Gus Honeybun... Your Boys Took One Hell of a Beating: A Love Affair in the Lower Leagues

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As we never went further south than North Wales for holidays, my first exposure to Gus Honeybun was the section on him in VLS's Buygones tie-in book. Thankfully someone with local knowledge has replied. When TSW lost its franchise in 1992 Paul took early retirement, spending the remaining decades living in France, New Zealand and his family home in Mannamead. According to The British Library, the first time male homosexuality was directly targeted in the UK was 1533, when the Buggery Act was passed during the reign of Henry VIII. Convictions of sodomy were punishable by death. This is how word would get round that the parties were happening. Word was getting out, communication was happening via a fluffy bunny. Which is something quite unique for Plymouth." 'In Other Words' bookshop on Mutley Plain Gus at this point interjected to remind her that 1961 was a long time before she came on the scene and that he had been there for many years prior. According to legend, Gus was found under a gorse bush on Dartmoor. However, a more credible legend is that he was devised to fill unsold advertising slots during children's TV broadcasts.

Ian Stirling (broadcaster) - Wikipedia

But Dr Alan Butler, co-director of Pride in Plymouth and Plymouth LGBT Archive coordinator says presenter Ian Stirling would use Mr Honeybun to send out secret coded messages to the LGBT+ community. Ian Stirling was part of the community and would read out birthday cards from Auntie Stella, and that was actually him. The bus was a deal with Western National, the local bus operator for Cornwall & Plymouth. They ran minibus routes that were branded as Hoppa, so one bus (Mercedes L608D C990 GCV) was given full Gus Honeybun branding along with the slogan "Hop on a Hoppa with Gus" and used on routes around Plymouth: The Derry’s Cross Studios in the heart of Plymouth was the home of Westward and TSW from 1961 until 1992 before Westcountry Television took over at the beginning of 1993 from a studio at Langage Science Park in Plympton.Paul moved to Plymouth from London in the late 1980s to become the Head of Features at Television South West (TSW) before becoming their Director of Programmes, the most senior commissioning position in the old ITV franchise system. Gus Honeybun was the station mascot for Westward Television, and later Television South West, from 1961 to December 1992. [1] A puppet rabbit, and star of Gus Honeybun's Magic Birthdays, he achieved a longevity for a TV puppet second only to the Sooty characters. [2] Gus Honeybun first hit the screens of Westward Television in 1961 and later Television South West, from 1961 to December 1992. I must admit, because I'm old enough I had my birthday read out a couple of times. A few people I've interviewed have said 'oh yes that was quite useful as a code for what was going on'.

Gus - PressReader ‘Secret messages’ from bunny-hopping icon Gus - PressReader

For a lot of the other ITV regions, success meant getting big programmes made and broadcast across the network. Due to its small size and dedication to local programmes, Westward and TSW made a point of focusing mainly on their area. Before we travel through some of Plymouth's own past, it's important to highlight the persecution of LGBTQ+ individuals throughout history. Legend has it he was supposedly found under a gorse bush on Dartmoor in 1961 by the founders of Westward TelevisionThis was repealed in 2003, and Prime Minister David Cameron openly apologised for the legislation in 2009. In the 1970s Paul was the vice president of the ACTT union and was part of the National Negotiating Team - he personally called and then helped organise, and win, the first national TV strike - he also called and helped organise,and win, the second national strike a few years later. was the official age limit for having your birthday read out on air, although adults would also send in cards for themselves with a false age on them, such was Gus’ cult following. All three - Richard Bownes, then aged 18, Roberto Pace, 18, and Stuart Smith, 19 - were later convicted of the murder and given life sentences. Down here we had the best of them - Westward's logo was the mighty Golden Hind, and TSW's... well, let's just say it was known as the flying bras. It became quite well-liked though and wasn't just seen on the TV- it wasn't uncommon to see a TSW branded bus in Plymouth.