In 1966, Candy, Andy and the Bearandas and their rainbow-striped Mini came to life at Century 21 studios in Slough. Created as a comic book, and a series of annuals and story books for young readers, Candy was the brainchild of Gerry Anderson, more widely known for his ‘supermarionation’ projects such as Stingray, Thunderbirds and Captain Scarlet.

The series saw two panda bears, Mr and Mrs Bearanda, bringing up their plastic children, Candy and Andy, in a picture-perfect English Village. Surreal and unusual, even for the time, Candy never quite reached the same popularity as Anderson’s other projects. However, a new photobook published by Four Corners now presents these photo-strips in all their technicolour glory.

Featuring the best of the surviving original transparencies, the book includes a foreword from Jamie Anderson (Gerry Anderson’s son) and an introduction about the history of the project by historian and broadcaster Alan Dein, who has worked with Four Corners on the book.