Vision on...

Do you remember Vision On? If you did, did you feel guilty watching it? I did and so did my friends, in fact some of my ‘friends’ wouldn’t watch it at all - some of them would even start a fight with you if you admitted watching it. After all, it wasn’t for us; it was for them – the deaf kids.

Vision On was for the deaf kids and normal kids weren’t allowed to watch it. You were breaking ‘the law’ if you did, whose law nobody seemed to know, but it was definitely illegal.

Vision On was designed specifically for deaf children and shown on BBC’s children’s hour from 1964 to 1976. I think I remember watching it from the start but can’t remember if I was still watching it in 1976 – I doubt it. It was dreamt-up and developed by BBC producers Ursula Eason and Patrick Dowling to replace a monthly series that the BBC sensitively called For the Deaf – what a terrible and so ‘of the time’ title. FTD was paced slowly enough for deaf children to read captions and subtitles. There was some initial disagreement as to whether lip-reading or sign language would be more appropriate for the deaf kids who were going to watch Vision On - eventually it was decided that, since the new programme was primarily intended as entertainment and not education, that communication would be completely visual, text would be limited and speech would be almost abandoned altogether.

Ground-breaking stuff at the time and the programme won awards. The Vision On title alluded to the illuminated sign in BBC studios that indicated that the cameras were running - not that anyone would have known that outside of the BBC - it was an in-joke, how typically ‘sports jacket’ BBC.

The aim of the programme was to entertain and capture the deaf kid’s imaginations. It was fast-paced, with a flow of contrasting ideas, both sensible and silly. The presenters were Pat Keysell, an actress who also taught deaf children - she used to sign I think - and the artist Tony Hart who made all sorts of pictures in all sizes and all media – paint, pencil, collage. I think it was Tony Hart who got me interested in painting and making art generally. I certainly sent of a few of my ‘masterpieces’ to ‘The Gallery’, along with thousands of other children. Tony Hart died recently.

Pat’s signing made me uncomfortable, it reminded me that I shouldn’t really be watching, and I was never really sure if I was ‘allowed’ to send my pictures in to ‘The Gallery’ – after all I wasn’t a deaf kid. And, although the pace was fast, the lack of speech seemed to slow the whole thing down, gave it a ‘spacey’ feel. It was an odd viewing experience, sometimes after watching it I felt empty, Deputy Dog afterwards was such a relief

I liked watching it though, and was even in ‘The Gallery’ once – what a buzz that gave me.

I still get a buzz from seeing my stuff on screen, hence this blog. I really enjoy reading the comments that people leave me, I enjoy the interaction – warts and all. It is so great when people take the trouble to leave me messages, share their thoughts, experiences - send me parts of their lives. It’s a little like having my very own Vision On gallery.

Sometimes I’m sent pictures by my blog friends, things that they know will interest or amuse me - get me going. This fantastic photo was taken in a Scarborough slot machine arcade by one of them. Look at that group of pirate ducks! I want them! I’d be happy to while away a few hours and hundreds, thousands of twopences to get them. I want to win them ALL. It’s a great picture, and I particularly love the skeleton duck – thanks Glynne.

And… here’s the sunset, on a rainy summer’s evening, photographed through a rain splashed window. Just looking at it makes me feel glad to be indoors and out of the rain. I’m fascinated by the sky and weather – thanks Nicki C.

And… my old school friend Sacha sent me this photograph of a rather grand post-box in Llandudno. I’ve never seen one like it before. I wonder which George it was - my money’s on George V.

And more… some spooky shadows from Holly, a chunk of ancient peat bog wood from BMD - just look at that shape, it could have come straight out of a Dali painting, and another picture from Nikki, this time of her seed-grown, potted, sunflowers.

And that’s this weeks gallery – thanks everyone.

Play Gallery music: Dum, di, dum, di, dum, di, dum, dum - da, da, dum,di, dum, dum, dum.