I hope it won't be considered poor taste for me to upload this at this particular moment in time as a tribute Carol Lee Scott. Would you believe that I was just putting the finishing touches to this recording (*finally*) when I heard the sombre news being reported that she has sadly passed away? This seems to have been confirmed by her niece on social media, while the positively ancient Grotbags website also features an "In Loving and Grotty Memory" announcement, so I'm sorry to say that I believe it to be true:

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It's difficult to know what to say really. I never met her, but she was most definitely a major part of my childhood, and I'm certain I'm not the only one who feels that way. Unlike Rod, who in later years basically came to resent only being associated with Emu, I get the impression that Carol was fully comfortable with being inextricably linked with Her Great Greenness. That can surely only be a good thing. While she had a long and successful career on the live cabaret circuit and dabbled with the life as a bluesy soul singer, the role of Grotbags will without a shadow of a doubt be her legacy. It remains to be seen as I write this just how extensive the obituaries will be - or indeed whether she's even deemed worthy, given how long she's been out of the public eye - but Carol was barely off our screens between 1982 and 1993, and anyone who racks up well over 100 episodes of prime time children's television and absolutely nailed the role of 'panto villain' so gloriously is bound to have found a place in many young hearts. Here's hoping she gets the send-off she deserves. I'm convinced that there's more than a Little Bit of Love out there for both the character and the actress.

The Mirror website carries a quote saying that "it was Carol's request that there be no sadness but music and laughter", and so this video is how I choose to remember her. Yes, most people's favourite Aunty Grotty moment is Mean Green Mother from Outer Space, or maybe Gimme Dat Ding, but I really think this runs them close. In fact, it may be my personal #1. It's a fantastic rendition of Don't Nobody Bring Me No Bad News from the musical The Wiz, dating from 1982 (hence 'Scary Croc') and ably assisted by Pink Windmill Kids Aysha, Kate, and Sarah, plus mystery skeleton. I've used the line before, but for someone so green she couldn't half hit a great blue note, and as she belts it all out you'll notice that Carol was always a far better singer than lip-syncer. WHICH IS EXACTLY HOW IT SHOULD BE.

Incidentally, I've always been wary of putting an age to Carol because there are two different dates of birth for her doing the rounds, but news outlets right now are saying she was 74. This means that when she recorded this, she was still in her 30s. The vast majority of the Pink Windmill Kids are older now than Grotbags was then. Just take a moment to let that sink in.

I hope I haven't said anything out of turn, and genuine condolences to the family.

Many thanks to Jayne for lending me this tape.

(To the best of my knowledge, the contents of this video have never been available commercially anywhere in the world. Please also note that I don't monetise any of my uploads. Nevertheless, if you are a copyright holder and have an objection, please don't hesitate to contact me.)

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