Watching an old game show on UK Gold the other night put me in mind of the time David Jobling and Steven Raw appeared on Bullseye.

‘Bullseye’ was the most popular game show of the eighties. It was a ‘must watch’ show for most of us on a Sunday afternoon and when we learned that a couple of lads from the village were on, well, you can imagine the excitement!

‘Bullseye’ was a game show that paired a dart player and a friend who had to answer general knowledge questions depending on where the dart landed on a special board. Top comedian of the day, Jim Bowen, was the host and you could go on to win prizes such as televisions or even a holiday. The top prize, strangely enough, was usually a SPEED BOAT! A lot of use when you live in Cockfield!

Not too many people from Cockfield have appeared on TV, although at the time Steve Raw was an up and coming darts star and was once ranked seventh in the world.

Naturally, Steve was the dart player of the duo and David was the ‘brains’ of the operation.

I’ve grown up with David and at the time he was well into pub quizzes and the like and is a very knowledgeable chap. He also has, shall we say, a strong Teesdale accent. Nothing wrong with that, I too can be accused of having a local dialect, but when you’re on national television it can sound a bit strange!

Anyway, it comes to Steve’s ‘throw’ at the categories board and it lands in ‘The Animal Kingdom’.

Jim Bowen turns to David and asks; “To what family of bird does a Raven belong?”

David ponders for a second and looking Jim straight in the eye and with a smile of confidence says, “That’ll be a CRA Jim lad!”

“A WHAT?” says Jim.

“A CRA, A CRA!” blurts out David.

“Oh, you mean a CROW!” says Jim.

“That’s what I said Jim lad, a CRA!

For all they got that question right, they didn’t go on to win the show but it was great fun watching a couple of your mates on television.

I bumped into David the other day and asked him if my recollection was correct; “Christ youngan!” he says, “That was ower twenty years agar, I canna remember what a did last week nivva mind then!”

NOWT CHANGES!