Greetings All the Members with Family and Friends that made the annual trip "Down by the Farm at Hexwood"
You ALL helped to make the day what it was, I can`t praise you All enough by the way you queued for your autographs and as we said only one per member and that was all you All asked for (apart from 3 that I just missed so I was watching) it mad life so much easy and the last thing I wanted to do for 3 hours was not to say "sorry you are not a member your a guest"
I know you all enjoyed the Big 40, but the members that help make the day don`t often get mentioned so I`ll try and have a go at the names that helped on the Friday and Saturday and as most of you know I am awful with names.
So here goes. a Very BIG THANK YOU to;-
Malcolm,
Craig,
David,
Grayweazle,
Pete,
Russell,
Sue,
Disco Popweazle,
Hazel,
Ian Aleweazle,
Ian,
And anyone I have not mentioned, "truly twas a Wondrous Day" for All and One.
SALMAY! DALMAY!! ADONAY!!!

well said gary was truly a wonderful day.big thankyou to geoffrey robin richard elspet moray for their time and effort it was great to meet you all again.not forgetting annie richaeds lovely wife.without you it just would' feel the same.massive thanks to carol and gary for starting the fan club without you there would be no fete to attend and no heroes to meet.these memories will be treasured forever.thanks to everyone behind the scenes that made it all possible.thanks to paul for the disco grayweazle for the fantastic artwork.it was great to see people again.thanks to malcolm for the big screen'i really enjoyed the tellingbone.hope everyone got back safe and sound and i look forward to seeing everyone next year.take care and see you soon love ian

Hi to everyone

Just literally returned home from Surrey and had to get straight on the forum.

What a truly wonderful weekend and my sides are still aching from all the laughter. The only down side was just now saying a very tearful goodbye on the platform of Fareham station to Debbie from Australia. Someone I got on with so well and I will miss her so much ( tears in eyes again now)

So many people to thank and apart from the obvious 2, they are in no particular order....

Carol and Gary for bringing the fan club to life and making Hexwood weekends possible. Carol, your hard work paid off and you must be exhausted. Bringing everything together must have been no mean feat but it was nothing short of brilliant and I think I speak for everyone when I say what you do is amazing. To me you and Gary are giving me back a very happy part of childhood and I thank you a million times over.

Gary, so good to meet you and Jan at last. Both of you so friendly and made me feel like I'd know you for ages. Hope to see you both again next year and will keep in touch.

Graham,many many thanks indeed for everything you did over weekend and before. For rescuing me on Saturday morning at the station, for all the ferrying around you did, the tour of the locations, all the artwork and much much more. This morning at the lake was a brilliant end to a lovely weekend.

Jeff and Cathy,great to meet you and thank you so much for all the laughs over the weekend. Photos to follow by e mail for you. Toast will never be the same again.

Paul (Popweazle), Again, so sorry to have missed the disco but the eyelids were getting very heavy but we've had a great day today and there is always next year. Looking forward to seeing your photos.
Will keep in touch via e mail.

Jorge, Very very nice to meet you and the weekend was great fun. Again will keep in touch via e mail. Hope the suitcase turns up very soon.

Of course thank you to all the celebrities - Geoffrey, Robin, Moray, Elspet, Sue, Richard and Annie. It makes our day to see you all there and we totally appreciate you coming.
Annie, your stories were wonderful and can't wait to hear more next year.

How surreal was it to watch an The Telling Bone with the people who starred in it at the place where it was filmed. A once in a lifetime event which will never be forgotten and will live in all our hearts forever.

To everyone else, it was a pleasure to meet you and thanks for helping make it a really lovely weekend.

Back to reality for another year

So well said by Sue that I will add nothing more than how wonderful it was for me to meet everyone that I did and to give the most ENORMOUSLY big thank you to everyone that helped make it happen for me.

Thank you Graham for everything that you did for me, Sue - I've still got some tears too, Paul and Joerg - hope you got to Gatwick and home again safely (still got my fingers crossed for your luggage Joerge), Cathy and Jeff - not just toast....are you receiving in Send?!

And thank you Carol and Gary for bringing it all together, for the trophy and for being so fabulous. I'm unlikely to join you next year but the memories from this year will carry me through the rest of my life.

Thank you one and all.

Blimey Debbie, are you home already, I thought the flight to Aus was at least 20 hours ! Have you created some sort of time machine using Marmite and cindered toast ?

Don't go thinking you won't be there next year, get saving and you'll be back in the Blue Anchor before you know it with all the trimmings and daily breakfast feast......but remember and ask for a cup !

