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Things that irrationally terrified you as a child

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    #51
    Originally posted by Kowalski View Post
    The massive electricity Pylons, I still can't walk near them / under the cables when I'm on my own.
    Is that in any way related to poor Jimmy's electrocution when trying to retrieve his Frisbee in that oft-referenced Public Information Film?

    If so, completely understandable. Those films were bloody disturbing.

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      #52
      Originally posted by Various Artist View Post
      Yes, for me the Thames ident is as tied to Rainbow – visually and sonically – as the 20th Century Fox one is tied to Star Wars.
      Yeah, Star Wars without the Fox fanfare is crap

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        #53
        Originally posted by Jah Womble View Post
        Is that in any way related to poor Jimmy's electrocution when trying to retrieve his Frisbee in that oft-referenced Public Information Film?

        If so, completely understandable. Those films were bloody disturbing.
        Now I think back it's probably a lot to do with that, there was something about the coming together of the ceramic / glass insulators, the kite and the scream that's lodged deep in my subconscious.

        I'll throw in the fact that pylons are usually in the middle of nowhere, a place where it's always windy, (Whilst we're here I must add that a wind that's strong enough to stop me moving forward is another thing that sets me off fearing the worst, and cold showers, which is odd considering I grew up in a north Walian seaside resort that's both wet and windy in the winter)

        My fear probably wasn't lessened by the CEGB folder we had, It was chock full of interesting stuff for schoolkids, like matter of fact information about Nuclear Power and superficially nice looking photos of power stations at sunset in barren coastal locations. I couldn't help but visualise being marooned in the freezing cold water, or being petrified in the cavernous turbine halls with only engineers and boffins in long coats and crimplene slacks for company.

        I don't think being a primary school kid in the early '80s helped, with the second cold war, the molten leatherette seats of a Hillman saloon and royal wedding street parties.
        Last edited by Kowalski; 13-01-2021, 20:49.

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          #54
          I had nightmares about sabre-tooth tigers for years, even though I was fascinated by all things prehistoric.

          More weirdly, there was a certain model of Commer truck that freaked me out (example below). The lights and grill give it a mournful look, but it's hardly the stuff of nightmares. I knew it was irrational that I should find a light goods vehicle unsettling, and my 8 year old brain tried to rationalise it by convincing itself that the reason I was weirded out by these things was because it was a premonition that I would eventually die under the wheels of one. I mean, I still might, so I tend to give vintage and heritage car shows a wide berth.


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            #55
            I can't remember any specific irrational thing frightening me as a child, I had the usual scares. Aged 9 and in hospital after my neck operation to surgically correct my torticollis (basically cutting out a bit of my neck and spending a good while in a soft neck brace). I had my own room, the benefits of a private health care plan from my father's employers (BAT, I am going to OTF hell) and the nurses indulged me shamelessly as I was a change from old men having prostate or hernia problems.

            At home, I still went to sleep with the landing light on so when it was turned off on the ward corridor I was extremely upset to the point of hitting the panic button to get a nurse to come to tell me that it was OK, they just did that there. It's one of the more vivid memories of my childhood.
            ​​​​

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              #56
              The malignant dwarf in 'The Singing Ringing Tree' scared me shitless as a small child. For those of you not exposed to the BBC's often bizarre choice of children's TV programmes throughout the 60's, 'The Singing Ringing Tree' was a badly-dubbed, black & white East German-made fairy tale that was clearly designed to traumatise a generation of decadent British children.

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                #57
                And I always thought the Fast Show just made that up!

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                  #58
                  Really? You're just too young...

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                    #59
                    Originally posted by Kowalski View Post

                    Now I think back it's probably a lot to do with that, there was something about the coming together of the ceramic / glass insulators, the kite and the scream that's lodged deep in my subconscious.

                    I'll throw in the fact that pylons are usually in the middle of nowhere, a place where it's always windy, (Whilst we're here I must add that a wind that's strong enough to stop me moving forward is another thing that sets me off fearing the worst, and cold showers, which is odd considering I grew up in a north Walian seaside resort that's both wet and windy in the winter)

                    My fear probably wasn't lessened by the CEGB folder we had, It was chock full of interesting stuff for schoolkids, like matter of fact information about Nuclear Power and superficially nice looking photos of power stations at sunset in barren coastal locations. I couldn't help but visualise being marooned in the freezing cold water, or being petrified in the cavernous turbine halls with only engineers and boffins in long coats and crimplene slacks for company.

