Great video. Grew up in the 70’s & 80s during the classic trade test transmission ( test card) years. Carole & bubbles role as the test card & clown was legendary 😊
For some reason, perhaps my lifetime interest in trade tests, I was asked to write her father's obit for the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography; which i did. Carole rang me to go through the article with me. A long time ago now.
TH-cam clearly has an answer for EVERYTHING! I simply wanted to know if that little girl (who was on that test card when I were a 5yo in 1975) is she now perhaps a granny or is she even still with us? You have given us great insight into that one familiar photograph (even the hand made clown Carole made herself from a kit) well researched and sincerely, great work here Prentis. Pat yourself on the back mate👍
I was born September 1967 and at home a few years later my Mum would put the TV on for me to watch Bill and Ben the flowerpot men and I remember test card F being on all the time, not like 24/7 broadcasting now!
You are a month older than my brother Anthony, who has just turned 55 last Saturday. Carole Hersee shared her birthday with my father, who would have been 22 when Carole was born!
What a fascinating story insight into a subliminal part of British television history and of the BBC! About Carole Hersee and her own adorable soft clown toy became the informous Test card F. It is Very well researched! And cleverly edited in the right places with sourced archived television clips. This could easily be mistaken for an actual BBC Four TV documentary!
Charming presentation and there is a fan club called The Test Card Circle, for the preservation of all test cards. And not forgetting over 60 years of music that accompanied the various test patterns.
@@sarahfields288 I'm not even afraid of clowns, so I don't even know why I was so scared! I hated the long beep too! I was also scared of the talking clock on the telephone, again, no idea why!
As a kid of an military American family, we were stationed in England in 1977....My friends (American's) and I would sit there and stare at the "Test Card Girl" cuz there was nothing on-as we were shell shocked by British TV....
The description of BBC television back in the 60s, 70s and 80s by the gentleman narrating is true. There was no breakfast TV in those days. At the weekend you often got Open University programmes on in the early morning before the kids shows like The Multi-coloured Swap Shop would come on.
I used to ask my mama who is this girl, it is your sister ... joke she used to say I was the milkman lol I actually have listened to your voice omg I was born 22 11 68 Finally hope you are happy and many more years to come
When people were expected to go to sleep at night and shops didn't open on Sundays mornings becsue everyone was going to be at church or resting.. When crude shows were on at 9pm becsue kids were asleep at that time... Seems like a better time.. A time of responsability..
What parodies of this test card do you know of? The only 2 I know of off the top of my head are the VHS cover for the animated miniseries of Viz character Roger Mellie The Man on The Telly and that our Nickelodeon channel had their own take on this test card shortly before launching in 1993!
I mention several in the video. But since I made this video a couple of years ago, I had another look and there are several new (old) ones that have appeared on TH-cam. So, very interesting!
It did finish one Christmas Day morning in 1979...the engineers added 2 extra crosses to the blackboard with a line through them. We still don't know who won!!
£100 was a HELL of a lot of money in 1967 - and especially for an 8 year old. An inflation rate of 5.63% per year means £100 in 1967 is worth £2274.70 in 2024.
Those were the little films they played so the shops demonstrating their shiny new color TVs would have actual material to show off, if I recall right.
I remember this BBC test card very well first time I recall seeing it was in early 70s around 1977 i was 6 years old at the time in 1977 ha ha 🤣 i remember the enigmatic smile of Carole the little girl at the time and the clown 🤣 frankly at the time of 1977 when I was 6 years old the clown 🤡 lol scared the life out of me ha ha 🤣
She's my grandad's cousin's granddaughter apparently, or something like that. Never met her. The spelling of our surname is an English mis-spelling of a French Hugenot name
I was born in 2004 but my mum always says I look like the test card girl so I had to find out who she was I don’t think we look alike this video was very entertaining though
04:27 Carole was chosen because her sister missing some teeth. So? If we look at picture we can see that her mouth is closed and her teeth are not visible. What the different??? !!!
