is possible to grow hair over fur). Father Flump usually wears a red hat, for reasons known only to himself.

Perkin – The eldest child, and possibly struggling with puberty as he is prone to depression – in one episode, he is literally ‘under a cloud’. His blue and yellow wooly hat is in dire need of a good wash.

Posey – The Flum
ps’ daughter Posey generally shuns hats for more feminine bows in her hair. More sensible than her two brothers, and consequently, more boring.

Pootle – While obviously suffering from severe sinus problems, Pootle remains the star of the show and potters around aimlessly, sporting a rather natty white woolly hat. Looks harmless, but is prone to hallucinations (flying to the moon in one episode) and can be dangerous if left alone – on one occasion thrusting a carrot down Grandpa’s flumpet.

The Flumps’ adventures usually take place in their garden or the kitchen, and include Pootle causing havoc with a magnet, Perkin receiving a pair of roller skates, Posey having to keep secrets, Father Flump having some trouble with his vegetables, Mother Flump getting a headache and Grandpa Flump wandering off just before teatime. (As you can see, the older members of the Flump family seem to have got the short straw in terms of storylines.)

Looking back, the Flump family reflected the traditional family structure of the 1970’s, and is probably deemed by middle-age television executives too politically incorrect for today’s young audiences. However, that doesn’t mean that children today couldn’t still be enchanted by the Flumps surreal, and yet ordinary, world.

The 13 episodes are all still available on video and DVD. Their titles, in the order they were first shown, is as follows; Secrets, The Cloud, The Magnet, Get Your Skates On, Moon Shot, Balloons, Keep Fit, Something Different, Lend A Hand, Quiet Please, Grandfather's Birthday, What a Carrot! and Where's Grandfather?

So if you want to see Grandpa’s flumpet in action, give it a try. And if you don’t, I suggest you stick a carrot in it.

Summary: