Professor Branestawm facts for kids
Professor Branestawm is a fun series of thirteen books. They were written by the English author Norman Hunter. These children's books were written over 50 years, from 1933 to 1983. They are all about an inventor named Professor Theophilus Branestawm. He is known for being a very absent-minded professor, which means he often forgets things or gets lost in his thoughts! His name, "Branestawm," is a clever pun. It sounds like "brainstorm," which is when you come up with lots of ideas.
The first two books in the series came out in the 1930s. The other eleven books were published much later, starting in 1970, when Hunter was retired. Because of this, there was a big 33-year gap between the second book, Professor Branestawm's Treasure Hunt (1937), and the third, The Peculiar Triumph of Professor Branestawm (1970).
Contents
Meet the Characters
Professor Branestawm is always busy in his "Inventory." This is where he creates strange inventions. These inventions usually don't work as planned or do unexpected things. This leads him into amazing adventures! He often goes on these adventures with his friend, Colonel Dedshott of the Catapult Cavaliers. These soldiers use catapults as their only weapon. The Professor's housekeeper, Mrs Flittersnoop, is also often involved.
The Professor lives in a town called Great Pagwell. It seems to be surrounded by many other Pagwells, like Little Pagwell, Pagwell Heights, and Pagwell Green. In one story, "The Professor Borrows a Book," he loses fourteen copies of the same book from fourteen different public libraries. He has to cycle super fast between all the Pagwells to renew his books so he doesn't get fined! In another story, "The Fair at Pagwell Green," the Professor is mistaken for a waxwork statue. This happens because Colonel Dedshott thought a waxwork was the Professor frozen solid. So, he and Mrs Flittersnoop tried to warm it up, which melted the waxwork! Meanwhile, the real Professor was lost in thought and got covered with other waxworks. When he finally snapped out of it, people thought he was a living waxwork!
The first book describes the Professor's simple style. His coat was held together with safety pins because the buttons had fallen off. His bald head shone brightly when the sun hit it. He has five pairs of spectacles (glasses): one for reading, one for writing, one for outdoors, one for looking over, and a fifth pair just for finding the other four when they get lost!
Mrs Flittersnoop, his housekeeper, sometimes causes trouble. This is because she doesn't always understand the Professor's brilliant ideas. In "The Wild Waste Paper," she throws what she thinks is a bottle of cough medicine into the bin. But it turns out to be the Professor's special elixir of life! It was in a cough medicine bottle because that's the only thing that can stop it without destroying it. The bottle was uncorked to let air in, and suddenly, all the waste paper in the bin came to life! Even when stuck up a pear tree surrounded by giant, hungry pieces of waste paper, the Professor stays calm and scientific. He wonders if a carpenter's bill would recognize a saw, or if the gas bill might explode!
Many characters in the books have names that are also puns, just like the Professor's:
- Mrs Flittersnoop – the Professor's housekeeper.
- Colonel Dedshott – his best friend.
- General Shatterfortz – the Colonel's boss.
- Commander Hardaport (Retired) – a neighbor of the Professor's.
- Mr Chintzbitz – a friend of the Colonel's who owns a furniture shop.
- Dr Mumpzanmeasle – the local doctor.
Professor Branestawm's Inventions and Adventures
Many of the Professor's problems happen because he is so absent-minded. In "The Screaming Clocks," he invents a clock that doesn't need winding. But he forgets to add a "little wiggly thing." This means the clock doesn't stop at twelve strikes. It keeps striking thirteen, fourteen, and so on, until it can't keep up! In "Burglars!", the Professor invents an automatic burglar catcher. But he forgets his house key! When he tries to get in through the window, his own machine grabs him and ties him up so tightly that even Mrs Flittersnoop doesn't recognize him. She even hits him over the head!
Often, the Professor's inventions seem to have their own personalities and rebel against him. The books often say, "No Branestawm invention was going to stand for that." His inventions frequently get upset if someone uses them in a way they weren't designed for. For example, in a story where the Professor makes cuckoo clocks for his friends, the clocks start fighting each other! This leads to all of them being destroyed.
The Artists Who Drew the Books
The first book, The Incredible Adventures of Professor Branestawm, was published in 1933. It was illustrated by W. Heath Robinson. Heath Robinson was famous for drawing wobbly and complicated machines. His drawings were perfect for the Professor's wild stories. Each picture often showed the Professor's very large forehead. The original book had "seventy-six illustrations by W. Heath Robinson." They had interesting titles like "A telescope of his own invention."
The second book, Professor Branestawm's Treasure Hunt, came out in 1937. The first version was illustrated by James Arnold. Later, George Adamson illustrated the 1966 re-release. Adamson also illustrated several other Branestawm books, including The Peculiar Triumph of Professor Branestawm and Professor Branestawm up the Pole.
Books in the Series
Here is a list of the main books in the Professor Branestawm series:
- The Incredible Adventures of Professor Branestawm (1933)
- Professor Branestawm's Treasure Hunt (1937)
- The Peculiar Triumph of Professor Branestawm (1970)
- Professor Branestawm Up the Pole (1972)
- Professor Branestawm's Great Revolution (1974)
- Professor Branestawm Round the Bend (1977)
- Professor Branestawm's Perilous Pudding (1979)
- Professor Branestawm and the Wild Letters (1981)
- Professor Branestawm's Pocket Motor Car (1981)
- Professor Branestawm's Mouse War (1982)
- Professor Branestawm's Building Bust-Up (1982)
- Professor Branestawm's Crunchy Crockery (1983)
- Professor Branestawm's Hair-Raising Idea (1983)
Other books by Norman Hunter about Professor Branestawm include:
- Professor Branestawm's Dictionary (1973)
- Professor Branestawm’s Compendium of Conundrums, Riddles, Puzzles, Brain Twiddlers and Dotty Descriptions (1975)
- Professor Branestawm’s Do-it-yourself Handbook (1976)
- Professor Branestawm Stories (2000, c1980)
- The Best of Branestawm (1980)
Books Around the World
Professor Branestawm books have been translated into many different languages. These include French, German, Italian, Polish, Slovenian, and Swedish. This means children in many countries have enjoyed the Professor's funny adventures!
Professor Branestawm on Screen and Radio
The first two books were turned into a seven-episode TV show in 1969. It was called The Incredible Adventures of Professor Branestawm and starred Jack Woolgar as the Professor. It was a sitcom (a funny TV show with the same characters in different situations).
In 2001, five stories were adapted for BBC Radio 4. The Professor's voice was played by John Fortune.
In 2014, the BBC made an hour-long TV movie based on the books. It was written by Charlie Higson and starred Harry Hill as Professor Branestawm. It was shown on Christmas Eve. The filming took place in places like Shere, Surrey and Wallingford. Famous actors like David Mitchell, Simon Day, Ben Miller, and Miranda Richardson were also in it. In 2015, a sequel called Professor Branestawm Returns aired on Christmas Eve on BBC One.
