It is time for Chitty Chitty Bang Bang to fly again. This time it’s a VW camper van. Written by Frank Cottrell Boyce, this fantastic car takes the family on fabulous, unforgettable trips. The Tooting family consists of mom, dad, Lucy, Jem and Little Harry.
It begins on a dire note with dad telling the family that he has lost his job. But he is not depressed or worried about it; in fact, he seems to be surprisingly upbeat. But then, things get a bit out of hand when dad begins his “home improvement”.
The first day when mom gets home she gets a warm welcome, as the front door opens on its own and also says, “Do come in. The kettle is on.” But this has a draw back because the next morning they find the milkman, the paper boy and a jogger are in the kitchen enjoying the tea.
So now mom knows she has to do something to stem her husband’s creativity. And that’s when the VW camper van comes in. Soon dad is spending all his time fixing it. And when it’s done, they pack their stuff and hit the road.
Adventures galore
A wonderful story of a family that loves to travel and meet people and generally have a great time.
In the Author’s Note Frank Cottrell Boyce says that the first film he saw was Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. It was a heart-stopping moment when Chitty drove off the edge of the cliff with the family on board and the Intermission sign came on. He says he sat through the next ten minutes all tensed up waiting for the movie to start again. He got so interested in the movie that he went to the library and discovered Ian Fleming’s book Chitty Chitty Bang Bang – The Magical Car .
Fleming made up this story for his son Caspar, as a bedtime story. When he suffered a hear attack, his wife kept him away from his typewriter. With nothing to do but rest, he decided to write out the story of Chitty in long hand. The book was published in 1964 and was an instant success. The book tells the tale about a family whose car develops magical powers.
Chitty’s success led to the creation of a musical film in 1968. It was loosely based on Fleming’s novel.
CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG FLIES AGAIN by Frank Cottrell Boyce, Macmillan
