- Babycham
Babycham is the trade name of a light, sparkling
perry (pear cider) invented by Francis Showering, a brewer inShepton Mallet inSomerset ,England ; the name is now owned by Constellation Europe Limited. Launched nationally in the UK in 1953, the drink was marketed with pioneeringtelevision advertisements to appeal specifically to women. It was the first alcoholic product to be advertised on UK television, the campaign being launched in 1957.Popular through the 1960s into the 1970s, the brand's appeal waned with the rise of
wine and ready-mixed spirit drinks. 1996 saw a major relaunch of the brand and the reintroduction of its leapingdeer trademark (a giant version of which used to adorn the Shepton Malletfactory where it is produced). 1997 saw the reintroduction of Babycham Babe beauty contests that had been popular in the 1960s, the winner that year beingNell McAndrew .Babycham was commonly used as a
mixer forbrandy . The resultant "Brandy and Babycham" (colloquially called a "Legover") was particularly "en vogue" inBlackpool during the 1980s.Similarly, in central
Scotland , Babycham has in recent years been used as amixer for the fortified wine Buckfast. This potent blend is known as "Buckcham", "Babyfast" or "Fuckfast".Babycham in the media
Baby Cham is an alias of popular Jamaicandancehall artist Cham.Possibly indicative of its status at the time, it appeared as the butt of many jokes in the 1993
BBC comedy series "The Smell of Reeves and Mortimer", suggesting that it was a suitable drink for babies.Anjelica Huston 's character inPrizzi's Honor orders a Babycham, to the complete befuddlement of the bartender.In "The Young Ones" 1982 episode, "Boring", Vyvyan Bastard (
Adrian Edmondson ) orders a Babycham - "Uh, mine's a Babycham" – from his mum who is bartending at a pub. In the 1984 "Summer Holiday" episode of the same BBC comedy series, Vyvyan attests that one sip of Babycham and he's anybody's. In the 1984 episode "Bambi",Griff Rhys Jones played aUniversity Challenge presenter who, in addition to the Disney film and avideo nasty sequel, had done the Babycham commercials.A series of Babycham television spots featuring choreographer Charles Augins, best known for his role as "back-up" computer Queeg 500 in the
Red Dwarf episode "Queeg", are referenced in the 1988 film "The Firm" (directed byAlan Clarke ): afootball hooligan jokingly tells his friend who is ordering drinks at the bar "Hey, I'll have a Babycham". The drink also featured in adance hall scene in the Reggae filmThe Harder They Come .One of the rock-band
The Libertines 's side-projects was of bootleg recordings called "Babyshambles". After the band split, co-front manPete Doherty used the name for his next musical project,Babyshambles . The connection to Babycham is evident in not only theportmanteau of "Babycham" and "shambles" but also in light of Doherty's fondness for fun.Babycham is mentioned in the 1979 track 'Saturday's Kids' by mod-revival band
The Jam .External links
* [http://www.babycham.com/flash/welcome.html Babycham Website]
* [http://www.waitrose.com/food_drink/wfi/notesandmiscellany/nostalgia/0306090.asp "The Way We Drank"] - extract fromPhilip Norman 's autobiography "Babycham Night" ISBN 0-333-90097-9
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