There is going to be a interesting program on Channel 5 this year, Secrets of the Tea Chimps, it is all old footage of the PG Tips interviews from old keepers and others from back in the days of Hints and the early days of Twycross and it has got nothing to do with the CEO of Twycross Zoo. I know who some of the people are that are interviewed I am really looking forward to it lets see if they were as badly treated as we were lead to believe from the interview on Central News last year.
I don't believe it I have just read what is going to be in the program Ms Redrobe has got to get her bit in yet again. Here is a little bit that is said about the show "But by the 1980's, Molly was uncomfortable at the ornate outfits and withdrew her apes from their contract. The ads ended in 2002 - however, treating chimps like humans in their early years had already had a damaging effect. Sharon Redrobe of Twycross Zoo spent 3 years teaching last surviving star, Choppers, now 43 how to behave with her own kind. 'She was mixed up but now she's reintegrated nicely, 'says Sharon' I wish she would get her B@@@@y information right Choppers was never a PG Tips chimp and if she didn't know how to be a chimp then how the hell did she know how to bring up her own baby Holly. Ms Redrobe keeps spouting the same rubbish, Miss Badham stopped it in the 1980's because she didn't like the thought of dressing them up in all the ornate outfits that where wanted anyway if it hadn't have been for the PG Tips adds Ms Redrobe wouldn't have the highly paid job she holds now and she treats the place like it is her zoo. It makes me sick let Miss Badham Rest in peace after all she passed away in 2007, I am just hoping Miss Evan doesn't see the programme. Ms Redrobe stop spouting the same thing over and over do some research first.
bitter and twisted? There were many wrongs in the past, not just in Leicestershire! Please try to be more positive instead of using this site to vent your angst and negative views - I could be wrong but your posts come across a little sarcastic. Though it appears you support Molly, maybe you need to arrange a face to face meeting and/or write a personal letter to Ms Redrobe to discuss your issues? I'm a little sick of reading this negative stuff now, it's boring!
Ok I get the message you would rather I don't post anything other than good things, by the way face to face would be fine but when people don't look you in the eyes when they are speaking to you then I would not trust them as far as I could throw them. Sarcastic enough for you ?
For the record Twycross stopped using chimps for PG Tips commercials in the early eighties, other chimps from abroad were used after that. I believe Brook Bond ceased using living chimps for the commercials some years later, and yes I suggest someone should go and buy a new needle for their record player, can't they think of anything else than criticise Miss Badham?
Your opening post would have been better if slightly amended by deleting the passages emphasised ... (IMHO). Your constant complaining about Miss Redrobe is getting pretty tedious.
I think there's a huge difference between 'badly treated' and 'misguidely treated in a way that has had negative consequences'. I believe Miss Badam was guilty of the latter and I've never heard anything from Sharon Redrobe that accused her of the former rather than the latter.
Indeed. A quick Google search finds Ms Redrobe saying: "It was not a period that anyone should be ashamed of ..." and "I am not saying in any way that the way things were done in the past was wrong." Which is hardly character assassination of Molly Badham!
Personally, and please note this is just my suspicion but I think for some reason the management of this zoo want to try and forget all about Miss Badham and everything connected with her during her time as co founder and director of Twycross Zoo for forty years. The removal of the plaque in memory of long time resident Joe the gorilla is an example of this. I also recall one day last year when my father took the trouble to drive to my house to fetch me his copy of The Daily Mail, in it was an article about Miss Badham and her training of chimps for television commercials, contributions in this article from the current C.E.O. Miss Sharon Redrobe and the Head of Life Sciences Charlotte Me Donald. I am not going to quote some of the things written in it, all I will say is I found it very upsetting, and I was quite angry to be honest.
You are, of course, entitled to your opinion (as is Jane Doe), but it would help the rest of us to assess their validity if you would quote the comments that upset you. I have read the Daily Mail archives and struggle to find anything unreasonable from either Redrobe or McDonald.
No I am certainly not going to quote on here what was printed in the Daily Mail, not worth repeating that is why. I have answered your question now will you answer mine, Did you know Miss Molly Badham M.B.E. personally?
What is often not mentioned is that the original chimps were owned and trained by Billy Dash and his wife Marion who had where a well-known circus act at the beginning of the TV campaign. I wonder if that will get mentioned? Obituary for Marion (Sylvia) Dash HERE
Last saw their act in Hoffmans Christmas Circus circa 1974, Billy Smart used to do a PG Tips promotional show on a Saturday morning in the sixties, a PG Tips packet was used as a means of entry into the show,
For those members who are interested this hour long documentary will be broadcast at 8pm on Tuesday January 13th on Channel 5.
I think people forget back at the very beginning when the PG Tips Chimps Adverts came out it was Billy Smart that did the very first Adverts and back in those days it was perfectly OK for people to have a chimp as a pet it was not until 1976 when the dangerous wild animals act came in. Read Chimps With Everything chapter 6, Enter The Brook Bond Chimps and you will see how it all started. I will say once again Ms Redrobe, and all the rest with good jobs would not have them because Twycross Zoo would not be there in fact the Zoo would not exist full stop. Ok my English is crap but for the job I did I needed more maths and not bothered by the heat.
Yes indeed Billy Smarts Circus originally advertised for PG Tips. They were booked into Olympia to do a promotion, Smarts business rival Bertram Mills owned the performing rights at Olympia at the time as they used to stage a Christmas circus there annually, they refused to allow Smarts chimps onto the premises so Miss Badham and her chimps were booked instead from the small zoo at Hints, the rest is history!
