Grandpa in My Pocket facts for kids

Grandpa in My Pocket is a fun British comedy TV show. It was made for CBeebies, which is the BBC's channel for younger kids. The show is about a special grandpa who has a secret.

This grandpa, played by James Bolam, owns a magical "shrinking cap." Only his grandson, Jason Mason (played by Jay Ruckley), knows about this secret. When Grandpa wears the cap, he shrinks down to about 4 inches tall! He becomes a cool computer-animated character.

Being tiny lets Grandpa have amazing adventures. He can run super fast and even make toys and other objects come to life. Jason tells us all about these exciting adventures. Grandpa has done things like finding a hidden person, making a robot move, and driving Jason's toy car.

The show also features Josie Cable as Jason's sister, Zara Ramm as his mom, and Sam Ellis as his dad. The BBC said the show explores the important connection between grandparents and their grandchildren in a new and exciting way.

The first series was very popular, so more seasons were made. A second series came out in 2009, and a third in 2010. After a break, a fourth series was filmed in 2013 and aired in 2014.

In the fourth series, the story changes a bit. Jason is now a teenager. His family moves into a windmill and opens it as a hotel. Jason and his sister Jemima's younger cousins, Josh and Elsie, come to stay. Grandpa decides to share his shrinking cap secret with Josh and Elsie. They then become the narrators of the show's adventures.

Where the Show Was Made

The first three series of Grandpa in My Pocket were set in a made-up place called "Sunnysands." The outdoor scenes were filmed in real towns in Suffolk, England. These towns were Southwold and Aldeburgh.

The house in Aldeburgh used for the Masons' home in the show.

The Mason family's house was on Crabbe Street in Aldeburgh. The pier and the lighthouse you see in the show were in Southwold. Some of the shops, like the bike shop, were filmed in Walberswick.

For the fourth series, the Mason family's windmill was a real place. It's called Cley Windmill and is located in Cley next the Sea in Norfolk.

A similar idea to Grandpa's shrinking cap was used before. In the 1970s, a comic strip called Peter's Pocket Grandpa appeared in The Dandy comic. This was based on an older story from the 1940s called Jimmie's Pocket Grandpa.

Meet the Characters

Here are some of the main characters you'll see in Grandpa in My Pocket:

The Mason Family

• Grandpa (James Bolam): He looks like a normal grandpa, but he has a secret magic shrinking cap!
• Jason Mason (Jay Ruckley): He was the main character for the first three series. He was 10 years old and the only one who knew about Grandpa's magic cap. He often helped Grandpa out of tricky situations.
• Josh (Harvey Thorn): Jason's younger cousin. He learns Grandpa's secret in the later series.
• Elsie (Sezen Djouma): Jason's younger cousin and Josh's sister. She also learns about the shrinking cap.
• Julie Mason (Zara Ramm): Jason and Jemima's mom, and Grandpa's daughter. Josh and Elsie call her Auntie Jules.
• Christopher Mason (Sam Ellis): Jason and Jemima's dad. He works in a bicycle shop. He can be a bit forgetful and often doesn't notice Grandpa's adventures. Josh and Elsie call him Uncle CJ.
• Jemima Mason (Josie Cable): Jason's older sister. In the later series, she starts studying fashion.
• Great Aunt Loretta (Susan Jameson): Grandpa's sister. She is quite bossy and sometimes cooks strange food, like sausages with sardine sauce! She also drinks a green drink she calls "Green Gloop."
• Beowulf (Tinkerbell): Grandpa's loyal dog, also known as Wolfy.

Other Fun Characters

• Mr Whoops (Steve Elias): He owns the Sunnysands Toyshop and is known for being a bit clumsy.
• Miss Smiley (Lorna Laidlaw): The happy owner of the Sunnysands cafe.
• Mr Liker-Biker (Phil Gallagher): A local biker who loves his gear more than actually riding his bike.
• Mr Mentor (Alan McMahon): A quirky inventor who creates new words along with his inventions.
• Olga Orbit (Emilia Fox): An astronomer who appears in the later series.

