REMEMBERING THE DIDDYMEN...

(with thanks to Roger Stevenson for his help with this article)

Those of us who were children in the 1970s had a lot of wonderful television programmes to keep us amused, many of which have since gone on to achieve cult status.  But over the years,  I have often thought back to one of the abiding memories of my childhood viewing.  The Diddymen.
 

This band of tiny beings – we are told - inhabit Ken Dodd’s home borough of Knotty Ash bringing with them Ken’s own whimsical humour to children of all ages.  Sir Ken Dodd was a multi-faceted performer. Top selling recording artist, ventriloquist, actor and of course the greatest stand-up comedian that this country has ever produced.  But he is also often labelled 'King Of The Diddymen'.  Several generations have now grown up not knowing what a Diddyman is. So lets remind ourselves about these iconic diminutive figures.

The most recognisable of the  Diddymen are:

Also appearing from time to time are the likes of Smarty Arty and Michael O’Weeny to name but two. The Diddymen have their own work ethic, making sure the Jam Butty Mines and the Broken Biscuit Repair Factory are kept fully productive to supply the demand in Diddyland. Some work in the Snuff Quarry and some in the Gravy Wells. Life is pretty good for The Diddymen, however they are often heard to mutter dark things about their arch enemies - The Gnomes Of Zurich.  One can only imagine the two tiny forces going into Diddy battle. 

It all started out when Ken realised he needed something to connect with the kids during his live shows, thus he invented The Diddymen, based initially on his fondly remembered Uncle Jack. As early as 1966 a puppet Dicky Mint was seen in Ken’s BBC variety shows (operated by puppet maestro Roger Stevenson).  To add to the merriment a vinyl EP Doddy And The Diddymen was issued the same year, containing five songs produced by Ken’s long time recording collaborator and music business legend, Norman Newell.  A further EP, Diddyiness, was released in 1967 and contained what would become their signature tune ‘Song Of The Diddymen’.  All the recordings were gathered together with four new tracks to form the 1970 Music For Pleasure LP Ken Dodd And The Diddymen – Recorded ‘live’ at the Knotty Ash Studios (MFP 1368).   

You can download the 1970 mp3 album HERE

This remained their only long playing outing until 1987 when Ken’s own record label Knotty Ash Records released Ken Dodd And The Diddymen – Featuring 25 Diddy Hits in vinyl, cassette and CD formats. This comprised of three tracks from the original LP re-recorded (albeit somewhat cheaply) by producer Gordon Lorenz, added to several medleys consisting of out-of-copyright traditional songs as performed by Ken and his Diddy recording mates.

You can download the 1987 mp3 album HERE

Doddy’s stage shows featured sections by the Diddymen,  who for the purposes of the theatre were actually stage school kids in the familiar Diddy costumes. But their biggest shot at Diddy fame came in January 1969 when the BBC began showing a series of 10 minute comedies aimed at children.  Roger Stevenson fleshed out his puppet menagerie to include all the Diddy personalities that Ken's fertile imagination had introduced to the world. Roger told me:

"There were three versions and the later and third versions are the ones that appeared in all the BBC shows.  I cannot remember how many series or shows we did but there was a pilot filmed on location about 1967.  The opening ‘We are The Diddymen’ sequence was the only footage used from this pilot as the other series were filmed at the Dickenson Road Studios (Manchester). There were some filmed locations occasionally."

An early version of the Diddy puppets,  with producer Stan Parkinson (left)

The Knotty Ash Diddyland was brought to life marvellously as the Diddymen strove to wreak havoc around their champion Ken Dodd.  In all 28 shorts were made and shown on BBC1 between 1969 and 1972.  The programmes cemented the popularity of Doddy and the Diddymen themselves, as both kids and adults enjoyed anarchic slices of life from the Dodd fantasy empire. Scripted by future Rentaghost creator Bob Block and produced by Stan Parkinson for BBC Manchester,  these potted slices of Doddy madness proved popular with kids and adults alike.  Tied in with the series came a wealth of merchandise which included Diddymen figures,  crockery,  books and a weekly comic strip in TV Comic.

SERIES ONE

Episode 1: Broadcast  Sunday  5th January 1969  5.55pm

Episode 2: Broadcast Sunday 11th January 1969 5.55pm

Episode 3: Broadcast Sunday 18th January 1969 5.55pm

Episode 4: Broadcast Sunday 26th January 1969 5.55pm

Episode 5: Broadcast Sunday 2nd February 1969 5.55pm

Episode 6: Broadcast Sunday 9th February 1969 5.55pm

Easter Special: Broadcast Sunday 6th April 1969 5.55pm

In order to provide the children with free chocolate Easter bunnies, Ken and the Diddymen decide to tap the vast underground reserves of hot natural chocolate which have recently been discovered beneath Diddyland.

