Spywatch facts for kids

Spywatch is an exciting educational TV show made by the BBC. It was part of the Look and Read series. The show first aired on BBC Two from January to March 1996. Its main goal was to teach viewers about World War II.

The Spywatch Story

The story of Spywatch happens in two different times. In the present day, an adult named Norman Starkey visits Westbourne, a village in Shropshire. He was sent there as a child during World War II. With help from the local librarian, he starts writing a book about his wartime adventures. These modern-day parts teach us important facts.

The main adventure takes place in 1942, during the war. Three children, young Norman, Dennis, and Mary, are sent away from the city bombs. They become evacuees in Westbourne. Norman and Dennis stay at a farm with Amy Hobbs and her granddaughter, Polly. Mary stays at Westbourne Hall with Miss Millington and Mr Grainger. The children soon think they have found a group of spies. Many people in the village seem suspicious. The children must work together to solve this big mystery.

Episode Guide

This section tells you what happens in each exciting episode.

Episode 1: Sent Away

Aired: 15 January 1996 Adult Norman Starkey finds his old scrapbook. He decides to write a book about his wartime experience. He travels back to Westbourne village. He remembers being sent there as a child. He met Cyril Jenkins and another evacuee, Mary Parker. Cyril drove them to Westbourne Hall. Mr Grainger and Miss Millington lived there. They took Mary but refused to take Norman. Norman was then driven to Wells Farm. There, kind Amy Hobbs took him in. Another evacuee, Dennis Sealey, was already staying there.

Episode 2: Grainger Danger

Aired: 22 January 1996 Norman and Dennis were new to country life. Amy's granddaughter, Polly, made them work on the farm. They were scared when they saw the cows. Meanwhile, Mary had to do a lot of housework for Grainger and Millington. Grainger also visited Wells Farm. He tried to make Amy leave the farm, as he was the landlord. But Amy bravely refused to go.

Episode 3: Spies All Around

Aired: 29 January 1996 Amy's cows escaped, and it looked like the fence was cut. Norman, Dennis, and Polly thought Grainger was responsible. Later, everyone in the village went to a talk. Cyril Jenkins showed posters of people who might be spies. One poster really surprised the children. It showed a woman in a half-Nazi, half-normal uniform. This image stuck in their minds. In the present day, adult Norman decides to find Polly.

Episode 4: Trouble For Mary

Aired: 5 February 1996 Luigi Balzoni, an Italian P.O.W., arrived to help on the farm. Amy did not trust Luigi at first. But he soon proved himself to be good. Also, Miss Millington stole Mary's money. She then blamed Mary for stealing from her. Later, Mary wrote a letter to her parents. She gave it to Millington to post. But Millington read the letter. Mary had written about how mean Grainger and Millington were. She begged her parents to come get her. Millington threw the letter into the fire.

Episode 5: The Poster Comes To Life

Aired: 12 February 1996 Norman felt homesick after getting a letter from his mother. He went for a walk by the river. He met Mike Johnson, a lieutenant from a nearby U.S. Army base. Mike showed him how to fish. Mary agreed to help Polly and Dennis. They wanted to find out if Grainger was a spy. On their way back, Polly and Dennis met a strange woman. She looked just like the woman from Cyril Jenkins' poster. The woman asked for directions. Polly, thinking she was an enemy spy, sent her the wrong way. They thought they were safe, but then the woman appeared at their front door!

Episode 6: Bombs In The Country

Aired: 19 February 1996 The mystery woman introduced herself as Vivienne Belling. She said she was a government photographer. But the children were still suspicious of her. Meanwhile, Mary overheard an interesting talk. It was between Grainger and Miss Millington. Mike gave the children chocolate, which was hard to get during the war. Also, Polly and Dennis saw a German plane flying nearby.

Episode 7: Surprise

Aired: 4 March 1996 Polly and Dennis barely escaped bombs from the German plane. Norman later saw Grainger giving a package to Vivienne Belling. Mary tried to find proof that Grainger was a spy. Also, Norman's mother came to visit him for his birthday. The next day, an even bigger surprise waited for the children. It was in their secret meeting place, the greenhouse at Westbourne Hall.

Episode 8: The Pilot

Aired: 11 March 1996 The children found an injured German pilot in the greenhouse. The pilot was later arrested. The children's suspicions about Vivienne Belling grew. They heard her speaking German to the pilot. Grainger tried again to make Amy leave the farm. He arranged for Luigi to be moved to Westbourne Hall. That night, Mary followed Grainger and Millington. She wanted to find out what they were doing.

Episode 9: The Secret Quarry

Aired: 18 March 1996 The children found a tunnel. It led from an old quarry to Westbourne Hall. Grainger caught Norman and Dennis. But Luigi saved them. Grainger then had Luigi arrested. He claimed Luigi stole from the Hall.

Episode 10: Captured

Aired: 25 March 1996 The children learned that Grainger and Miss Millington were not spies. They were actually black marketeers. This meant they were selling things illegally during the war. Norman and Mary tried to call the police from Westbourne Hall. But Grainger and Millington caught them. They locked them in a shed. Polly saw them captured. She went to find a phone. She then met Vivienne Belling. Polly tried to attack her, but Mike stopped her. Polly led them to the quarry. Dennis had already freed Norman and Mary. They trapped Grainger and Millington in the shed. The illegal sellers were arrested. Vivienne Belling then revealed she was investigating Grainger all along. Mary moved to Wells Farm. The charges against Luigi were dropped. He returned to work on the farm. Norman's mother arrived to take Norman home. In the present, adult Norman finally met Polly again.

Meet the Characters

Here are the main characters and the actors who played them:

• Norman Starkey played by Raymond Pickard
• Dennis Sealey played by Russell Tovey
• Mary Parker played by Josie McCabe
• Polly Hobbs played by Sophie Ward
• Amy Hobbs played by Rosemary Leach
• Miss Millington played by Lesley Joseph
• Philip Grainger played by Guy Henry
• Cyril Jenkins played by Norman Bird
• Luigi Balzoni played by Joseph Alessi
• Vivienne Belling played by Abigail Thaw
• Norman Starkey (adult) played by Keith Barron
• Miss Lee played by Josie d'Arby
• Cedric David Rom (CD-ROM) played by Roger Kitter
• Singer (female) Janie Dee
• Singer (male) Tony Timberlake
• Bald-headed man/Spiv played by Andrew Tansey
• Mike Johnson played by Terence Maynard
• Private Wilson played by Rab Christie
• Mrs Starkey played by Carol Harvey
• Mrs Calver played by Pauline Delaney
• Ethel Higson played by Victoria Hasted
• Harrison played by Vincent Pickering
• German pilot played by Reinhard Michaels
• Polly Peters (Hobbs) played by Jeannie Crowther