Lois Welsman had younger viewers on the sting of their seats when present debuted on Barrie’s CKVR in 1960
This ongoing collection from Barrie Historic Archive curator Deb Exel exhibits previous images from the gathering and one from the current day, in addition to the story behind them.
Romper Room
“Romper, bomper, stomper boo. Tell me, tell me, tell me, do. Magic mirror, tell me today, did all my friends have fun at play?”
These have been the magical, memorable phrases the Romper Room hostess would use to shut every episode of the favored preschool TV program, developed in Baltimore, Md., in 1953 by Bert and Nancy Claster.
The present, which included video games, tales, songs, and studying moments, was outlined by its consideration to courtesy and manners. The hostess was all the time addressed as “Miss,” and the mascot, Mr. Do-Bee, a bumblebee, helped drive this theme by starting his sentences with “Do Bee” to explain good behaviours. Mr. “Don’t Bee” would level out what youngsters mustn’t do.
When it was time to sing, the hostess would announce, “We’re ready, Mr. Music,” and even higher, everybody would cue the background music, by asking in a sing-song voice, “Mr. Music, please.”
The franchised present got here to CKVR in Barrie 65 years in the past, in 1960. Lois Welsman, or Miss Lois, as she was referred to as, debuted within the new TV present.
Lois Could Olson, born in Sioux Lookout, was married to Roger Raikes Welsman, a land surveyor and grandson of George Raikes of the Pleasaunce.
Lois graduated from the Toronto Academics’ School, instructing at King Edward Public College for one yr within the mid-Fifties earlier than provide instructing at varied elementary faculties on the town. Put up-Romper Room, Lois was concerned in a program for preschoolers on the Shanty Bay Training Centre. In preparation for her work on Romper Room, Lois spent per week in coaching with the present’s creators in Baltimore.
Romper Room was not Lois Welsman’s first TV rodeo. As one of many constitution members of the Ross Caldwell Singers, a bunch that had made 27 tv appearances by 1967, Lois was a well-recognized face on a number of stations and from many stay live shows.
She was a sought-after speaker within the early Sixties, entertaining the Jaycees, the Barrie Kinette Membership and the Barrie Enterprise Membership along with her presentation on the origins of Romper Room and its recognition all through the world since its launch.
Lois’s signature speak all the time included humorous incidents that occurred with company and crew. On the Kiwanis membership Rosebud Evening for members and daughters, Lois carried out three songs, accompanied on the piano by Doug Garraway, of CKVR, and advised an illustrated animal story.
However at 11 a.m. on weekday mornings, she was Miss Lois, the beloved hostess and star of Barrie’s first program for a kindergarten-aged viewers — Romper Room. Miss Lois crammed the hour with initiatives and actions, resembling “imagination time,” and by additionally utilizing this system in a practical manner to assist put together youngsters for his or her first yr of faculty.
On the finish of every present, Miss Lois, reaching for her magic mirror, a glittery, open-frame hand mirror, would look into it and start to recite these well-known phrases: “Romper, bomper, stomper boo …”
And if their mother and father had mailed it in, four- and five-year-old youngsters would know absolutely the thrill of Miss Lois “seeing” them in TV land and the thrill of listening to their identify: “I can see Robin and Jay and Elaine and Ken and Larry and Heidi and Glenn and Donna …”
