Little Gems - Cockleshell Bay Puddle Lane Bleep and Booster The Spooks of Bottle Bay Flashing Blade Tales of the Riverbank Screentest Vision On Jigsaw Demon Headmaster Gipsy Girl Silas Adventures of Kum Kum, Wait till your Father gets Home Herbs Moondial, Hatty Town Portland Bill Deputy Dawg Big Knights Into The Labyrinth Murun Buchstansangur Mary Mungo and Midge Adventures of Sir Prancelot Moschops Simon in the Land of Chalk Drawings Noah and Nelly Larry the Lamb Pinky and Perky Bertha Vicky the Viking Alias the Jester Singing Ringing Tree Perishers Banana Splits Arabian Knights Three Musketeers All Aboard the Skylark Toytown Phoenix and the Carpet Aubrey Towser Michael Bentine's Potty Time

Original introduction

Cockleshell Bay is a town near the sea

With sunshine and seagulls that screech

There are shops that sell ices and buckets and spades

So that children can play on the beach

There are white painted houses along the sea front

Where folk come for a quiet holiday

Where the sky is bright and the winds are light

And two children stay

Alternative introduction

Cockleshell Bay is a town near the sea

With seagulls and sunshine and sand

There are shops that sell ices and bright coloured kites

That fly from a string in your hand

There are white painted houses along the sea front

And one's called "The Bucket and Spade"

It's where people stay, and two children play

With all the good friends that they've made

So meet, Robin and Rosie of Cockleshell Bay

Cockleshell Bay was another truly wonderful little adventure series to emerge from Cosgrove Hall Productions, home of such greats as "Danger Mouse" and "Alias the Jester." It was first shown on ITV in 1980 but ran for several years. At least 100 episodes were made of this clay model type animation. Each episode lasted approximatley 15 minutes. It concerned the adventures of two children - twins Robin and Rosie Cockle. The Cockle family had moved to the seaside to escape the hussle and bussle of city life. They originally lived in a town called Ruffington. Father (Christopher) had given up his normal job because of the hectic day to day routines and so he and mum (Helen) bought house at the end of a row in the small town of Cockleshell Bay. The house was to be turned into a Guesthouse and that is how the cockles would generate an income. The Guesthouse (as we shall later see) is called "The Bucket and Spade." The Cockles are not the only ones to run a small hotel business as we later find out that only next door is a small one called "Pine Villa" (I bet they were pleased to see the Cockles when they arrived). Further down is another one called "The Anchor."

Robin and Rosie are typical youngsters always on the look out for excitement and chocolate biscuits. They are soon befriended by Mrs. Routy, whom they refer to as Gran Routy. She is, however, not their Gran as Robin and Rosie's gran died a short time ago. Mrs. Routy has eleven grand children so two more will not make any difference. Close by is Mr. Shipham but everyone calls him Mr. Ship. Mr. Ship cares for a small Donkey named Fury. The Donkey is owned by Mr. Arthur Fingham who owns a business giving children donkey rides on the beach. Another Cockle enters the family much later called Holly Cockle - Click here to read more about her arrival.in: "A Name for Baby Cockle."

If anyone was involoved in the creation/filming of Cockleshell Bay or if anyone has any comments regarding the show, then please email me at the usual address (see naviation bar).

Written and Narrated by	Brian Trueman
Music by	David Rohl and Stuart J Wolstenholme
Puppet Design by	Bridget Appleby
Modeling	Andrea Lord and Steve Moss
Illustrations by	Avril Turner
Sets and Props by	Chris Walker
Puppet Construction by	Peter Saunders
Camera	Jim Noble and Joe Dembinski
Film Editors	John McManus and Ellis Ward
Directed by	Jackie Cockle
Produced by	Mark Hall and Brian Cosgrove

Robin Cockle	The Bucket and Spade Guest House	Rosie Cockle
Dad (Christopher Cockle)	Mum (Helen Cockle)	Mr. Ship (Real name Mr. Shipham)
Gran Routy	Fury the Donkey	Ben Gunn