That clown named Bubbles still freaks me out. I thought the eyebrows were the eyes which made him look nice, but the eyes were the circles which made him look evil! That and the whining sound!
Bullying inside schools was rife in the 60s, 70s and 80s both from other children and from the teachers and headteachers themselves. Mental health was a concept virtually unheard of and certainly never really given the time of day let alone respected.
@@PrentisHancock1 I have been diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome in 2017 and as I am sure you can imagine school wasn't really much fun at all. Secondary school to some extent was worse. In fact I didn't really gain many qualifications until I went to the local Technical college.
John 3:16-21 16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. 18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. 21 But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.
I don't know why but this video brought tears to my eyes.
I'm glad you liked it, Kevin.
Great video. Grew up in the 70’s & 80s during the classic trade test transmission ( test card) years. Carole & bubbles role as the test card & clown was legendary 😊
Thanks for the great comment and for watching.
@@PrentisHancock1 Your Most Welcome 👍
I was a tv engineer in the late 70s,so spent many years looking at this.At college,i was taught the meaning of all the lines,colours etc.
For some reason, perhaps my lifetime interest in trade tests, I was asked to write her father's obit for the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography; which i did. Carole rang me to go through the article with me. A long time ago now.
TH-cam clearly has an answer for EVERYTHING! I simply wanted to know if that little girl (who was on that test card when I were a 5yo in 1975) is she now perhaps a granny or is she even still with us? You have given us great insight into that one familiar photograph (even the hand made clown Carole made herself from a kit) well researched and sincerely, great work here Prentis. Pat yourself on the back mate👍
Thank you for your kind comments. I'm glad you liked it. Cheers!
You are the same age as me, because I was also five in 1975. That means we are now 52!
@@angelacooper2661 😆 I'm actually now 53 Angela, born 69.. closer to 60 now than 40, very sad !
I was born September 1967 and at home a few years later my Mum would put the TV on for me to watch Bill and Ben the flowerpot men and I remember test card F being on all the time, not like 24/7 broadcasting now!
I remember Bill and Ben too!
Ooooooh, flobba dobba lobba, weeeeeed.
That's all I have to say about that.
You are a month older than my brother Anthony, who has just turned 55 last Saturday. Carole Hersee shared her birthday with my father, who would have been 22 when Carole was born!
I loved the BBC test card with Carole in.
What a fascinating story insight into a subliminal part of British television history and of the BBC! About Carole Hersee and her own adorable soft clown toy became the informous Test card F. It is Very well researched! And cleverly edited in the right places with sourced archived television clips. This could easily be mistaken for an actual BBC Four TV documentary!
Thank you, Ryan. Glad you liked it.
Born in 1960, I remember this test card and the white spot when a TV was turned off...
O for the days of the cathode ray tube...
Thanks for this !! The age progression stuff is the best - saves a lotta Googling !
Thanks for watching.
Charming presentation and there is a fan club called The Test Card Circle, for the preservation of all test cards. And not forgetting over 60 years of music that accompanied the various test patterns.
Thank you Stuart. I liked the accompanying music too. I think there are a few people who collect the original 12" 78s.
I remember in like year 4 they showed this image at the start of assembly and I was scared stiff, couldn't look at it
Do they want the kids to have nightmares?! Lmao
I used to be terrified of the test card when I was a wee lassie. Dunno why, I just was! 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤡
I was too. It was the clown and the long beep
@@sarahfields288 I'm not even afraid of clowns, so I don't even know why I was so scared! I hated the long beep too! I was also scared of the talking clock on the telephone, again, no idea why!
It's kinda creepy yh ngl
Brings back nice memories, I was born 1960 wonder if I can get a poster of this
Hi Lesley, do you mean a poster of my little thumbnail or of the original test card?
@@PrentisHancock1 A poster
Hi Lesley, do you mean a poster of my thumbnail?
