Changes

I would post some more photos taken with our brand new camera but they're on the upstairs computer and since I have to book in ahead to use that one you'll have to wait. I'm typing this from Maya's eMac. A supercool little computer and the one she spends all night chatting to her friends on. I only know how to use it to its most basic features - like surfing the net for useless pieces of information such as who created Fireman Sam.

We rented a Fireman Sam DVD from the local video rental place. It's only a three night hire because apparently it's a new release, even though it was made in like 1915. It's the early episodes of Fireman Sam in which all the voices of all the characters came from the one man. The puppets don't have moving mouths so it's sometimes hard to distinguish who says what. If you're a Fireman Sam officianado like we've come to be you'll know that having these early episodes is almost as thrilling as watching water boil. I say that with only a hint of sarcasm because it is actually very interesting.

Interestingly enough Fireman Sam was created to help promote the Welsh Fire service. It started as a public service announcement. Fireman Sam is of course the town hero. If he can't fix it no one can. Norman, the redheaded village ratbag, comes from a single parent family. His mum runs the local store. Her name is Dylis and she's always on the hunt for a husband. In the newer episodes she is always flirting with Trevor the dark skinned bus driver. He always seems oblivious to her overtures. BUT...in the older episodes it's Trevor who's always attempting to have Dylis respond to his flirtations. He even calls her "my darling" and "sugarbag". At some point they must have decided that it was politically incorrect for a dark skinned bus driver to be making heavy moves on a white single mother struggling to keep her general store afloat. They've cut out all the endearments, except those made by Dylis to Trevor. Perhaps they thought girls and boys the world over needed to recognise that women were the ones with all the power. That they could be career women, have children and still attract a man.

Henry has noticed the subtle differences. He's noticed that Fireman Sam has the same voice as his nephew James. That Norman is dressed in different clothing. That Jupiter (the firetruck) has a different shape and that Bella, the Italian cafe owner, can't sing. He's not so fussed on the older episodes. The theme song and accomanying introduction is different and Henry refuses to sing along to it. He is a boy who does not like change, who would like for things to stay the same always. In an ever changing world he's never going to be happy. I'm going to have to send him to therapy in order to help him cope.