Jeff and Cathy x

A huge THANK YOU to Carol, Gary and all those who worked so hard to make Hexwood 2009 such an enjoyable and well organised event.I would also like to thank all the wonderful guests for their time and endless patience with us all.I had a great time and enjoyed being able to chat with so many lovely like minded people. Where else could you not feel embarrassed at being caught in a barn turning a non-exsistant light switch on whilst muttering "Shine tiny sun" under your breath ?!!!!??
Thanks again to Carol and Gary for giving us this wonderful Club to belong to.
Dougxxx

did you do that in the barn too doug? ,
when we walked through to get our fish and chip supper i turned to my eldest and said 'i starve boy, my belly cries out for food!
btw, to all, my own post says it all to everyone involved.....
what a great fan club we have!

Hi Jeff.....not in Aus yet....back in Southampton though and heading back home again on Sunday. And just for the record - Marmite isn't half as nice as Vegemite on burnt toast!

Just to add my two penneth worth - I echo what Gary has said and all that follows. The club is only as good as its members. When Gary and I have the help and support from you luvverly lot out there, then everything is worth while. It was a wonderful day and we do thank so very much every helper that made it possible. It was sad that with the sheer volume and passing time we couldn't fit in all we wanted to do, but it didn't seem to matter. I know we were all tired, but when Popweazle Paul did his stuff during the evening, it did make the magic go on. His choice of music and knowledge of the era was fabulous and for those who sadly had to leave before he started - well you missed out on something heartwarming and nostalgic - not to mention GREAT FUN. I haven't danced like that for years! - Yes boozeweazle and Pete that WAS dancing in my book!!!!! Paul has kindly offered his services again for future days - so thankyou Popweazle we accept!!
I do sincerely believe with the rate that it is growing, that we have one of the best supported and attended fan clubs in Britain. Gary and I are ALWAYS listening to your ideas. We really want you to enjoy being part of this magic that is Catweazle. So thank you, thank you, thank you, to those mentioned above for all their invaluable help and too every member that came along and made a good day WONDROUS!
much love to all.

What a magical day it was, truly the best by far, a big thank-you to Popweazle making the magic live on, also to all the great people I have met to mention but a few Wendy weazle, Malcolm, Craig, David, Pete, and little David, Sue, Hazel, Ian Ale weazle, Ian and of course Carol and Garry who work endlessly throughout the year planning and preparing for the great day, I feel honoured to be part of such a special club as I am sure every one feels, words cannot describe the magic of watching the Tellingbone episode with Geoffrey and Robin there it was such a magical moment in time I will remember for ever. And for our guests who give up thier time to be with us a very big thank-you to Geoffrey, Robin and his lovely wife, Moray, Elsphet, Richard and Annie and of course not fogetting Sue.once again a very big thank-you, can't wait for next year.

THANK YOU'S AND A REPORT ON THE BIG DAY FOR THOSE WHO COULDN'T MAKE IT

I'd like to start by thanking Graham (GreyWeazle) and Carol for their very kind words in relation to the disco in the evening. If you left early you truly did miss something magical as i blended the hits of 1969 (mainly) with the original TV commercials , film soundtracks and news and events of the era. For me it was an honour and a priveledge to be able to give something back to the club and it's members, in return for all the magic you have given me. Definately a career highlight.

To the day itself. Well i honestly didn't think we could better 2008 but we did!

I arrived to set my equipment up to be greeted by Gary (what a pleasure it was to see you again and looking very well i must say) and Graham (Greyweazle) dressed in superb Catweazle robe outfit and whose attention to detail (apart from no tellingbone!) was superb! The wig was great!

Then I stepped inside the marquee for the first time and WOW! I've never seen the Catweazle marquee so beautifully decorated. The highlight for me was Graham's superb collection of Catweazle artwork which depicted memorable scenes from the series on a number of florescently dayglo painted boards.

Absolutely Brilliant!

All around the top end of the marquee next to the signing tables were HUGE blown up black and white images of the stars of the show. To the right was a table with one of Geoffrey's ORIGINAL Catweazle outfits placed on it. (Apparently there were three made)Behind this table was Sue (the Make Up lady) who i never got to meet as she left early. To the left was a table displaying memorabilia from the era. Film posters,toys, sweets,coins,annuals etc......all originals and all bringing back so many wonderful memories. Thank you to whoever compiled this display and collection. To the left of that was the Catweazle Shop full of great goodies including the brand new 40th Anniversary T-shirts and mugs as well as my own personal favourite this year a clear LED pen that changes colour and flashes as well as actually writing. Great for me when taking requests.How cool is that! These are available from Carol via the shop for £2.50 plus P&P.Thanks to Craig, Hazel and others I know not your names for clearing my wallet out again!

