Algernon Teacher.

The Penicuik Arts Festival is on at the moment; apart from artists' studios and the Arts Association, local shops have been recruited to show samples of local art. The Saint Margaret of Scotland Hospice shop is hosting a display of papiér-mâché characters from the "Beano" (have I mentioned this Scottish comic before?)

This demonic figure is "Teacher", from "The Bash Street Kids"; he is married to "Mrs Teacher" and it would seem that his real name is Algernon; he was crafted by the artist Jan Miller.

The Kids first appeared in the Beano in February 1954 under the title "When the Bell Rings" but, within two years, their anarchic activities had moved inside the school and so the name changed to its present one; they have had a regular spot ever since as well as having appeared in other comics while the individual characters have periodically had their own strips.

Leo Baxendale, the creator, said that he had the idea from a Giles (a notable British cartoonist) picture of a school at closing time with "kids pouring out of school, heads flying off and sundry mayhems."

In 1994 there was a story that the kids were going to be made politically correct with Fatty becoming muscular and athletic, Spotty losing his acne, Plug becoming handsome and Toots, the one girl in the class, becoming feminine. It was a hoax, of course, but the editor was delighted at the public outcry and petition that were raised as a consequence.


Jan also created some of the other Bash Street characters and Minnie the Minx which are included in this display.