Mad Things To Make From Vision On

Mad Things To Make From Vision On

In 1976, mad genius inventor Wilf Lunn (at the time best known for his work on 'Vision On') released a book that, for a mere £1.95, detailed how to make all manner of useful items, including a starting handle for your goldfish bowl or a worm cosy.

When I was at Cranborne Middle School, in the late 1970s / early 1980s, this was one of those books you were very lucky to get hold of, as it always seemed to be on loan from the library to some aspiring inventor or other.

Looking through our copy in 2018, I wonder how many of these would-be Wilfs met with an unhappy fate, though. For a book that is presumably aimed at a younger audience, it does call for some worryingly advanced construction methods for some of the items.

The picture that claims to be 'Wilf At Home' begs the question as to whether this really is his home at all. If it is, he's doing all right for himself. The panelling and window in the photo seem to be significantly wider than our entire living room. I'm wondering now if it's actually some stately home or other that might have played host to some long-forgotten 'Vision On' film sequence? Sadly, there's so little of the series officially available, that there's no easy way to check up on this.

There's some simple paper-folding (hats, five-pointed stars and talking fish, for example) that I could probably have a stab at, but not being very good with my hands, most of the book is definitely outside my comfort zone.

Alarm bells start to ring when we reach the Quasimodo Coat Hanger with the ominous instruction : Heat Till Red Hot With A Blow Torch. Hang on a minute there, Mr Lunn. This could end badly, I fear...

Wilf was always known for making Things That Blow Up, but thankfully there's nothing more ambitious in that department than an Exploding Bird Scarer that uses toy percussion caps, though I would guess that even these were more common in the 70s than they might be now.

If you want to bend some glass, Wilf directs you to a your nearest Fish-Tail Bunsen Burner. Now I've worked in chemistry labs for many years and even I don't have one of these at home! Perhaps I'm not as Mad a Scientist as I would like to pretend...

But I cannot fault the imagination that is on show here.

There were, of course, Things To Make in 'Blue Peter' annuals and the like, but they never thought to encourage you to make a Hovering Fat Cat Exerciser or a Model Mollusc For Mummy.

And, of course, we all know that every bored budgie would welcome a Dancing Dick in its life...

(By Andrew Trowbridge)