I’ve received the following question, submitted to the site by Ken Davidson:

A plea! Can you write a blog entry asking if anyone has got a half-decent picture of the old Daddies Sauce daddy? Do you remember the chap? The happy 1950s type gent with the pipe and the smile? I’ve trawled the internet to no avail; I’ve twittered with no response – surely someone somewhere has a picture!!

Thanks muchly
- Ken Davidson

I dug through my extensive archive, and was able to come up with the picture to the right, but it turns out that Ken is after something rather specific:

Thanks Brad – a very nostalgic pic! I reckon the one I’m after must’ve run into at least the early 70s – simply ‘cos I can just about remember it. My dad told me that it was a picture of him, and that the sauce was for him only. I believed him for years

Regards, Ken.

Thanks for the story Ken! Does anyone have a Daddie’s picture which matches the one Ken describes? If so, please contact me and I’ll forward you to Ken. Thanks for helping!

I’d like to introduce a fellow who contacted me recently. John Scott Cree is a comedy singer-songwriter and story teller who has 40 years experience gigging, recording and broadcasting as a solo comedy act in Britain.

In 1978, John recorded a little number entitled “A Saucy French Love Song” – a comedic dedication to HP Sauce. John also recorded and preserved a live performance on video, and now some 31 years later, he has edited and re-released the video using your images hosted on brownsauce.org (with permission)!

So, without further ado, I present John Scott Cree and “A Saucy French Love Song”:

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As a kid in 50’s England, my Dad used to quote, by heart, the French ingredients from the HP sauce label. It was an easyish way to learn a bit of French and I duly put it to music for a school concert in 1964. Later, it became part of my act on the folk club and college circuit and, when Pye Records gave me a contract in 1978, I recorded it in a “Whiter shade of pale” mode, with Cliff Hall (Hammond B3), Ricky Hitchcock (guitar), Alan Jones (bass), and Pete Kircher (drums). Pye wanted it re-done with violins and I took the opportunity to re-do the vocals, with Linda Taylor, as a spoof of the cheesy 70’s song “Je t’aime …” Strings on this version are – Violins: Julian Gaillard, G. Palmer, D. McConnell, D. Moody, L. Rossi, L. Clay. Viola: W. Jones, G. Scott. Cello: Robin Firman, Denis Vigay. String arrangement by Mike Bailey. Produced by Tony Atkins. Pye didn’t release it.
This video uses live 1978 concert footage from Sallis Benney Theatre, Brighton UK, with images to match the song, courtesy of brownsauce.org and HJ Heinz. – John Scott Cree

More on John Scott Cree:

• John Scott Cree’s music and writing homepage
• John Scott Cree on MySpace

Many thanks to John for introducing us to this video. It has been a pleasure seeing this project come to light!

Thanks Adham for submitting this story posted to the BBC website, February 21^st, 2009.

Police officers rushed to hospital after a suspicious substance was thrown through a car window were released when it was identified as HP sauce.

The Metropolitan Police said officers responded to reports of an “unusual smell” coming from a car with a smashed window in Enfield, north London.

They saw an unknown brown substance inside and those who came into contact with it were taken to hospital.

No arrests have been made over the incident in the early hours of Friday.

The spokesman said: “Officers who came into contact with the substance were taken to hospital as a precautionary measure.

“The substance was eventually identified as a harmless food substance.”

- Source BBC

I recently received the following email from Amy in the UK. It reads as follows:

In 1972 my husband had a ride on hp sauce bottle toy, no now knows where this toy went to, but this Christmas my husbands father and step mother gave him one as a present which they had brought from a car boot sale. The person they purchased it from used to collect advertising memorabilia and had never seen another example. My husband (39 years old now) was thrilled with it but a little miffed that he is too big to ride on it!

Amy is curious to know more about her husbands new toy and has requested our help in finding out more information. She’s graciously sent in more pictures in the hopes that they may help bring back some fond memories with some of our readers. They speculate that the HP Sauce Rider Toy dates from the late 1960’s or early 1970’s.

If you do come across any information about the ride on sauce bottle then I would be most interested to hear. In the meantime I think I will try a see if the company that made the thing still exist…

HP Sauce Rider Toy 1

HP Sauce Rider Toy 2

HP Sauce Rider Toy 3

Thanks for the great images Amy!

If this wonderful old toy brings back a childhood memory or if you have any additional information on it’s origin, please leave a comment below! You may also wish to view the gallery to browse a similar Rider Toy photo which Mandy kindly contributed to our gallery.