To the right of all this was Ian Baker(BoozeWeazle) and his CatweazALE (geddit?) draught beer and drinks table. I downed several pints of this excellent CatweazALE and I can honestly say it's the best ale i've tasted in ages. Well done to Ian for arranging this.Only trouble now is I got withdrawal symptoms and hope i don't have to wait another year before i can taste some again.

Next to Ian was a table displaying members photos THEN and NOW which proved popular during the afternoon and early evening as we queud to await our turn at the top signing table. It was great fun trying to work out who was who and trying to match their current photo to their photo from yesteryear.Did you spot me? Thank you to Carol for compiling this. On the wall of the marquee close to this was a display of Geoffrey's visit to Holland where a whole town turned out back in the early 70's to see him.

In front of the main signing table was a table displaying the special 40th Anniversary Birthday cake guarded by minature Norman knight figurines.
The cake was of course cut by Geoffrey later in the evening and a piece was enjoyed by all present and jolly nice it was too!

Now to the other end of the marquee where myself and my disco show was set up in one corner,nobble a Norman and a electrickery buzzer game (which was popular with the kids and grown up kids) in the other and in the middle was Malcolm (BigScreenWeazle) and his big screen projector showing vintage clips from Original TV series of the time,TV commercials and of course Catweazle episodes as well as a sample from what looks like an excellent NEW SERIES 1 LOCATIONS DVD put together by two members who i failed to meet on the day. What is so great about this is it merges original episode footage with footage shot today so the viewer gets to see how much or how less has changed in 40 years plus the exact positions cameras must have been located and pointing. This looks like a MUST HAVE ITEM for any serious fan and I cannot wait to get my hands on a copy. Watch the forum for more news and announcements soon together with price and order details and I am only sorry I can't remember you guy's names.

I can't comment on the fete itself as i was busy stuck in or around the marquee all day and night but from what i heard it was well attended and full of all the popular stands as in previous years.

The marquee quickly began filling from 2.15pm and thanks must go to Graham who greeted members on the new 'gate',checking tickets, membership cards and issuing the magic wristbands.

There was certainly much to do and see before the arrival of the guests as members enjoyed the CatweazALE,displays and videos as well as puchasing photos and other goods for the guests to sign later.

Then the stars of our show began to arrive and take their places on the signings table.A huge round of applause greeted them all but especially our wondrous wizard Geoffrey who i am delighted to say looked splendid with his original Adamcos and like all our other guests in very good health.

The signings began and on the Top Table were from right to left Robin,Geoffrey & Friend,Moray & Elspet and Richard Carpenter with his wonderful Annie close by. Richard and Annie it was an absolute delight to meet you and have such an interesting informative chat with you both.Thank You to all our guests for attending and for giving up your precious time to meet your fans.It is much appreciated by all of us.

When it was my turn, I presented Robin & Geoffrey with a unique copy of a CD i had compiled and produced which features original 1969 hits that i would be playing later and Catweazle related background music (Thanks to Paul Pert )to tie in with the whole 40th Anniversary celebrations.
The artwork features Lake Boldermere on the front where Carrot says an emotional goodbye to Catweazle in the final scene and Catweazle's famous tree on the reverse. Both were delighted to receive it and Geoffrey even told me that he has many 'rotating plastics demons' in his home!

Due to the sheer numbers and popularity of this year's event the signings went on a bit later than planned and by 6.15pm people's stomachs were starting to rumble so my announcement that the fish and chip van had arrived was met with a cheer and a large exit of members to the front of Hexwood. Our guests stayed to enjoy some quality fish and chips and optional mushy peas that was well worth the queuing and wait.

With the best fish and chips i've tasted in ages consumed and every one feeling much better, having washed it down with the last few bottles of Carrot Ale and Ian's CatweazALE barrel running low, we all got ready for one of the highlights of the evening. The showing of the classic 'Telling Bone' episode at the place where it was filmed 40 years ago and in the company of it's excellent writer Richard Carpenter,his wife Annie,and it's stars Geoffrey & Robin. What a truly once in a lifetime totally unforgettable moment that was.They all sat together in the middle of the marquee surrounded by their loyal fans. I glanced over several times from where i was stood to witness the expressions on their faces and it was like they were all encapsulated.I know not when or where they last watched themselves on screen but i did ask Robin afterwards 'What was it like to see that again after 40 years?'and he made some remarks to do with his hands and arms and not knowing what to do with them in shots but also how magical it still is. It truly was magic and a memory I will cherish for the rest of my life. Thank You all so much.

