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Page 2064
22nd June 2014
Bottom Picture: I-Spy Code Book
Big Chief I-Spy
Inspired by a magazine article that Keith handed me sometime ago
I have made a couple of searches into someone who had a great deal of influence
to many of us as kids but none of us knew his real name. The name of Charles
Warrell does not immediately ring any bells with most of us but the name Big
Chief I-Spy does. Very few people can have given so much pleasure to so many
young readers over the years.
He was born in
1889 and eventually became a headmaster first of Higher Wych School, in
Cheshire, then of Pleasey Hill School, in Nottinghamshire,. He always believed
in active learning. After earlier publications including the
"Warrell-Way" series of educational books in 1946 which were not
particularly successful, he devised his first "I-Spy Spotterbook" in
1948, taking the title from a suggestion from his wife, Marian, in preference
to his own more sober notion of calling the series "Learning from
Life".
After failing to impress eight
different publishers, he decided to produce his books himself. He then chose
his local branch of Woolworth's, Mansfield, as a main outlet, drawing on a
friendship with that firm's principal book-buyer; the friendship was based
originally around a common interest in breeding pigs. Swift sales led to many
more books, plus serialisation for two years in the Daily Mail and then, for a
longer spell, in the News Chronicle. By 1959 there were 37 different I-Spy
books on the shelves, plus eight others with colour pages! The whole series was
to last till 1986, since when it has re-appeared under a succession of
different publishing houses.
His I-Spy books combined
simplicity of design with a great deal of accurate and often ingenious,
research. Costing only sixpence, or a shilling in colour, each paperback
concentrated on a particular topic ranging from The Seaside to People in
Uniform. Every one of the 40 or so pages would have a picture at the top
followed by a short verbal description within which the author would share his
own lively enthusiasms with his young audience. But the real fun was still to
come. For at the bottom of every page there was the I-Spyed challenge and an
accurate sighting of these special features, noting carefully both when and
where in the appropriate box, was worth 30 points. When the book was filled the
reader could send it to Wigwam-by-the-Water, Bouverie Street, London EC4.(now
that must have caused some head scratching in the Post Office!) In return he or
she would qualify for a Special Order of Merit franked by Big Chief's very own
seal and a coloured feather for the ceremonial headdress.
For sixpence any
"pale-face" was welcome to the Great Tribe of Red-skins, receiving,
through the post, a large manila envelope which contained an I-Spy badge a
Secret Code Book for deciphering the daily secret messages contained in Charles
Warrell's regular newspaper columns, the secret ‘How’ greeting to other
redskins plus a letter from Chief I-Spy himself telling the recipient that they
were now a redskin and a member of the I-Spy tribe. Several educational outing
were arranged and on more than one occasion mass theatre outings were
organised, with in excess of 8,000 children on one occasion enjoying an I-Spy
day out in London, travelling around in 80 hired double- decker buses. (that
works out at 100 per bus, today it would be classed as overcrowding and
dangerous!)
At its height, the whole I-Spy
operation involved over one and a half million young Red-skins, with two women
assistants employed solely to answer members' numerous telephone and written
questions.
Always happy to appear in his
chief’s head-dress on special I-Spy pow-wows in different parts of Britain,
Charles Warrell eventually opted for a quieter life at his home in Budleigh
Salterton, where he walked and gardened almost to the end. It was then that
Arnold Cawthrow took over as the Big Chief. Charles Warrell’s birthdays in
later years became something of a rallying point for Red-skins both young and
old, happy to honour their still surviving Big Chief in his well-earned
retirement.
After virtually dying out in the 1990’s Michelin Travel
Publications re- launched 12 new titles of I-Spy in 2009 and a further 12 in
spring 2010.
Known affectionately as Big Chief by the nursing home
staff where he finally ended his days, Charles Warrell died aged 106 in
Matlock, Derbyshire, in November 1995.
Stay in touch
Peter
DUSTYKEAT@aol.com
You Write:
Mary Writes:
Mary Writes:
Last week`s blog
brought back a few memories of the coalman! Ours was a cheery chap and some
people used to say that you should count the sacks as they were brought into
the coalhouse . We never did as he was an honest person and as you rightly say
was rewarded with a hot cuppa in the winter or a cold drink in the summer. My
parents did take advantage of summer prices. Once he arrived at our house and
told my mother he`d seen her walking along the Havant Rd and how smart she
looked. At home my mother wore an apron, not exactly haute couture, but after
lunch it was quite different. She always looked good. At this point my father
appeared for his lunch and said "If you felt that enamoured why didn`t you
give her a lift in your coal lorry?" My mother was quite shocked as my
father was an easy going man and not prone to jealousy. However sometimes there
was a glimpse of it! Hope you have a great time at your lunch. Wish I could be
there but am very happy here (France) with the 2 dogs, cat and 7 chickens!
News and Views:
On this Day 22nd June 1960-1965
On 22/06/1960 the number one single was Cathy's Clown -
Everly Brothers and the number one album was South Pacific
Soundtrack. The top rated TV show was Sunday Night at the London Palladium (ATV) and the box office
smash was Psycho.
A pound of today's money was worth £13.68
and Burnley were on the way to
becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.
On 22/06/1961 the number one single was Surrender - Elvis
Presley and the number one album was GI Blues - Elvis Presley. The top rated TV show was No Hiding Place (AR) and the box office
smash was One Hundred and
One Dalmations. A pound of today's money was worth £13.25 and Tottenham Hotspur were on the way to becoming the Season's
Division 1 champions.
On 22/06/1962 the number one single was Good Luck Charm -
Elvis Presley and the number one album was Blue Hawaii - Elvis Presley. The top
rated TV show was Coronation Street
(Granada) and the box office smash was Lawrence of Arabia.
A pound of today's money was worth £12.89
and Ipswich Town were on the way
to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions
On 22/06/1963 the number one single was From Me To You -
The Beatles and the number one album was Please Please Me - The Beatles. The
top rated TV show was Conservative
Party Political Broadcast (all channels) and the box office smash was The Great Escape. A pound of today's
money was worth £12.64 and Everton were on the way to becoming
the Season's Division 1 champions. The big news story of the day was USSR puts first woman in space.
On 22/06/1964 the number one single was You're My World - Cilla Black and the
number one album was Rolling Stones -
The Rolling Stones. The top rated TV show was Coronation Street (Granada) and the box office smash
was Dr Strangelove.
A pound of today's money was worth £12.24
and Liverpool were on the way to
becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.
On 22/06/1965 the number one single was Crying in the
Chapel - Elvis Presley and the number one album was The Sound of Music Soundtrack. The top
rated TV show was Coronation Street
(Granada) and the box office smash was The Sound of Music. A pound of today's
money was worth £11.69 and Manchester United were on the way to
becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.
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