July
2004
Mallett takes on the crooked spire |
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| Timmy
Mallett |
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Rumour
has it a loudly dressed character will be going crazy with a huge
mallett in Chesterfield on Thursday night.
But don't worry if you get bashed - it's just a kids TV presenter
and the mallett's made of foam! |
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For
people of a certain age, Timmy Mallett will always be associated with
a golden age of late-80s innocence - a time of boiling hot summer
holidays, when the only thing that really mattered was what time Transformers
was on and whether it clashed with He-Man.
As the frontman of CITV's Wacaday show, Timmy burst onto our screens
every morning introducing cartoons, bizarre features and of course,
the famous Mallett's Mallet game.
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| Timmy
Mallett |
Since
the show finished in 1992, Timmy has continued the TV work and more
recently he's discovered the lucrative world of nightclub PAs - spurred
on by the current demand for all things 80s-centric.
And that's
what brings him to Chesterfield's Zanzibar nightclub on Thursday,
8th July.
Timmy
says: "It's a chance for everyone to relive their childhood!
We'll be playing Mallett's Mallet, Pinky Punky, a bit of Itsy Bitsy
Teeny Weeny Yellow Polka Dot Bikini. I come on at midnight and it's
just extraordinary! They're all smashed and then they get bonked on
the head by me! It's great! I think I must have bashed millions of
heads by now!
"We're
expecting between 700-1500 people. It's mad how they all remember
the show - even the younger ones who were probably too young to take
it in at the time. I think there must be something about the mallet
that's impacted on the national psyche!
"We still use the original mallets from the programme. They've
had to have a bit of refurbishment done on them - a bit of sewing
- but they're still the same ones!"
Originally from Marple in Cheshire, Timmy's own childhood featured
numerous trips to Derbyshire.
He says: "I remember climbing Kinder Scout as a kid and many
a happy day was spent in the Peak District. This'll be my first visit
to Chesterfield though - the crooked spire and all that!"
After battling with Philip Schofield to be the most remembered children's
presenter of his generation, Timmy is happy to back off from the limelight
these days.
He says: "It's someone else's turn now. I actually think kids
TV is in a really healthy state at the moment. We watch a lot of CBBC
before I take Billy, my son, to school and there's some good stuff
on.
"I recently went on Dick and Dom in Da Bungalow and I think they're
terrific. They look like they're just having fun and they come across
as good mates as well. I'm a big fan.
"I also like SMART on CBBC and Fearne Cotton's good too. Lots
of colour and energy!"
The act may be almost 20 years old - but it seems there's still a
tremendous appetite for Mallett's tasteless dress sense and dayglo
props - including his mad glasses!
He says: "Yeah I still wear them. They're specially made for
me by a company called Anglo-American, they've always done them for
me.
"I had a pair of football glasses done ready for if England got
to the final of the Euro Championships but I guess I'll just have
to save them for when we beat Germany in a couple of years. I also
had some tennis ones done for Henman winning Wimbledon but I suppose
I won't be needing them now!"
So as Timmy juggles time between the nightclub appearances, running
his production company, TV work and looking after his son, does he
ever worry he'll burn out?
He says: "Not yet! I'll carry on doing this this till I'm 90
- I'll die on stage! No, it's still really really good fun and I'll
keep doing it until it gets boring."
Madcap and wacky he may be, but the impression Timmy gives is of a
sharp, focussed man with plenty of drive and motivation - and a penchant
for giant pink mallets!
You can see Timmy Mallett at Zanzibar Chesterfield on Thursday,
8th July 2004.
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| Your
comments on this story |
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remember, No e-mail addresses, No website addresses, Keep it
clean and polite - and please, don't type the whole of your
message in capitals. |
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Sandra Mallett Honeywell
I was just searching the web for Mallett's in England and I came across Timmy's name. My Mom is a British War Bride and I was told their were quite a few Mallett's in the Southwest of England.
You sound just like the Mallett's over here Tim! We are all crazy and have loads of fun.
Lucy, Derby
Mallett's Mallet is a word association game, where you musn't pause, hesitate, repeat a word, or say a word I don't like... otherwise you get a bash on the head like this...or like this...the one with the most bruises loses... ahhhhhh, all the evidence of summer holidays well spent.
Gordie the Photographer, Chesterfield
I had the pleasure of working with Timmy at Zanzibar in Chesterfield, taking tons of photo's for his website, and he's a really great bloke who everyone loved to see!
Lynda - Chester
I have seen Timmy's show in Bristol when visitng mates and it's utterly brilliant. Everyone was involved, it was noisy and he's completely mad.
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