August Bank Holiday Special:  Broadcast Sunday 31st August 1969 5.55pm

Christmas Special - The Carol Singers:  Broadcast Sunday 21st December 1969 5.55pm

A plumptious Christmas Party organised by the Diddy Male Voice Choir.  Before the party the Diddymen take Ken Dodd carol-singing. But there are problems whenever they hit a top note ...

SERIES TWO

Episode 1:  The Spysmashers  Broadcast Sunday 1st March 1970 5.55pm

Episode 2:  The Recording  Broadcast Sunday 8th March 1970 5.55pm

Episode 3: The Haunted Treacle Mines  Broadcast Sunday 22nd March 1970 5.55pm

Episode 4: The Horticultural Contest  Broadcast Sunday 29th March 1970 5.55pm

Episode 5:  Safari To Darkest Diddyland  Sunday 5th April 1970 5.55pm

Episode 6:  Looking After Doddy  Sunday 12th April 1970 5.55pm

SERIES THREE

Episode 1: Return Of The Prodigal Diddyman  Broadcast Sunday 29th November 1970 3.25pm

Episode 2:  The Stowaways  Broadcast Sunday 6th December 1970 3.20pm

Episode 3: The Abominable Snowman  Broadcast Sunday 20th December 1970 3.20pm

Episode 4: His Doddyness, The Mayor Broadcast Saturday 26th December 1970 9.45am

Episode 5:  Harry Cott, Superman  Broadcast Sunday 27th December 1970 5.55pm

Episode 6:  Doddy The Peacemaker  Broadcast Sunday 3rd January 1971 3.00pm

Episode 7:  Diddyland Television  Broadcast Sunday 10th January 1971 3.00pm

SERIES FOUR

Episode 1:  How Harry Cott Saved The World  Broadcast Sunday 9th January 1972 2.55pm

Episode 2:  A Star Is Born  Broadcast Sunday 15th January 1972 3.00pm

Episode 3:  The Plague Of The Diddy Fireflies  Broadcast Sunday 23rd January 1972 2.55pm

Episode 4: The Crime Wave  Broadcast Sunday 30th January 1972 2.55pm

Episode 5:  Shipwrecked  Broadcast Sunday 20th February 1972 3.15pm

Episode 6:  The Great Jumping Bean Disaster  Broadcast Sunday 27th February 1972 3.15pm

Although in his later years Ken decided not to feature the  Diddymen in his stage shows, he did however always include a section with his ventriloquist doll, Diddyman Dicky Mint, reminding people of his enduring connection to Diddyland. Maybe one day these rare recordings and television programmes will be released to a new audience on CD and DVD,  but for now the famous Diddymen of Knotty Ash still exist in the memories of Ken’s millions of admirers in the UK.  Altogether now –

D.I.D.D.Y…

 

We are the Diddymen, itty bitty Diddymen

We are the Diddymen who always have a bash

We’re full of diddy joys, we make a giant diddy noise

We are the Diddymen who come from Knotty Ash

In diddy socks, diddy shoes

Diddy shirts, diddy trews

Around the diddy city

We sing our diddy ditty

We are the Diddymen, Doddy’s dotty Diddymen

We are the Diddymen who come from Knotty Ash

Sure I’m Mick The Marmaliser

I’m one foot seven tall

With my six inch shillalah

Sure I’ll marmalise you all

I’m Evan from the valleys

I’ve travelled very far

And from all the Diddy Welsh men

Here’s a diddy yakky dah

We are the Diddymen, itty bitty Diddymen

We are the Diddymen who come from Knotty Ash

From Invercockyleaky

Wee Hamish, that’s my name

I’ve just a diddy sporran

But I’ll wiggle it just the same

I’m Nigel Poncenby-Smallpiece

The Cream of the elite ha ha ha

Just follow me and you will see

My Diddy country seat

We are the Diddymen, Doddy’s dotty Diddymen

We are the Diddymen who come from Knotty Ash

Our diddy hearts are dutiful

Our tummy’s are jam butty-full

In accents many and various

We’re feeling tattyphilarious

Merry and gay, wherever we are

A diddyfalay, a diddyfala

We are the Diddymen, itty bitty Diddymen

We are the Diddymen who always have a bash

We hope it doesn’t rain

And wash us down the diddy drain

We are the Diddymen who come from Knotty Ash

In diddy hats, diddy smocks,

Money in our diddy box

We march around the circus

Singing ‘Up the Diddy workers!’

We are the Diddymen, Doddy’s dotty Diddymen

We are the Diddymen so let the cymbal crash

We’re the Diddymen – from Knotty Ash