What a Hullabaloo!

Peter Hitchens’s updated

University Challenge questions in last week’s Mail on Sunday included a reference to Hullabaloo and

Custard, the BBC kangaroo characters used in the promotion of BBC2 in the mid-1960s.

I have one of the original toy versions (left) that were made available to television retailers for promotional purposes.

These mascots would be perched on top of a dual-standard BBC2ready TV set to indicate that the new third channel could be received, subject to installing a new additional aerial.

This survivor has been lurking in a cupboard for many years – and has emerged for a brief appearance in the limelight.

Peter Capnos, Bristol