Shortly after the showing of this classic episode the birthday cake was cut and then guests slowly started to depart and then a few speeches and presentations were made.

Then it was my turn to entertain you all and keep the magic flowing into the late evening with sounds,news and jingles from 40 years ago plus a few Catweazle related tunes like Timewarp and Ride On Time.Thank you to all those who decided to stay and enjoy this excellent music well into the night.The highlight was when our very own Carol appeared in an inflatable banana suit and started dancing around the marquee trying desperately not to fall over! I do hope someone took some photos?

Oh any doubts i had previously had about connecting my equipment up to a generator were quickly removed when i saw the size of it! Thanks to the company that supplied it and Carol i recommend you make a note of this so we know what to book again for next year.

It was an honour and priviledge to be asked to do this and for me an unforgettable experience.

Big thanks to Debbie (OzWeazle) and Sue for taking the time and trouble to dress up in fancy dress for the occasion. They both looked really groovy and FAB in their outfits. Well Done! I love you loads Debbie and i'll definately be keeping in touch with you down under. Do have a safe journey back home and try and come back again soon please.

Thanks to all the members who said hello to me either during the day or evening and for all your positive comments. Nice to meet Paul Pert and Exmoor Doug Weazle too. Thanks Perty for the Day Trip tune.
Take Care guys.

To the lady i know not your name who came up to me during the evening and said 'Have you any idea what you are doing to me ....playing all these tunes....i know them all.....each one stirs a memory for me.....good or bad....i am an emotional wreck now because of you! ' I sincerely hope you enjoyed the music and i didn't leave you too emotionally upset?

Such is the power of the music of 1969 I'm afraid and the memories that even at times i felt the heartstrings being pulled a bit.

Special thanks to Malcolm (BigScreenWeazle) and Ian (BoozyWeazle) [who was incidently quite boozy by this time] for your assistance packing away my equipment at 1am Sunday morning. You'd both make excellent roadies and i'd have you guys on the road with me anytime!

Anyway it was a great end to a magical day and i can't wait to do it again. I have already offered my services again to the club for future events and Carol has accepted so now it's down to you members to let us know what you would like to see for next year as the work for Catweazle 2010 starts NOW and we need your ideas and suggestions.

Finally, there were some notable absentees this year in KirkWeazle and Keith (The Boo Hiss Norman Knight) It would have been great to see you guys there and i sincerely hope we see you next year.
Also Simon Wells who was our excellent Questions and Answers session moderator last year. I don't think i saw you this year but it was great to see Mike Hopkins again(our dear friend and guide of Brickendon in 2007),WendyWeazle and all the other great members who i cant remember their names who make our club what it is.

Special mention to Joerg (GermanWeazle NOT Measels !)
all the way from Munich who lost his luggage due to some stupid baggage handlers and had to wear pretty much the same clothes as on his back all weekend.(You still looked and smelt great!) I hope you now have it back.It was an absolute pleasure to meet you and enjoy your company on Sunday. A new friendship has been born and i will come to Germany ASAP. To Debbie (OzWeazle) I'll come see you soon also. To Jurgen & Till it was good to see you both at the lake Sunday. Take Care.

This is why i joined the fanclub to make good friends and share my love of everything Catweazle. None of this would have been possible without the fanclub. Thank You

A final special HUGE thanks to Carol & Gary whose year long efforts,planning and organising of each Catweazle weekend does not go unnoticed or unrewarded. If anyone deserves a trophy for their relentless committment and endless energy it's these two. On behalf of ALL the members i thank you both for creating this most MAGICAL club I am so very proud to be a part of.

Here's to 2010. You both must be so absolutely knackered but i know you will never cease to bring the best out of this club and it's members.God bless you both,and all our members guests and celebrities.May the magic continue forever.

Paul (PopWeazle)

Apologies if i've missed anyone out or forgotten anyone it wasn't intentional.

Paul

You probably didn't get to see outside the tent during your stint as DJ. The kids were running around outside chasing bubbles, dancing and having fun on a glorious evening with your music playing. Thanks very much, great sounds and memories.

