TITCH by Pat Hutchins

London 2006/7

This is the moment I first tried on the hat in the "Robing Room"

Doctor Who?

Did you guess? Well, it’s Doctor Pat! The University of East Anglia, Suffolk College has given me an Honorary Doctorate, a great honour indeed.

At first I couldn’t believe it was meant for me, but the University very kindly assured me that it was. It doesn’t mean I can give out cough medicine or mend broken legs and I won’t be travelling through space in an old-fashioned Police box, like you know Who, but it was a great experience as you can see. I even had to make a speech!

No! It’s not everyone falling asleep during my speech

The Dean of the college had asked me to make the speech. While she introduced me to all the other graduates I had to stand there, as still as a statue and everyone was very serious.

I didn’t get to meet the other Honorary Graduates, we all had our separate presentations. They included ex-Rolling Stone, Bill Wyman, designer Jasper Conran, and Ian Lavender, Pike from Dad’s Army, we all have connections with Suffolk. As you regulars know I do a lot of my work in my beautiful Suffolk cottage.

Pat's Barn Dance

Regular visitors to Titch’s web-site will also know that we often preview my new books here before they’re published. So here’s the cover of my next book to be published in March 2007:

This is all about a beautiful night when Horse, Pig and Sheep decided to have a barn dance, they didn’t want to wake their young ones so they spread straw on the floor to muffle the sound and they danced and danced. But- were the young ones really asleep or were they just pretending? There’s a clue in the cover!

Did you guess who this one is dedicated to? It should have been pretty easy! It’s Ben my new Grandson of course!

Talking abuot Baby Ben, did you work out which silent movie star he could have been named after? What about Ben Turpin? your Grandma might know who he was, and Stanley could be Stan laurel and Harry Buster has to be Buster Keaton.

Pat found in the Foundling Home

Yes, I can be found at the Foundling Hospital.

Let me explain;

In London there’s a wonderful New Museum called The Foundling Museum, it’s new as a museum but was originally a home for unwanted children, two hundred years ago, and a very generous man called Thomas Coram founded a charity there.

It became “Home” to many unwanted children.

A lot of his friends were very famous people, like the composer Handel and artists such as John Constable and William Hogarth.

He persuaded them to contribute towards the children’s home.

Some of them gave paintings and most of them are still there.

Now this is where I come in;

My friend Shirley Hughes and I were asked to write poems about some of them for children to listen to while looking at the pictures.

Here’s one of them called “The Sick Room”, and the poem I wrote for it.

See if you can spot the things I mention in the poem.

How did Joseph hurt his arm?
And why is Edward sick?
Did the two of them start fighting?
Were they fighting with the stick?

Little Tommy thinks he knows
How both of them got hurt, but
Nurse tells him not to interrupt,
And stop tugging at her skirt.

Did they fight over Noah’s Ark?
And the little doll as well?
Nellie peeping through the curtain knows
But she promised not to tell.

Will Joseph’s arm get better?
Will Edward soon be well?
I know. A little birdie told me.
But I’m not going to tell.

There are lots of nice things to see and do at the Foundling museum, so if you’re going to be in London, do go along. You can check their website for the address - www.foundlingmuseum.org.uk.

Tailcat as a kitten?

And yes, I know we always have that lovely picture of a kitten on the News Page but it is of course my most favourite cat ever, Lefty.

He got his name because of the white mark down the left of his nose. It was his 'litter name' to help identify him in the litter.

Who's that with Pat?

We’ve had lots of mail about Rosie and Jim since Titch’s News Page scoop. Mostly about whether I’ll be appearing With them again, and if I liked them. Well I don’t think I’ll be appearing with them again, but I’m sure you can still get the videos from their website at www.rosieandjim.tv.

Here’s another picture of Rosie & Jim for you.

And in answer to the other question, yes I did like them very much, even though they could be a little naughty some times, but I wasn’t very good at steering the boat!

Two of you got the answer to our question right; they called me “Loopy Lobes”, because of the earrings I like to wear.

Titch Back on Track!

My husband Laurence wants me to tell you that Lynton and Barnstaple Railway’s little work-horse:”Titch” has gone back to work on the railway after it’s overhaul. The Railway has sent him this very fine picture of “Titch the Loco”, and you can see him for real on the railway in Devon, England or find out more about it here: www.lynton-rail.co.uk

Titch's New Voice

Conan Murphy studying “Titch” with Pat in the recording Studio.

Those of you, who’ve seen Titch on Channel 5 in the U.K., will have noticed that Titch has learned to sing a little better. (He does on the DVDs as well.) Channel 5 wanted Titch to sound a bit older and after a lot of searching we found Conan who did a wonderful job. We had great fun recording again.

A real Titch making biscuits?

This is where it all began.

Stanley wanted to make some biscuits like Titch does in his film, and he is Sam’s son who, with Morgan, Titch is based on.

You can see that we weren’t much better at it than Titch, but they tasted great.

Titch’s Feel Happy book

A very special organisation that prepares versions of popular Children’s books for a library for blind children has produced copies of my books: “Titch”, “Don’t Forget the Bacon”, and “Good Night Owl”

The books have both Braille raised words and big print so they help partially sighted children read too. The extra special thing is they have raised, ”feely” pictures, so the children, guided by a tape can enjoy the illustrations as well as the story. They’ve published over 100 books.

If you would like to know more, or know someone who might benefit from the books. This is the address:

Feel Happy, The Living Paintings Trust, Unit 8,Kingsclere House, Kingsclere, Newbury, Berks,RG20 4SW.

Tel/Fax: 01635 299 771

Titch In France?

Well sort of. Morgan my eldest son is the hero of “The Mona Lisa Mystery” and the first Titch book was based on him. So that's really Morgan in the drawing but we cheated a little and gave him Titch’s colours.

That is all for now

Love

Pat

I’m sorry we’ve had to close the visitor’s book, as we did enjoy your letters and comments very much. So if you would like to write or send a post card to Titch or me here’s a reminder of the address, and please include a stamped and addressed envelope for a reply.

Hutchins Film Co Ltd, PO Box 38207, LONDON NW3 1ZE