                    I don't think being a primary school kid in the early '80s helped, with the second cold war, the molten leatherette seats of a Hillman saloon and royal wedding street parties.
                    You’re right - it was indeed a kite. The Frisbee was a different PIF, in which the kid had it safely returned by the friendly neighbourhood substation manager.
                    Last edited by Jah Womble; 13-01-2021, 23:26.

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                      #60
                      As a kid, I found Dogtanian and the three muskahounds to be kind of boring, I cannot remember a single thing about it, and yet I shall never forget it because my cousin, 8 at the time and visiting for the day, completely lost his shit when it came on, he just started screaming, scrambling away from the TV while I looked on in complete shock before grabbing the remote and turning over, while my poor, traumatised cousin rocked back and forth sobbing not-very-gently.
                      I've always meant to ask him what that was about, but haven't had the heart to do so, though it was 30 years ago.
                      As for myself, 4 year old me was terrified when Bill Bixby's Bruce Banner transformed into the incredible hulk, but that doesn't seem too irrational, I don't think.
                      Last edited by Mr Delicieux; 13-01-2021, 23:53.

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                        #61
                        Giggler's excellent shout for the world in action intro brought to mind the tales of the unexpected title sequence. I think I'd catch the intro while being ferried to bed, the music and the name if it enough to leave me why anybody needed to tell unexpected tales, it all seemed so sordid to this 4 year old kid.

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                          #62
                          Originally posted by Patrick Thistle View Post

                          Yeah, Star Wars without the Fox fanfare is crap
                          You can perhaps understand why Disney wouldn't want to use it anymore though. When a company founded by WALT FUCKING DISNEY thinks your former owner is a wrong 'un, a damnatio memoriae is not unexpected.

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                            #63
                            Originally posted by gjw100 View Post
                            The malignant dwarf in 'The Singing Ringing Tree' scared me shitless as a small child. For those of you not exposed to the BBC's often bizarre choice of children's TV programmes throughout the 60's, 'The Singing Ringing Tree' was a badly-dubbed, black & white East German-made fairy tale that was clearly designed to traumatise a generation of decadent British children.
                            The Tales from Europe stories were all pretty hardcore in my recollection.

                            The Tinderbox was another that gave me the heebeegeebees - those exponentially-enormous dogs, especially.

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                              #64
                              Originally posted by 3 Colours Red View Post

                              You can perhaps understand why Disney wouldn't want to use it anymore though. When a company founded by WALT FUCKING DISNEY thinks your former owner is a wrong 'un, a damnatio memoriae is not unexpected.
                              Disney have bought Fox now so I'm hoping it will come back. Having the Disney logo on the front of Star Wars films feels wrong.

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                                #65
                                Terry Hall frightened me as a child. A bit embarassing looking back on it.

                                (Terry Hall of the Specials, not Lenny the Lion.)

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                                  #66
                                  Originally posted by Toby Gymshorts View Post
                                  Noseybonk, although I will argue to the death that there is absolutely nothing fucking irrational about that.
                                  Noseybonk was fucking terrifying.

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                                    #67
                                    Scorpions in my slippers after watching a film or a nature documentary reconstruction where one got into a guys boots and he put them on without looking, suddenly screamed out in agony and died instantly.

                                    I checked all my footwear for years afterwards despite deadly scorpions not really being endemic to rural East Anglia.

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                                      #68
                                      Originally posted by Tratorello View Post
                                      I checked all my footwear for years afterwards despite deadly scorpions not really being endemic to rural East Anglia.
                                      In fairness, I had a bag packed permanently in my porch for several years so I would still have my football things in case of volcanoes or earthquakes, which were equally rare in Hertfordshire.

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                                        #69
                                        What in heck is/was 'Noseybonk'? (Sounds like something from In the Night Garden.)

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                                          #70
                                          Noseybonk

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                                            #71
                                            Originally posted by Billy Casper View Post
                                            The Herbs TV programme - specifically the owl.
                                            Really? I was a big fan of the Herbs. Especially Parsley, the very friendly lion. The owl was Sage, of course. A dog called Dill. Who else?

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                                              #72
                                              Originally posted by TonTon View Post

                                              Really? I was a big fan of the Herbs. Especially Parsley, the very friendly lion. The owl was Sage, of course. A dog called Dill. Who else?
                                              Sir Basil and Lady Rosemary. Signor Solidago (and the Chives?)

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                                                #73
                                                No, it was Mr Onion and the Chives

                                                And Bayleaf the gardener
                                                oh, and Tarragon the dragon

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                                                  #74
                                                  Originally posted by ad hoc View Post

                                                  Sir Basil and Lady Rosemary. Signor Solidago (and the Chives?)
                                                  Blimey there's loads of them

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                                                    #75
                                                    I have no recollection whatsoever of Miss Jessop

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