gave me nightmares

[rob.hine]

Does anyone remember a childrens programme, probably in the 70's. Can't remember what it was about. All i can remember is some children either being stuck in a house or living in a house and there were these standing stones which surrounded the house at night. I remember having nightmares about these stones surrounding my house at night, getting in and crushing me! On a more pleasant note, anyone remember the programme about an alien boy who came to earth, read a polythene bag which was inside out and learnt to read and talk english backwards? No one could understand him. There was another young boy who had something to do with a professor who worked at 'the observatory' who eventually sussed it out. The prof was always saying "splended" Any ideas?

[Minxie]

Sorry cant help you that rob. But as you seemed to have watched the same odd programes that I did. Do you remember a sunday tea time programme about a giant pin cushion. No one else remembers it. But it used to scare me silly.

[KebabMeister]

Could the boy reading backwards be the same as on this thread?

http://www.theanswerbank.co.uk/Film-and-TV/Question53561 .html

[Dagman]

I remember the stone one, I think this is what you're looking for!

http://www.action-tv.org.uk/guides/childrenstones.htm

The other series about the boy was perhaps called "Sky" and had bright blue eyes?

Hope these help :)

[rob.hine]

Minxie, i've had a look on google and altavista for"children's programme giant pincushion" and nothing comes up, well nothing that i think you're looking for. Rebecca Of Sunnybrook Farm comes up often on both, but it doesn't sound (to me)like something that would give you nightmares. I gotta say i've been racking my brains and i can't remember anything with a pincushion, sorry. Do you remember Paulus the little gnome? I was beginning to think i dreamt it until i found a link to this site which confirmed it was real so don't give up. As Mulder used to say-The Truth Is Out There...

[Minxie]

Thanks for looking rob. I remember the giant pin cushion vividly. Do you remember the singing ringing tree as well. Another one I can remember is a man who used tarot cards. Think it was called Ace of Wands. My claim to fame is I appeared on Romper Room when I was little. Paulus the little gnone yes I remember the name, will now go and seach it......

As you can see, I live a very exciting Saturday night!

[joko]

the boy one was called 'the boy from space' and his name was peep peep. he read the bag with a strange ring on his thumb. you can check it out at www.raretv.co.uk

[rob.hine]

What a great bunch of people you all are!!! Until thursday i was convinced that i had made up 'Paulus the little gnome', was sure 'the boy from space' was real but none of my mates remembered it or 'Children of the stones'. Thankyou to Dagman and Joko. KebabMeister, you're link didn't work, probably my fault-i'm probably pressing the keys wrong, but thanks anyway. Minxie, check out

http://paulus.mctowers.co.uk/

for info about Paulus. I don't remember 'the singing tree' but go to http://www.thechestnut.com/srtree/srtree-index.htm
for info for that.

[KebabMeister]

Rob, try this

[Ethel]

The first programme you are thinking of is definitely not Children of the Stones. That was broadcast in 1977.

You are referring to one that was the early 70's or even late 60's.
A girl was stuck in the attic in bed for some reason - possibly illness. She drew pictures in her big sketch pad. She took to drawing the garden, and let her imagine run riot. She drew the stones in different places - and next day they had moved to match her picture. They were getting closer and closer to the house.

It was very scary for children at the time - but I can't remember what it was called!

Oh dear....

[LeMarchand]

The first one sounds like "Escape Into Night", based on Catherine Storr's novel "Marianne Dreams". (Later filmed as "Paperhouse").

http://www.action-tv.org.uk/guides/escapenight.htm

[rob.hine]

Thanks KebabMeister, i followed your link, it was right on the nail!
Ethel you are right, and if you follow LeMarchand's link (thankyou LeMarchand), you too can relive the horror story that i endured at the ripe old age of six and three quarters! Hell there should have been a law against that sort of thing!!!
Does anyone remember the giant pincushion that scared Minxie?

[marwel7]

Oddly enough the programmes mentioned in the oroginal question are all featured in this moth's SFX in a lovely article about children's tv in the 70's.Ace of Wands and Freewheelers were favourites of mine from that time.Though it took a magazine article to tell me that Chris Chittell ( Eric Pollard in Emmerdale) was one of the Freewheelers.

[rob.hine]

Thanks marwel7, i'll go out tomorrow and buy myself a copy.