Episode Guide

Grandpa in My Pocket has many exciting episodes! Here's a list of them by series:

Series 1 – 2009

• "Beowulf the Brilliant" [10 February 2009]
• "How to Handle a Hamster" [11 February 2009]
• "Mr Liker Biker's Big Mountain Mission" [12 February 2009]
• "The Robot to Beat all Robots" [13 February 2009]
• "Princess Purpelovna's Plan" [16 February 2009]
• "Mr Krumpgrumble's Visit" [17 February 2009]
• "The Most Splendiferous Sandcastle in Sunnysands" [18 February 2009]
• "A Fabulous Family Photo" [19 February 2009]
• "Miss Smiley's Summer Show" [20 February 2009]
• "The Wonderful World of Mr Whoops" [23 February 2009]
• "Chaos in the Café" [24 February 2009]
• "The Day the Baby Came to Stay" [25 February 2009]
• "A Garden Full of Beasts" [26 February 2009]
• "A Toy for a Boy called Troy" [27 February 2009]
• "Trouble for Bubbles" [2 March 2009]
• "Shake Up and Shape Up" [3 March 2009]
• "Mr Marvelloso's Magic Show" [4 March 2009]
• "A Tuneful Toot on a Trumpet" [5 March 2009]
• "Getting Aunt Loretta Better" [6 March 2009]
• "Sweet Dreams for Cousin Alvin" [9 March 2009]
• "Something to Treasure Forever" [10 March 2009]
• "A Saturday Full of Surprises" [11 March 2009]
• "Magic in the Air" [12 March 2009]
• "Nothing Stops Grandpa" [13 March 2009]
• "Grandpa's Busy Bee Day" [16 March 2009]
• "Captain Dumbletwit's Spaceship Cake" [17 March 2009]

Series 2 – 2010

• "Captain Dumbletwit's Toughest Mission Yet!" [15 February 2010]
• "Mr Mentor's Custard Puff Plopper" [16 February 2010]
• "No Two Rings the Same" [17 February 2010]
• "A Carrot Called Christopher and Other Odd Vegetables" [18 February 2010]
• "Taking Floyd for a Ride" [19 February 2010]
• "Trying to Play with Shy Shanay" [22 February 2010]
• "A Day for a Play at Miss Smiley's Café" [23 February 2010]
• "Jemima's New Best Friend" [24 February 2010]
• "Bubbles and Squeak" [25 February 2010]
• "No More Dolls for Dora" [26 February 2010]
• "A Very Needy Speedy Edie" [1 March 2010]
• "Making the Most of Max" [2 March 2010]
• "Miss Smiley's Strawberry Surprise" [3 March 2010]
• "In It to Win It!" [4 March 2010]
• "Horatio Heave Ho!" [5 March 2010]
• "Great Aunt Loretta's Not-So-Great Plan" [8 March 2010]
• "Mr Whoops' Toy of the Week" [9 March 2010]
• "The Perfect Little Litter Picker" [10 March 2010]
• "Big Elf, Little Elf" [11 March 2010]
• "A Song for Miss Smiley" [12 March 2010]
• "Mr Scoffbucket the Goat" [15 March 2010]
• "Miss Smiley's Dancing Tea" [16 March 2010]
• "A Sunnysands Tick Tock Shock" [17 March 2010]
• "Wulfy's Day with Mr Whoops" [18 March 2010]
• "Captain Shipshape and a Fish Called Bryan" [19 March 2010]
• "Grandpa's Greatest Escape Ever" [20 March 2010]

Series 3 – 2010-2011

• "The Magic of Christmas" [15 December 2010]
• "No Ordinary Pig" [14 February 2011]
• "Lighthouse View, as Good as New" [15 February 2011]
• "Boom a Boom Whipp Zing Zoo!" [16 February 2011]
• "Lenora the Explorer" [17 February 2011]
• "A Captain Dumbletwit Box of Tricks" [18 February 2011]
• "No Help for Alvin" [21 February 2011]
• "Mr Mentor's Marvelicious Inventing Club" [22 February 2011]
• "More Than a Biscuit for Mrs McWhiskit" [23 February 2011]
• "A Day to Do What You Like to Do" [24 February 2011]
• "No Mention of an Invention" [25 February 2011]
• "The Sunnysands School for Pirates" [28 February 2011]
• "Mr Greator the Creator" [1 March 2011]
• "Mr Whoops' Wonderful Wedding" [2 March 2011]

