The Family Ness

Angus and Elspeth with their thistle whistles The Family Ness logo Angus and Elspeth hearing the singing of one of the NessiesAngus and Elspeth looking at a balloon Angus, Elspeth and the Loch-Keeper Angus, sitting on the tail of one of the Nessies

We've all heard the stories about the Loch Ness Monster, right? Well, the makers of this 5 minute cartoon - set near Loch Ness in Inverness, Scotland - went one better and made it about a whole family of the buggers.

Characters included the Loch Keeper (the voice of whom was done by the same person who does the voice of the Scottish groundsman in The Simpsons) and his two children, Angus and Elspeth. The children were the only ones who ever saw the monsters, and in return for keeping quiet about the monsters' existence, were given their own "thistle whistles" which enabled them to communicate with the monsters at any time, as the whistles, when blown, would attract the monsters' attention.

Monsters in the family, referred to as the " Nessies", included the supposedly beautiful Beautyness, and Sportyness.

Not exactly the most popular cartoon of the time, but, nevertheless, was quite a good cartoon in my opinion. I only hope it didn't induce a belief in the Loch Ness Monster into small children.

Angus and Elspeth seeing a falling hot-air balloon Angus, Elspeth and their father A group of Nessies One of the Nessies Angus, Elspeth and a monster

KIDS' PROGRAMMES OF THE 1980S PAGE