Sonny Jim

[jgs]

Who was Sonny Jim?

I know there's a Kirsty MacColl song called "don't come the cowboy with me Sonny Jim" and my parents used to say something similar to me when i was playing-up as a kid. Any ideas?

[coyote]

James Callaghan was known as sunny jim

[MustafaTinkl]

Long before Kellogs monopolised our cornflakes the favourite cornflakes in the UK were called Force. They had an advertising slogan and wireless jingle which went "High o'er the fence leaps Sunny Jim / Force is the food which raises him". I have always thought it came from there.

[rabet]

Yes, Mustafa, when I was a child my Grandmother had a small wax record which must have been given as a sales gimmick with a packet of Force. I think there was a picture of Sunny JIm on it. We used to play it on a wind-up gramophone. It was a recording of a bass voice (Paul Robeson?) singing "Drink to me only with thine eyes". Probably worth something now but it disappeared many years ago.

[Quizmonkey]

Didn't he have a funny sort of 'handle' coming out of the back of his head?

[Marsh]

History and picture of promotional dolls at
http://www.lavasurfer.com/cereal-othercereals.html
and
http://cgi.ebay.com/PROMOTIONAL-SUNNY-JIM-RAG-DOLLS-FORCE-WHEAT-FLAKES_W0QQitemZ5639679716QQcategoryZ339QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

[jgs]

Wow, not heard those before....what a font of knowledge you all are! Thanks...!