Crackerjack 2020 - last episode

Pix credits: BBC

Friday saw the last of this years rebooted Crackerjack show at Six PM on CBBC where they reviewed highlights of the new series which has gone down a storm with children, parents some of which might remember the 80's version and tv critics which is doing well.

Perhaps the the first thing to say was and is: Children even in an age of unparalleled technological sophistication that they share in remain fundamentally children at heart being no more emotionally and intellectually developed than any other generation.

Thus the decision to keep a large part of show with slapstick humour in mini sketches, presentational style, corny jokes, running around and screaming as it was just updated a little to take in today's world, made sense as the children felt a part of the show and parents could join in, seeing the fun value in the questions that would lead to one child gunging their parent or guardian as just that.

As boys and girls the idea of gunging authority figures appeals and here it has a safe place and talking of which care was taken to ensure child who lost, didn't feel failures but success was rewarded, as it should be.

With this Covid-19 and the lockdown we're in presently, they may be a wait before filming another series but the enthusiasm of the audience, viewers and presents was such this no doubt will happen at some point.

It worked a treat and I sure loved watching it as I did its previous versions as a child.

Unfairness in the playground

However  one wraps things up, from the ages of 4 onwards if not sometimes before whatever the PC and gender neutral activists say, girls always hunt down other girls to play and hang around with.

They only play with Dick if they really have to, such as there's only one of them otherwise if you ever went over to the girls and asked them if you could join in, the answer even at its politest would be a no.

You'd be told told to go play with the boys instead. That's cos they want do girls stuff together.

Dick is best just accepting he's a boy and going off to play with other boys instead as girls don't want boys in with them playing.

Now that's all fine and dandy but let's say a girl wants to play with boys.

You might think they'd be entitled to say "Sorry Mia, this is a boys group, why not play with Angela instead?" but before you know it a teacher or parent would allege they were being sexist and discriminatory if she made a complaint bringing equal opportunity policies into playground activities run by young children.

That's the issue today in the playground: One rule for girls and another for boys.  

A crossroads in March

I'm trying to avoid taking in too much of the news updates and that not least as beyond the feminine boy label, I am actually and adult little albeit of a feminine boy sort.

A pleated tartan skirt, long white socks and Mary Janes would be really the thing for me.

Virus or not it was my birthday recently and in with the presents was something pretty useful connected with that little side.

 I love and need lego to play with having a few sets and this set from the Lego Educational range comprises of wheel parts like axles, tires plus the baseplates and connectors to attach them to your lego.

This at a stroke expands the range of things I can just make and play with.

The rural way

 

While no doubt I'm concentrating on other matters, elsewhere today an element of what will help keep me focused is the time on the field trip  of which here's a picture of a traditional working farm premises and a cottage all made from local stone.

Such rustic scenes are things I really love and in that area people seem keen to keep things so rather than important modern urban buildings that simply wouldn't fit in well.