The chimps were treated like celebrities, appearing on TV programmes such as Blue Peter and tiswas. They were also in demand for shop-openings — cut- ting ribbons was a piece of cake. But behind the scenes there were problems.

Chimps of PG tips advert from Twycross zoo in Channel 5 show | Nature | News | theranchhands.com

The chimps could only be trained safely while they were young. By the time they were six or seven years old they were too violent and unpredictable. Aa young adult could easily maim or even kill a human. Having 18 chimps at the zoo Molly took the decision to try to release three into the wild in Senegal but it was a disaster.

One died en-route while the others could not cope in the African bush and soon died. The well-meaning experiment was never again tried. Molly was also becoming increas-ingly worried about the demands being placed on the remaining performing chimps. Wildlife documentaries showing animals in their natural habitats were becoming popular and attitudes were changing.

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In there was an amicable parting of the ways with the makers of the adverts, who sought other trainers and chimps in Europe. Dorothy Philips, who was a keeper at twycross when the PG tips ads were at their peak, says: What would you have preferred?


  1. Secret sorrows of tea chimps: Real animal stars of TV’s most popular ad!
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I would love to know. Although the loss of revenue hurt Twycross, the zoo continued to thrive. Molly, who died in aged 93, dedicated the rest of her life to looking after the chimps. It was also discovered that those which had been involved in the adverts and had lots of human contact struggled to mix with other apes. They also struggled with basic skills such as grooming. The emphasis now at twycross, where there are 20 chimps, is on conservation and the zoo is part of a European breeding programme.

In the wild some species of ape face extinction.

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Chief executive sharon Redrobe adds: Choppers, a rescued orphan who arrived from sierra Leone in the s, is among two surviving PG tips performers at twycross. Her mate was Louis — aka Mr shifter — who died last year. Choppers is an old lady now who, after leaving her acting days behind, lives contentedly with their daugh- ter Holly and belatedly prefers the company of her own kind.

Choppers could yet have one more spell in the limelight. The young chimps became stars and earned a fortune for the zoo where they lived. Going ape at St Andrews University I taught him to laugh!


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  • Aiming to turn HP Sauce into a household staple, Samson put a picture of the Houses of Parliament onto every bottle, reinforcing the connection between the sauce and the seat of government and travelled up and down the country, dispensing free miniature bottles from tiny wagons drawn by Shetland ponies.

    The company changed hands several times over the years, eventually being bought by Heinz in Today, HP Sauce is exported to 70 countries worldwide and some 28million bottles are consumed annually. As for poor old Fred Garton, according to an interview given by his son John in , the sauce was banned from the house and he refused to have it mentioned in his presence.

    Enlivening our cold cuts and sandwiches since , the pickle recipe was originally developed by a Mrs Graham and her daughters, Evelyn and Ermentrude. Their combination of diced vegetables including cauliflower, carrot, swede, onion and gherkin mixed with a sweet vinegary sauce remains unchanged today and accounts for more than 17million jars being bought every year. High profile fans include Rolling Stone Keith Richards who allegedly takes it on tour with him, and fictional singleton Bridget Jones who eats hers straight from the jar.

    The company had bought the site in and relocated its pickles and preserves operation from London, employing people. However, the move proved too costly and by Branston Pickle was being produced in London again, making its association with the village afterr which it was named somewhat short-lived.

    A serious fire in at the Bury St Edmunds Branston Pickle factory precipitated fears of a nationwide pickle shortage.

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    Premier Foods, owners of the brand at the time, ran full-page adverts in national newspapers reassuring concerned consumers that their favourite pickle would be available in time for post-Christmas turkey sandwiches. Four years later he launched a nationwide competition to come up with a catchier name. By over one million loaves of Hovis were sold every week.

    Marketed as a bread for the health conscious Queen Victoria was said to be a fan , it was available in 1lb and 2lb loaves, 8oz. Launched in , the famous Hovis television commercial featuring a delivery boy struggling up a steep hill with his bicycle was made by Gladiator director Ridley Scott. Increasing prices and shrinking sizes: