Yoffi lifts a finger, and a Mouse is there. Puts his hands together and a Seagull takes the air! Remembering Fingerbobs

Yoffy lifts a finger
And a mouse is there,
Puts his hands together
And a seagull takes the air;
Yoffi lifts a finger
And a scampi darts about;
Yoffi bends another
And a tortoise head peeps out;
These hands were made for making,
And making they must do!

Fingerbobs was a charming kids television programme made by the BBC in 1972. The first episode was broadcast on 14 February 1972 on BBC1 as part of Watch with Mother. The show was created by Joanne and Michael Cole, who also created Bod. Only thirteen episodes were ever made.

Presented by Mime Artist "Yoffy" (played by Canadian actor Rick Jones), each ten-minute episode told a story centred around a paper finger puppet animal, and usually involved collecting various items (such as pebbles or feathers) to make up another object at the end. The finger puppets, each of whom had their own song, included:

Fingermouse gained his own series in 1985. In this series, the focus was more on musical instruments. One series was made of thirteen programmes.

The memorable theme tune went "Yoffy lifts a finger, and a mouse is there/Puts his hands together, and a seagull takes the air/Yoffy lifts a finger, and a scampi darts about/Yoffy bends another, and a tortoise head peeps out/These hands were made for making, and making they must do."

At the end of the series Jones was so sick of making the show that he destroyed the finger puppets while the camera was still rolling.

Fingermouse, Fingermouse
The never stop to think a mouse
The always on the brink a mouse
Fingernouse, that's me
I am the mouse called Fingermouse
The mouse with guts and verve
I get past cats so easily with my favourite body swerve
Fingermouse, Fingermouse
I'm a sort of wonder mouse
A hit, a miss, a blunder mouse
Fingermouse, that's me.