downthetubes readers of a certain age who grew up in Britain’s South West may remember the stranger TV antics of Westward TV’s Gus Honeybun puppet mascot, while celebrating birthdays between their TV shows. One of them myself, I was delighted to learn, quite by chance, that the once rather frenetic rabbit character was back in action, in aid of Children’s Hospice South West.
Making his on screen debut in 1961 Gus Honeybun (full name, Augustus Jeremiah Honeybun) was the station mascot of Westward TV and, later, Televsion South West (TSW), second only to Sooty and Sweep for 31 years. Legend has it he was found by a gorse bush on Dartmoor and given the opportunity of a lifetime. He waved goodbye to his mother and father, and headed off to the bright lights of Derry’s Cross in Plymouth, to the new studios of Westward Television.
Originally a five-minute buffer between programmes Gus went on to host his own show, Gus Honeybun’s Magic Birthdays, and gained a huge fan base, including He is such comedian, Josh Widdicombe, who dedicated the first chapter of his book, Watching Neighbours Twice a Day… How ’90s TV (Almost) Prepared Me For Life – to him.
The South West Film and Television Archive now part of The Box Plymouth, has a Gus Honeybun Suite, dedicated to the popular fluffy bunny. They sell celebratory merchandise, too.
Gus was named after Guz, the slang name for Plymouth, while Honeybun was from the South Pacific film song title, Gus was “born” because there were not enough local adverts between programmes.
There were four different on screen Gus Honeybun puppets down the years, and the fluffy bunny helped launched the careers of regional celebrities such as Judy Spiers, David Fitzgerald and Ian Stirling.
Gus was the creation of Anthony Smith (or Tony), who died in 2023, who worked for Westward TV, the first independent TV station in the South West, and then TSW, where he became head of presentation and was an award-winning programme maker.
Paying tribute to Tony on his passing, Tavistock Today noted Tony had seen successful characters on other stations, so he and colleague David Sunderland devised a ‘rabbit’ to read out birthdays.
Gus Honeybun attracted a cult following and it was not unknown for adults to write in requesting “bunny hops” etc. While 12 was the official age limit for having a birthday read out on air, people of 40 were presented as being four and so on.
Most of the time, Gus celebrated birthdays with genteel “Bunny Hops”, winking, waggling his ears, and turning out the lights for birthday messages. With the advent of colour TV, he also pressed the “Magic Button” to mess with screen colours. But, occasionally, his on screen antics would see his human co-presenters corpse on screen, to viewers’ delight, gaining the puppet lasting appeal.
There were also untoward on screen accidents, the back of his head memorably flying off on screen in one show in 1969, which must surely have traumatised younger viewers. (I noted it in my diary of the time).
Gus Honeybun’s Secret LGBT Connections
Back in 2021, Dr Alan Butler, co-director of Pride in Plymouth and Plymouth LGBT Archive coordinator claimed presenter Ian Stirling would use Mr Honeybun to send out secret coded messages to the LGBT+ community.
“Kids would send in their birthdays and he would read them out,” he told The Plymouth Herald. “He used to press a magic button too, and that was all totally legit.
“I must admit, because I’m old enough I had my birthday read out a couple of times. A few people I’ve interviewed have said ‘oh yes that was quite useful as a code for what was going on’.
“Plymouth had such an underground scene that people would send each other messages.
“One of the presenters, Ian Stirling, was a gay gentleman and he would say ‘Auntie Stella’.
“So a card from ‘Auntie Stella’ would kind of tell people where the party was happening, and things like that.
“Apparently there were all sorts of code words and names, things that signalled different people. It’s just a nice little story really to think that it was used in that way. Lots of young people didn’t realise that was going on at all.”
Gus, The Later Years
Westward lost the franchise to TSW in 1981, but Tony and Gus continued.
Tony moved into directing, winning an award for a children’s programme. In 1989, Tony became TSW head of presentation and re-united with Gus, retiring in 1992, proud of what he and the crazy puppet achieved.
Gus Honeybun gained a catchy theme tune in 1987, released as a 7’ single, created by TSW’s musical director Ed Welch, who also came up with the themes for Blockbusters, Catchphrase, Crosswits, All Clued Up and Knightmare, as well as the scores for the ‘Confessions’ films, Stand Up Virgin Soldiers, Rosie Dixon – Night Nurse and Cannon & Ball’s The Boys In Blue.
The last ever Gus Honeybun Programme, broadcast in 1992, saw Gus returned to the moor where he was born, and reunited with his rabbit family.
Gus Honeybun Returns
Gus’ Bunny Rights resided with Flambards Triple Theme Park in Helston, Cornwall from 1992, where he was briefly stationed and met local children and holiday makers. The theme park closed its doors in November 2024 after 48 years due to “rising costs and a steady decline in visitor numbers”, and all its exhibits, including two Gus Honeybun puppets, were sold at auction in March last year.
However, back in April, Gus Honeybun was revived by Children’s Hospice South West (CHSW), veteran broadcaster Judi Spiers reunited with the former TV mascot for its Magic Birthdays Campaign.
The campaign launched at the end of April, and encourages supporters to celebrate their birthdays by fundraising for the charity. Anyone raising £50 or more will receive a personalised Magic Birthday video message from Judi and Gus.
Supporters can also buy limited-edition Gus Honeybun gifts and merchandise, with proceeds helping CHSW continue providing care and support for families across the region.
“Gus has meant so much to so many children and adults for such a long time, said Judi Spiers, who regularly appeared alongside the original puppet. “He was created to bring joy to children and that’s exactly what we are going to do with Children’s Hospice South West.
“We’re going to make special visits, read some special stories and so much more. It’s a wonderful partnership and we’re all really excited about it.”
You can help CHSW make the most of short and precious lives across the South West by supporting the Magic Birthday campaign here.
Money raised through the campaign will support CHSW’s three hospices – Little Harbour in St Austell, Little Bridge House in Barnstaple and Charlton Farm in North Somerset – which provide care for children with life-limiting conditions and their families.
Head downthetubes for…
• The Box: Buy Gus Honeybun Merchandise
• The Box: Gus Honeybun – 60 and still famous (2021 article)
• Tavistock Today: Tributes paid to TV’s Gus creator
• Watch: TV mascot Gus Honeybun in Weymouth Christmas Parade (Westward Diary) in 1980
• Bob The Fish Productions series on ITV regions does a proper job of covering the TSW years, as well as giving copious airtime to Gus
• Discogs: Ed Welch – The Gus Honeybun Song
• ITV News: ‘No way’ – hilarious moment Josh Widdicombe left starstruck by Gus Honeybun puppet
• Plymouth Live: Gus Honeybun would send coded messages to the LGBT+ community
Dr Alan Butler says presenter Ian Stirling would use Mr Honeybun to send out secret coded message
- About the Author
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John is the founder of downthetubes, launched in 1998. He is a comics and magazine editor, writer, and Press Officer for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He also runs Crucible Comic Press.
Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine and Overkill for Marvel UK, Babylon 5 Magazine, Star Trek Magazine, and its successor, Star Trek Explorer, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics; and has edited several comic collections and graphic novels, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”, and Hancock: The Lad Himself, by Stephen Walsh and Keith Page.
He’s the writer of comics such as Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs”, with Dave Hailwood.
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