When Burton was a young baby I wouldn’t let him watch any television, I mean there was no need because all he really did was sleep, feed/eat, interact with me, sleep, fed/eat, nappy change and so on. Around the age of 9 months I introduced him to In The Night Garden which we would watch together at the 11am showing. Straight away he loved it and it would hold his attention long enough for me to take advantage and drink a hot cup of tea and sit down with him. It actually held his attention for the entire duration of the show which is quite a long time to sit in one place for one so young. Well, when I say sit, he did stay sitting in one place but he would spend much of the programme bouncing up and down in excitement whenever one of the characters appeared!
Therefore for Burton’s second Christmas the majority of his presents were themed round the TV show and in particular Iggle Piggle! It became a joke among our family that the reason Burton took so long to actually speak was because of the silent Iggle Piggle!
So when the people behind the popular children’s programme decided to make a live version I knew I had to get tickets and take Burton to see his favourite characters live. Almost two years to the day, my Mum and I took him to one of the Birmingham shows, and I actually think she and I were more excited about going if truth be told! We were sat right at the front and to begin with Burton cried every time one of the characters left the stage to signal the end of that scene – bless him.
However, after about fifteen minutes, Burton realised that they returned to the stage and he enjoyed watching the show and seeing all his friends up close and at the end he clapped and clapped! We of course bough the obligatory merchandise in the form of a balloon and a book!
The only thing I felt was missing was a chance to meet the characters up close, I remember my Mum and I discussing this on our way home that day.
As he approached his second birthday Burton still watched In The Night Garden, maybe not as avidly as he once did, but enough I felt to warrant a return to see the other show that we hadn’t seen the year before. So the day after his second birthday last year, Daddy and I together with a very young Jenson, travelled to Cardiff this time. I didn’t get to see as much of the show as I had previously as I had to pop out and breast feed Jenson, but Burton enjoyed it once again.
After the show I paid extra for Burton to meet Iggle Piggle, as this ‘extra’ was added to the In The Night Garden Live experience last year – I think they must have heard me talking to my Mum as we left the show the year before ! To begin with Burton wasn’t sure what to do when he came face to face with Iggle Piggle – but when I told him that he could hug him that is what he did and he wouldn’t let go. I think he would have stayed there all day being cuddled!
Burton was quite indignant that Iggle Piggle didnt have his red blanket with him and asked him a few times where it was (which would have been hard for Iggle Piggle to understand seeing as though Burton couldn’t actually speak back then! He just used his own sign and grunt language that we his parents understood most of the time!).
I have since shown this photo to Burton a couple of times and I am not sure if he actually remembers meeting him as such, but he has said that he would like to meet him again. I am sure he would but sadly though, Burton doesn’t watch the show anymore. He will if CBeebies is on before bedtime sometimes, but it has lost its magic for my boy now, which is sad in a way because it is another sign that my first born is growing up. There again on the plus side I don’t have to watch those stupid Pontipines and the even more annoying Wottingers anymore!!
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My two love ITNG too and my little boy would definitely cry if they left the stage, just like Burton! Lovely pics 🙂
Ah great minds think alike!
I remember reading your post at the time and thinking Leo would like to meet him. We had a ITNG stage here too, when I went back to the UK I had several episodes on my laptop and we watched it constantly for 3 weeks! I think he’d be unimpressed with it now though.
Such a cute picture of him hugging Iggle Piggle, Lucas met him too this summer and gave him a big hug x
Beautiful photos. It really is a special memory of childhood when they meet a favourite character like this.
I took Iyla to see it in Birmingham a few weeks ago and the highlight was definitely meeting Upsy Daisy afterwards, she loved it and I have to say I did too! It is so amazing to watch them meet the characters they have grown to love so much, it makes me sad to think she won’t be interested in them anymore one day! xx
Allegra has recently developed a deep love for ITNG and now watches an episode most mornings and/or evenings – she loves Upsy Daisy and the Tombliboos in particular, it’s amazing how that show really captures her attention. We’ll definitely bring her to the live show next year if she’s still a fan and I’d love her to meet a character, although she did get v upset meeting Peppa at Peppa Pig World, so we’ll see…! Lovely pics of Burton 🙂 xxx
Luckily Aly was never really into ITNG which is lucky but she loved Bob the Builder but when the chance came to have a photo taken with him she screamed and ran away.
What a brilliant first meet, I love that he looks like he ran to get a big hug!!! The blanket question made me chuckle, poor Iggle must have been really confused!
Aww bless he is so cute. x
PS I love the new look, don’t think I mentioned it, but it’s gorgeous x
He looks so cute and tiny in these. Harry loves Iggle Piggle so would be over the moon to meet him.
I love that he cried when they left the stage. So sweet xx
Damn it I was going to do this one and the bloody week flew by before I realised it!
It seems like only yesterday that B was that age, and now he’s a big boy! My choice would have been when The Boy met Upsy Daisy because he was beside himself with glee.