Tweet
Whilst we have two well-known stubbly-challenged gentleman who are making their mark in their own ways this December, (the two in question are obviously Father Christmas and Jeremy Corbyn), the news has just been announced of another famously bearded man, knowingly the botanist and broadcaster David Bellamy who has died at the age of 86. He was, probably, the most famous bearded celebrity of the 1980s, and one of the most impersonated as well.
In Great Britain he was the "famous" David Bellamy unlike his namesake from the 1970s group The Bellamy Brothers, and he appeared in many TV series mostly connected to science, botany and similar subjects such as Bellamy's Backyard Safari, Don't Ask Me and Botanic Man. Bellamy was one main target on the comedians' impressions list, and even Lenny Henry on Tiswas did with a false candy floss stubble and doing a "mouth full" impersonation. He did remind me of a science teacher that I had when I was at school, and otherwise the similarity was coincidental.
In light of the forthcoming General Election, it is also worth noting the fact that Bellamy actually stood in 1997 for the Referendum Party against the then incumbent Prime Minister John Major in Huntingdon, and became one of the few candidates to save his deposit of 5.5%. One could imagine him being associated with the Green Party or some other left-wing moment - when I wrote to him for an autograph in the late 1990s he was in charge of an organisation called Population Concern.
Bellamy appeared in so many series mostly scientific, but some notable TV appearances including two episodes of Grange Hill in 1984 where the fifth formers go on a UN weekend - Bellamy appeared as himself chairing a mock conference, and he also got an honourable mention in an episode in the previous series. Also for the children's TV slot, he presented the Yorkshire TV botanical series Bellamy's Bugle where he sat in his office in front of his computer while documenting on green and rural issues - I do remember one episode which excited me and was shown one Friday in around 1986-1987 but it doesn't seem to be one of the few episodes seen on YouTube.
In 1993 he appeared in the commercial breaks advertising Dettox spray, showing viewers how it cleans kitchens and worktops, and I believe that he appeared in other commercials over the years as well. He used his persona quite well to make viewers trust him and understand what points he was actually getting across - something that doesn't happen very much with modern TV presenters these days. I believe that he would have made an excellent lecturer on botany for the Royal Institution for their annual Christmas lectures.
I know it's a cliché, but he is another person from our childhoods who has also sadly gone.
In Great Britain he was the "famous" David Bellamy unlike his namesake from the 1970s group The Bellamy Brothers, and he appeared in many TV series mostly connected to science, botany and similar subjects such as Bellamy's Backyard Safari, Don't Ask Me and Botanic Man. Bellamy was one main target on the comedians' impressions list, and even Lenny Henry on Tiswas did with a false candy floss stubble and doing a "mouth full" impersonation. He did remind me of a science teacher that I had when I was at school, and otherwise the similarity was coincidental.
In light of the forthcoming General Election, it is also worth noting the fact that Bellamy actually stood in 1997 for the Referendum Party against the then incumbent Prime Minister John Major in Huntingdon, and became one of the few candidates to save his deposit of 5.5%. One could imagine him being associated with the Green Party or some other left-wing moment - when I wrote to him for an autograph in the late 1990s he was in charge of an organisation called Population Concern.
Bellamy appeared in so many series mostly scientific, but some notable TV appearances including two episodes of Grange Hill in 1984 where the fifth formers go on a UN weekend - Bellamy appeared as himself chairing a mock conference, and he also got an honourable mention in an episode in the previous series. Also for the children's TV slot, he presented the Yorkshire TV botanical series Bellamy's Bugle where he sat in his office in front of his computer while documenting on green and rural issues - I do remember one episode which excited me and was shown one Friday in around 1986-1987 but it doesn't seem to be one of the few episodes seen on YouTube.
In 1993 he appeared in the commercial breaks advertising Dettox spray, showing viewers how it cleans kitchens and worktops, and I believe that he appeared in other commercials over the years as well. He used his persona quite well to make viewers trust him and understand what points he was actually getting across - something that doesn't happen very much with modern TV presenters these days. I believe that he would have made an excellent lecturer on botany for the Royal Institution for their annual Christmas lectures.
I know it's a cliché, but he is another person from our childhoods who has also sadly gone.
Comment