A Journey Back to 1970s Britain
The Stumpy Sanderson stories are a journey back to one of Britain’s most memorable decades.
Set in the Bedfordshire truck-making town of Dunstable, they follow a gang of mischievous, comic-reading working-class boys as they navigate school life, suburban adventures, unlikely and dubious schemes and escapades, and the endless search for exploits and excitement during the 1970s.
Beginning the decade as seven-year-olds in short trousers and ending up as teenage post-punk rockers, Stumpy and his gang and allies crash, bang, wallop, hurtle and skid their way through a world of playground and classroom politics, unforgettable and bizarre characters, loyal friendships and spectacular uproarious mishaps.
Part surreal comedy, part astonishing social history and part British nostalgia, the stories capture the sights, sounds and spirit of growing up in the 1970s.
For those who lived through Britain in the Seventies, they offer a chance to revisit a vanished world. For others, they provide a singular humorous glimpse into that defining decade.
A Celebration of an Extraordinary Decade
So, let’s then switch off that episode of Magpie, dim the lava lamps, put away the plates on which we’ve just eaten our Vesta Curries, go outside and saddle up on our Raleigh Choppers and Tomahawks, and take a ride back to the age of glam rock and punk rock, Watney’s Party Seven and Double Diamond, the Corona man and the Tupperware party plan, Hai Karate and the Great Smell Of Brut, Marathon bars and Puffa Puffa Rice, British Rail Awaydays and Freddie Laker holidays, monkey boots and One Eyed Jacks jumpers, Green Shield Stamps and the Green Cross Code, How and Hong Kong Phooey, Catweazle and Cannon.
Enjoy the ride, and please remember – Beano, Whizzer & Chips, and Cor!! reading boys never grow up…
About Andrew
From a young age I have been a storyteller, writing and telling my own stories. I first started performing my stories on stage in 1997, and the first story that would eventually evolve into the Stumpy Sanderson collection was performed in 2000.
Between 2009 and 2011, I toured and performed Stumpy Sanderson stories at theatres, venues and events throughout the UK and Ireland, frequently appearing in sold-out shows. During this period, a collection of stories was also published as Stumpy Sanderson’s Scrapbook.
These early shows and performances were based on early draft manuscripts discovered in 1999 inside one of Stumpy’s old school bags, which had been stored in his parents’ loft for many years.
The original shows included:
- Friends and Foes
- More Friends and Foes
- Stumpy Sanderson’s Scrapbook
- Stumpy Sanderson’s Tales of the Very Unexpected
- Stumpy Sanderson’s Scrapbook: The New Wave Years
I also performed many individual Stumpy stories at events and for audiences across the UK.
Between 2012 and 2014, I wrote and performed two further productions featuring an older Stumpy and other familiar characters: What Happened When We Met the Extraordinary Mr Algernon Huff and The Astonishing Tale of Shanghai Kate.
Alongside my theatre work, I have delivered storytelling workshops, keynote talks and conference presentations throughout the UK on the art of storytelling. I have written extensively about storytelling and have appeared on BBC Radio and independent radio stations many times performing stories and discussing the craft of storytelling.
The Return of Stumpy Sanderson
Following the discovery of the first Time Capsule and after a break of several years from performing the stories, I then decided in 2021 to bring my old friend Stumpy Sanderson back to life.
The first podcast storytelling series was launched that year, introducing the stories to a new audience while reconnecting many listeners with memories of their own 1970s.
Since 2023, I have once again been performing Stumpy’s stories and songs live in theatres, arts venues and community spaces.
Recent productions have been:
- Stumpy Sanderson’s 1970s Stories
- The Songs and Scribblings of Stumpy Sanderson
- We Followed The Stranglers
- The Songs of Stumpy Sanderson
- Stumpy Sanderson’s 1970s Jamboree Bag
- We Always Followed The Stranglers
As well as my storytelling, I have been writing and performing songs for many years, and Stumpy’s original songs now form an important part of both the live shows and online content.
Between 2022 and 2026, I presented my own weekly radio programme, Stumpy Sanderson’s ’70s Stories, broadcast on Poppyland Radio in North Norfolk.
Thanks for Visiting
Whether you’d like to take a listen to the storytelling podcasts, the songs, or the live performances, I hope they bring you a few laughs, some fond memories and perhaps a reminder of just how extraordinary growing up in the 1970s was.
Welcome to the world of Stumpy Sanderson.
Andrew
What Audiences & Listeners Say
“No one is doing what Andrew is doing.”
“Thank you for a wonderful evening of entertainment. Our friends enjoyed their first live experience of storytelling enormously, and so did we.”
“The stories, anecdotes, music and social history were beautifully delivered. If you happen to be a child of the 70s, you will experience some unbelievable nostalgia served up by a master of his craft!”