Two institutions which are sorely-missed are comedy double act Dick and Dom, and Edinburgh’s Butterfly and Insect World.
Thankfully, footage uploaded to YouTube takes us right back to 2003 - when the children’s TV presenters came to the capital for their classic game of Bogies.
First aired on December 27, 2003, the attraction featured in an episode of Dick and Dom in da Bungalow. A regular feature in the episodes was a game where the hosts took turns shouting the word bogies in public places, as any child of the 00s will know.
Dom, otherwise known as Dominic Wood, explains the rules: “All we have to do is take it in turns to say the word bogies, starting off quiet and getting louder and louder until one of us bottles out or until one of us isn’t as loud as the other.”
As the hosts make their way around the Butterfly house, Dom starts the game off much to the confusion of other visitors. In one scene, a young boy looks on the edge of tears after Dick screams unexpectedly - if that was you, please reach out.
The winning ‘bogie’ comes from Dick (or Richard McCourt) who yells beside two older ladies - neither of whom seem impressed with the situation. While the game went without issue in Edinburgh, it’s not surprising that the duo occasionally ran into bother.
Speaking on Heart Breakfast this month, Dick and Dom recalled a game of Bogies at the London Sea Life Centre. After one excessive shout they realised a man standing beside them had a new-born baby strapped to him who they had woken up, which didn’t go down too well with the father.
Richard and Dominic returned to Edinburgh in 2018, bringing their stage show Dick vs Dom to the Fringe. With a daytime show for kids, they added a late night version for those who had grown up watching them on TV.
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Later this year, they’ll be marking 20 years since the TV show first aired with a UK tour. In a statement, the comedians said: “20 years since those lift doors slid open and welcomed you to da Bungalow.
“It’s going to blow your mind as we take you on a nostalgia fuelled trip to relive the best show ever to be on your telly.”
Edinburgh has been snubbed in the 2022 tour, though the website assures us that any towns missed will be visited in the 2023 leg.
While the iconic presenters will be returning to the stage, the Edinburgh Butterfly and Insect World is no longer. Just last year, Dobbie's announced they would not be reopening the attraction.
Opening in 1984, it was understood to be the world’s longest running indoor butterfly house. Speaking on social media in July, one keeper confirmed that all the butterflies, insects, snakes and spiders had been rehomed.