I am staggered by the amount of effort people make on members behalf. They are well noted and I hope that you enjoyed the weekend despite all your hard work. Carol for instance, poor girl and after being on her feet all afternoon, just as she was about to relax and tuck into her portion of those gorgeous Fish and Chips, she realised that two guests had not had their supper and ran off to get some for them. Graham's artwork is an incredible achievement.

The bows, arrows and targets for the kids were a lovely touch and they loved the retro sweets, a real education for them of the sort of sickly stuff that we used to cram in our gobs 40 years ago. Thanks Carol, the underside of the dining chairs are now plastered in bubble gum! Great to meet Carol's family.

It's also good to meet the new members, others that have come along for the first time and those who come from afar. Lets keep it strong.

With regard to the comments and feedback on the forum thus far, I hope those who organised and assisted the anniversary celebration can take great satisfaction that they put on a wonderfully successful day for the members.

Hi Paul

Thank you for relating everything down from the day. Even for those of us who were there, it's nice to relive it all from someone else's view as well as our own.
So nice of you to mention the outfits Debbie and I were wearing. We took a lot of time and effort to get most of the things right for the occasion and it's a shame that only a couple of others did the same but it didn't mar the enjoyment at all.
Let's do that again next year and hopefully more will join in.
Debbie and I did witness one thing as Robin was leaving. He and Geoffrey hugged each other and Robin said 'See you next year' to which Geoffrey replied he wouldn't be coming next year.
Robin seemed to get very emotional at this point and said 'I'm not going to say goodbye'. So very sad.
Let's hope that Geoffrey does change his mind and does come even if it is just to sit and watch over all the proceedings.

Richard

Yes it was a magical day even for all the children that came along.
The sweets do bring it all back don't they? I haven't had my Anglo Bubbly yet but do remember competing with friends as to who could blow the biggest bubble and then who took the longest to peel it off their faces.

Here's to next year.

This was my first visit to Hexwood and my first meeting with the fanclub. May I say that everyone was so friendly and warm, the venue so very English, it was like stepping back in time to some early Seventies better time. Thank you all so much for all your hard work in creating this very special day. Meeting Geoffrey and Robin and the others, sitting by the actual barn, watching The Tellingbone with our heroes, was so fab! My heart is still open as I sit in my office,I am filled with a quiet joy. I was so taken with the gentle way everyone was with Geoffrey, it was actual love and I found that I had the same smile as everyone else.The children that we were are alive and well. Bless you all.

I couldn't have described the feeling or emotion better myself if i tried Melvyn. Yes it was love and it was like stepping back 40 years to our own childhoods. I don't know of a friendlier bunch of people to associate with or great actors and actress who consistently put themselves out for their fans year after year than the members and celebrities who form The Catweazle Fan Club.

I do hope you will come back next year and experience some more magic. Until then best wishes.
PopWeazle Paul

To Richard

It was lovely to see you and all the kids again.
Thank You so much for sharing your photos with me and thanks for the video of the kids blowing bubbles.they certainly were having fun weren't they!

I did enjoy my weekend immensely thank you despite all the work and yes i totally agree Graham's artwork IS an incredible achievement which i hope we will all have the opportunity to see again next year.

Do take care and really look forward to seeing you all again next year.


To Sue

Thank You for your lovely comments. It was a pleasure to do that disco for you and the club and maybe with a bit of encouragement we can convince a few of the other members to make the same effort you and Debbie made.

As for comments made between Robin & Geoffrey I shouldn't take anything said as being the gospel.
I think it's fair to say that Robin will be there next year.As for Geoffrey all we can do is pray and wish for his continued good health. (He is 85 Bless him)

When I asked Geoffrey to come back next year he jokingly muttered 'No' several times but deep down i think we all know in his heart he'd love to return.

I am sure Carol & Gary will make an official announcement about his appearance or non appearance early in 2010. In the mean time God Bless Geoffrey We Love You Dearly!

re geoffrey attending next years fete.we have been very lucky indeed to have geoffrey at the fete for the past few years.it was my third time and nothing will ever take away my wonderful memories of geoffrey. i love him to bits.so yes i would be gutted if i didnt see him again but we all have to remember at the age of 85 years young that it must take an awful lot out of him mentally and physically.we must count our blessings even to have met him once.so all i can say is a massive thankyou to geoffrey for making my life a whole lot better for meeting chatting and being in his company.so if you get to read this geoffrey god bless and thankyou.you are my hero love ian.aleweazle

Oh Geoffrey ... will you come back one day?