THEM WERE THE DAYS WHEN THERE WAS ONLY 3 TV CHANNELS BBC1 BBC2 AND I.T.V
Indeed.
As a kid of an military American family, we were stationed in England in 1977....My friends (American's) and I would sit there and stare at the "Test Card Girl" cuz there was nothing on-as we were shell shocked by British TV....
And we, who were born here, are still shell-shocked by the drivel on British TV - even now!
@@PrentisHancock1 Hahaha-American TV isn't any better...
The description of BBC television back in the 60s, 70s and 80s by the gentleman narrating is true.
There was no breakfast TV in those days.
At the weekend you often got Open University programmes on in the early morning before the kids shows like The Multi-coloured Swap Shop would come on.
Thank you for the great comments, Neil! I'd forgotten about the Open University programmes early in the morning on Saturdays! Weren't they on BBC2?
@@PrentisHancock1 sometimes BBC 1 as well.
And this test card still scares my older sister after all these years!
Tell her to hide behind the sofa.
I always found it slightly unsettling too.
I hated the clown
How is this scary ???
I love the segment from the Slim Galliard special.
I'm glad you liked it, Haileyshannon.
I miss this before morning cartoons
I used to ask my mama who is this girl, it is your sister ... joke she used to say I was the milkman lol I actually have listened to your voice omg I was born 22 11 68 Finally hope you are happy and many more years to come
I used to get up early just to watch the test card girl when I was a kid because I had a massive crush on her.
Maybe it was her enigmatic smile?
Love the pic at 0:20 of Carole and Bubbles. They look like best buddies about to go off and watch the football.
Also on ITV but Channel 4 had a graphical test card.
Thanks Steven. I didn't know that. Thanks for watching.
When people were expected to go to sleep at night and shops didn't open on Sundays mornings becsue everyone was going to be at church or resting..
When crude shows were on at 9pm becsue kids were asleep at that time...
Seems like a better time..
A time of responsability..
Defo agree on crude shows being after 9pm
Creeped me out when this used to be on as a kid .😮
What parodies of this test card do you know of? The only 2 I know of off the top of my head are the VHS cover for the animated miniseries of Viz character Roger Mellie The Man on The Telly and that our Nickelodeon channel had their own take on this test card shortly before launching in 1993!
I mention several in the video. But since I made this video a couple of years ago, I had another look and there are several new (old) ones that have appeared on TH-cam. So, very interesting!
The Gorillaz GLZ 192000 lines one with Murdoc of the band is brilliant
There is the Pinky and the Brain parody of this card.
I made one for my channel :)
I share a birthday with Carole. She is just two years older.
Lucky you!
@@PrentisHancock1 Yes, I feel so privileged
My late father also shared his birthday with her, being exactly 22 years older!
Can’t see what yet. But there’s a lot more to test cards
Some people say Carole never got to finish her game of naught and crosses
She probably finished it after the test card photo.
Woooooooooooooooooooooosh
New evidence has emerged... showing what happened next: www.bbc.co.uk/archive/test_card_girl/zbxftrd
that’s tic tac toe
It did finish one Christmas Day morning in 1979...the engineers added 2 extra crosses to the blackboard with a line through them. We still don't know who won!!
....I was born May 2, 1958, 6 months before test card girl....lol
You are therefore 12 years older than me. I well remember the Test Card and did know that Carole was left-handed (so the picture was reversed).
The man on a guitar 🎸 singing about her.
£100 was a HELL of a lot of money in 1967 - and especially for an 8 year old. An inflation rate of 5.63% per year means £100 in 1967 is worth £2274.70 in 2024.
Apart from the Test Card, could you do a video on Trade Test Transmissions, another childhood enigma.
This was a one-off; I don't know anything about Trade Test Transmissions. Thanks for watching, David.
Those were the little films they played so the shops demonstrating their shiny new color TVs would have actual material to show off, if I recall right.
