A Blast From The Past

Overview

Plot Summary

Following the opening song (‘A Blast From The Past’) we join two children, Alice and James, at home with their family. They are feeling slightly put-out that a number of their classmates will be missing the final week at school in favour of early holidays to Disney World and Centre Parks, while they still have to face the daily grind! As Mum, Dad, Gran and Grandpa try to console them with the fact that their last week will be more relaxed, with trips, parties, non-uniform days and suchlike, the conversation turns to their own memories of school in the ‘olden’ days! These recollections provide us with some hilarious snapshots of what things used to be like in the dim and distant past!
For example, what did school children used to wear? Well, with the aid of a catwalk, two flamboyant presenters and a few reluctant models, we find out the answer! In a fashion show that demonstrates what every discerning child would have worn to school through the ages, we are re-introduced to some memorable designs, culminating in the celebration of a truly classic item! (song – ‘Navy Blue Knickers’).
Dad digs out an old whole-school photo and we learn how, with skill, timing and nimble feet, he’s managed to appear twice in the same picture! Confused? All is revealed, and we come to appreciate that having your photo taken at school these days can be a slightly more stressful affair for all concerned…especially the photographer! (song – ‘Sit Still And Smile’).
James and Alice then listen in stunned silence as the adults talk about the methods that ‘old-school’ headteachers used to discipline unruly pupils! We witness a training day when enthusiastic heads are put through their paces and instructed in the best techniques for wielding a cane! Painfully funny! (song – ‘Six Of The Best’).
Remember free school milk, in bottles? Mum and Dad certainly do, and also the thrill of being picked to be the ultimate teacher’s helper….milk monitor! However, we soon discover that being given a daily bottle of the ‘white stuff’ didn’t always provide the benefits to a child’s health that it was supposed to! (song – ‘Drink Your Milk’).
And what about learning to read? It used to be a much less-complicated affair, all done with those loveable and memorable characters, Janet and John. Forget phonemes, digraphs and compound-words, and enjoy a tongue-in-cheek reminder of when it was as simple as ABC! (song – ‘Pink For A Girl, Blue For A Boy’).
As the family’s conversation draws to an end, Alice and James are filled with a new- found enthusiasm for going to school, and realise that their last week is one they wouldn’t want to miss for the world! Although a little sad at the prospect of leaving, they want to celebrate all those things that have made their time at school so special, and with the final song (‘The Time I’ve Spent With You’) that’s exactly what they do!