His books about Elmer the multicoloured elephant remain enormously popular among young children - to the point where a sculptural trail was installed in (where else?) Elephant and Castle in 2019.
The locals also keep the stories alive by holding an annual fancy dress party on the street.ĭavid McKee was by no means a one-hit wonder. Its opening marked the 50th anniversary of Mr Benn's first appearance in the books of McKee. In 2017, local residents successfully petitioned for (and paid for) a nearby footpath to adopt the name of Festive Walk. "Festive Road Home Of David McKee And His Creation Mr Benn"Īn even subtler commemoration can be found at the Thames end of Festing Road. Look carefully on the western pavement and you'll see this faded memorial. If you head to Festing Road today, it's possible to find a plaque to McKee and Benn. "I changed the name to Festive," explained McKee, "I felt the real name sounded to much like festering". He was picturing his creation living next door - only with the street name slightly altered. In real life, Benn's creator, the late David McKee lived at 54 Festing Road in Putney. and there's a plaque to prove itĪlthough he spent most of his time in fantasy realms, Mr B would always return to his terraced house at 52 Festive Road, London. He'd then step into the changing room and be transported to the appropriate setting (the Wild West if he put on a cowboy suit, a submarine if he put on the diver's suit, etc.).Īs with so many kids' shows of the era, only a small number of episodes were ever made (13), but they were so often repeated that it felt like a constant presence. Every episode, he'd toddle off to the fancy dress shop, where the magic shopkeeper would furnish him with a new outfit. Mr Benn was a bowler-hatted businessman who had a bit of a kink for dressing up.
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