It is a pity the clown couldn't have made an appearance in Arena as well!
Good old Bubbles!
@@PrentisHancock1 She still has him!
The £100 payment made to her was in 1966 which equates to over £1900 in 2000!
And what does that translate to in 2021, Rodger?
i remember when chalk boards were called black boards. i know, i was a black board monitor at school.
This really scared me as a kid. I hated the clown
As a matter of fact there was some daytime TV during the 1970s.
I remember this BBC test card very well first time I recall seeing it was in early 70s around 1977 i was 6 years old at the time in 1977 ha ha 🤣 i remember the enigmatic smile of Carole the little girl at the time and the clown 🤣 frankly at the time of 1977 when I was 6 years old the clown 🤡 lol scared the life out of me ha ha 🤣
Bubbles was very much misunderstood.
10:15 - South Today?
She must be bored left there in test cards for all those years ha 😆 lol
Ha!
I always thought the green body was a head!
So did I. I really thought it was a head. 😂 😂 😂
Me too! The buttons looked liked like shiny bits!
She's my grandad's cousin's granddaughter apparently, or something like that. Never met her. The spelling of our surname is an English mis-spelling of a French Hugenot name
Hi Mike, so that makes you fourth, or fifth cousins then?
@@PrentisHancock1 yes, something like that. And my other tenuous claim to fame is that Sade is my children's great aunt on the Nigerian side
Wow! Does that make you a smooth operator?
@@PrentisHancock1 if only that were true, lol!
I was born in 2004 but my mum always says I look like the test card girl so I had to find out who she was I don’t think we look alike this video was very entertaining though
I'm not so sure. "Heatherness" contains the name "Hersee" !! I'm glad you enjoyed the video!
She has aged well unlike the twins from the Shining
That is funny!
04:27 Carole was chosen because her sister missing some teeth.
So? If we look at picture we can see that her mouth is closed and her teeth are not visible. What the different??? !!!
They did not know what the final picture was going to be. So they replaced Gillian with the clown, Bubbles.
That was a reference in numberblocks.
Hi Andreas World, thanks for the comment. Do you have a link to the episode it was in?
The yanks think my pfp is me when I was a kid so I’ll show them this
Bring back the test card much better than Alison Hammond
Wish they go back to turning channels off, ifs there’s nothing decent to show.
I turn the channels off! I turned them off completely! I've stopped watching TV and stopped paying the TV licence! I haven't missed it one bit!
@@PrentisHancock1 I did too. License free for 8 years.
When I was 8 or 9 in 1971/72 I thought she looked very posh, almost snobby type older girl!
Sorry Carole! :)
I thought she was a lot older than 8!
In 1971-72 I was just a toddler in the pushchair (now aged 52!)
ASMR voice - sort of an English Peter Thomas (Forensic Files)
Thanks.
britain's first modern meme lol
Thanks.
That clown named Bubbles still freaks me out. I thought the eyebrows were the eyes which made him look nice, but the eyes were the circles which made him look evil! That and the whining sound!
Thank goodness I stopped watching Television 40 years ago😀
👁
Bullying inside schools was rife in the 60s, 70s and 80s both from other children and from the teachers and headteachers themselves.
Mental health was a concept virtually unheard of and certainly never really given the time of day let alone respected.
Yes, I suffered at the hands of the school headmaster; it wasn't a great time for me. But Carol's story about her school harassment seemed pretty bad.
@@PrentisHancock1 I have been diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome in 2017 and as I am sure you can imagine school wasn't really much fun at all.
Secondary school to some extent was worse.
In fact I didn't really gain many qualifications until I went to the local Technical college.
I hope things have turned out well for you.
John 3:16-21
16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.
21 But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.
When you become a redcoat at Butlins
Your narration is frustratingly difficult to listen to! Tiringly slow and forced pronounciation, like a patronising robot. Is there a reason for this?
If you dont like it then dont watch it!!!
@@Yentonian1989 👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