Television TV

Thursday's Child

This was a children's serial shown on BBC1 in 1972 and 1973. It was about a girl called Margaret Thursday, who escaped the tender mercies of a grim orphanage back in the 19th century. Margaret is a confident, assertive girl, with much to say for herself and rightly so. She made an enemy of the orphanage's matron through her spirited feistiness. Eventually, after a friend steals a book and fearing retribution, she runs away, taking the friend with her. The series then tracked their adventures with various people they meet on the road, including a family of people who lived and worked on narrow boats up and down the canal system before finally falling in with a travelling theatre group, with whom Margaret makes her future. There was a sad scene at the end when she parts from her companions to go with the actors, but she's urged to go with them because that's what she's meant to do. Gillian Bailley, from The Double Deckers had a part. The lead part was played by Clare Walker, in her first television role. She later appeared in Angels, Shoestring and When The Boat Comes In among others. She later moved behind the camera, and works now in casting. The serial itself was based on a novel by Noel Streatfeild, who in turn based her story upon that of a close friend who had undergone similar experiences. The title came from the folk rhyme, "Thursday's Child has far to go."


Do You Remember Thursday's Child?

Do You Remember Thursday's Child?