Series 4 – 2014

• "A Grandpa Made of Magic" [27 January 2014]
• "Roly Poly Ravioli" [28 January 2014]
• "Miss Smiley's Springtime Make and Do Day" [29 January 2014]
• "An Aussie Afternoon with Bob" [30 January 2014]
• "Squeak! Squeak! Mr Squeak!" [31 January 2014]
• "A Day in Woolly Wonderland" [3 February 2014]
• "The Great Big Sunnysands Cake Bake" [4 February 2014]
• "Mr Munchmould's Cheesy Business" [5 February 2014]
• "There Came a Big Spider" [6 February 2014]
• "The Wonderbubble Weather Watcher" [7 February 2014]
• "Dancing with Delight" [10 February 2014]
• "Mistress Smiley's Medieval Fairground Fun" [11 February 2014]
• "Waffling at the Windmill" [12 February 2014]
• "A Day of Spectacular Surprises" [13 February 2014]
• "The Day the Callminders Called on Mr Whoops" [14 February 2014]
• "A Good Old-Fashioned Party" [17 March 2014]
• "A Cleaning Job for Our Friend Bob" [18 March 2014]
• "Wulfy the Wonderdog" [19 March 2014]
• "Billy Bentice the Apprentice" [20 March 2014]
• "Changes for the Better" [21 March 2014]
• "Mr Greator is Up to No Good" [24 March 2014]
• "Best Behaviour for Barnaby" [25 March 2014]
• "A Souvenir of Sunnysands"[26 March 2014]
• "Things That Go Bump on a Boat" [27 March 2014]
• "A Mix-up at the Mill" [5 May 2014]

Series 5 – 2014

• "Mr Mentor's Spangly Jangly Dangle Dish" [6 May 2014]
• "Poorly Pansy Petunia" [7 May 2014]
• "Mr Yomper Stomper's Donkey Day" [8 May 2014]
• "Wanda Whoops' World of Whooo!" [9 May 2014]
• "The Balderdashes on Bob's Boat" [12 May 2014]
• "One Man's Junk Is Another Man's Treasure" [13 May 2014]
• "Don't Blame Wulfy" [14 May 2014]
• "Mr Mentor's Whizzywoodlesome Whirly Windwhooper" [15 May 2014]
• "The Mystery of the Missing Millions" [16 May 2014]
• "Cheery Charlie Cheekster's Big Return" [19 May 2014]
• "Mrs Pufferbang's Balloony Beach Bonanza" [20 May 2014]
• "Bertie Beep and His Talking Sheep" [21 May 2014]
• "A Sunnysands Shelter for Bella La Belter" [22 May 2014]
• "A Robodoggy for Miss Snip" [23 May 2014]
• "The Brillioso Beach Treat" [6 October 2014]
• "Great Aunt Loretta on Duty" [7 October 2014]
• "Mighty Mike and a Bear on a Hike" [8 October 2014]
• "Great Aunt Loretta's Dream Date" [9 October 2014]
• "Whizzy William" [10 October 2014]
• "Shiny Gold Stars" [13 October 2014]
• "Captain Dumbletwit's Dress-Up Party" [14 October 2014]
• "In a Muddle with Miss Muddleton" [15 October 2014]
• "A Day for a Piratey Adventure" [16 October 2014]
• "The Magic of the Mill on the Marsh" [17 October 2014]
• "A Passion for Fashion" [20 October 2014]
• "A Dinosaur Called Damian" [21 October 2014]

Awards and Recognition

Grandpa in My Pocket has been recognized for its quality:

• It was nominated for "Best Pre-School Live Action" at the BAFTA Children's Awards in 2009, 2010, and 2011.
• In 2010, it won the "Best Children's Programme" award at BAFTA – Wales.

DVD Releases

You can find Grandpa in My Pocket on DVD from these companies:

• Warner Home Video: Released DVDs in the UK (2010–2011), France, USA, and Italy (2011–present).
• Abbey Home Media: Released DVDs in the UK (2011–present).

Grandpa in My Pocket at BBC Programmes

See also

In Spanish: Mi abuelito de bolsillo para niños