A 1950s Childhood (10 page)

Listen with Mother
(1950–82) BBC Light Programme (1950s). A fifteen-minute programme of stories, songs and nursery rhymes, it was broadcast every weekday afternoon at 1.45pm for very young children and their mothers. ‘Are you sitting comfortably? Then I’ll begin!’ Presenters and story readers included Daphne Oxenford, Dorothy Smith and Julia Lang.

Meet The Huggetts
(1953–61) BBC Light Programme. Comedy series about a London East End charwoman and her family, starring Kathleen Harrison as Ethel, and Jack Warner as Joe.

Mrs Dale’s Diary
(1948–69) BBC Light Programme (1950s). This was the first post-war daily weekday soap on British radio. It centred on the fictional life of Mrs (Mary) Dale, the wife of a doctor (Jim), and her family life at Virginia Lodge in the fictional London suburb of Parkwood Hill in Middlesex. Ellis Powell played Mrs Dale up until 1963, when Jessie Matthews replaced her. This was essential comfort listening for kids off school sick.

Much-Binding-in-the-Marsh
(1944–54) BBC Light Programme; Radio Luxembourg also produced a series of the show in 1950–1. A comedy series about the goings-on at a fictional RAF station, which, after the war, evolved into a newspaper,
The Weekly Bind
. The show was written by and starred Kenneth Horne and Richard ‘Stinker’ Murdoch; other cast members included Sam Costa, Maurice Denham, Dora Bryan and Nicholas Parsons.

Music While You Work
(1940–67) BBC Light Programme (1950s). This was a half-hour show that featured a different live band or orchestra each weekday morning and afternoon, playing a non-stop medley of popular tunes. Its signature tune was
Calling All Workers
by Eric Coates.

Paul Temple
(1938–68) BBC Light Programme (1950s). Based on the novels by Francis Durbridge, this fictional amateur detective, with the assistance of his wife Steve, solved all sorts of crime mysteries. Several actors and actresses have portrayed the Temples over the years, with the best-known 1950s stars being Peter Coke and Marjorie Westbury. This was another great mystery serial that had children of the time captivated. The theme music, inspired by the rhythm of a train journey, was
Coronation Scot
by Vivian Ellis.

Pick of the Pops
(1955–72) BBC Light Programme (1950s). First presented by forty-seven-year-old Franklin Englemann in 1955, it featured ‘newly released gramophone records’. Alan Dell, a more suitable thirty-two-year-old, took over in 1956, playing ‘a selection of the latest popular gramophone records’. David Jacobs, then a thirty-year-old, took temporary charge in September 1956 before taking over completely in 1958, when it was moved from midweek to a Saturday night slot and records were first played from a BBC devised Pop Chart. The show’s best-known presenter, Alan ‘Fluff’ Freeman, made his first appearance on the show in 1961. The signature tune was
At the Sign of the
Swinging Cymbal
by Brian Fahey and his Orchestra.

Record Round Up
(1948–68) BBC Light Programme (1950s). Jack Jackson, former bandleader turned disc-jockey, created this unusual pop record show where he interrupted pop records with excerpts from comedy monologues by comedians like Shelley Berman and Bob Newhart. His programme was the first fast-moving zany pop show on British radio, and was said to have inspired later presenters like Kenny Everett.

Saturday Club
(1958–69) BBC Light Programme (1950s). Renamed from the
Saturday Skiffle Club
, which had started in June 1957, this live pop music show was presented by Brian Matthew between 10am and noon every Saturday morning and was essential listening for kids of all ages – that is, if you weren’t at Saturday Morning Pictures! The show included interviews with guest artists and pre-recorded live performances, as well as record requests and new releases. The programme followed on immediately after
Children’s
Favourites
, which meant that lots of young kids also got
hooked on the show. Many home-grown pop stars of the day appeared, including Cliff Richard, Adam Faith, Marty Wilde and Johnny Kidd, as well as a host of American artists, like the Everly Brothers, Jerry Lee Lewis and Bo Diddley. The cheery welcome of Brian Matthews’ ‘Hello my ol’ mateys!’ was a familiar greeting that could be heard in every hairdressers and barbershop throughout the country each Saturday morning, with hairdressers everywhere reaching to fine-tune their radios for crystal clear reception. The theme tune was Humphrey Littleton’s
Saturday Jump
.

The Adventures of P.C.49
(1947–53) BBC Light Programme. This light comedy and sleuthing drama series, about an ordinary London Bobby on the beat, was created for radio by Alan Shranks, and featured Brian Reece as the upper-crust Police Constable Archibald Berkeley-Willoughby, solving crimes that were beyond the ability of his superiors. It also starred Joy Shelton as 49’s girlfriend Joan Carr, Leslie Perrins as Detective Inspector Wilson, and Eric Phillips as Detective Sergeant Wright. The signature tune was
Changing
Moods
by Ronald Hanmer.

The Navy Lark
(1959–77) BBC Light Programme (1950s). One of the longest-running comedy radio shows ever. It was a send-up of the Senior Service (the Royal Navy – oldest of the British armed forces), and was about life aboard a fictional Royal Navy frigate called HMS
Troutbridge
. The 1950s cast included: Dennis Price as Lieutenant Price (Number One) in series one; Stephen Murray as Lieutenant Murray (Number One) for series two onwards; Leslie Phillips as Sub Lieutenant Phillips; Jon Pertwee as Chief Petty Officer Pertwee and other characters; Richard Caldicott as Commander Povey; Heather Chasen as Wren
Chasen and other characters; Ronnie Barker as Un-Able Seaman ‘Fatso’ Johnson and other characters; and Tenniel Evans as Able Seaman Taffy Goldstein and other characters. Laurie Wyman devised the series, and Tommy Reilly and James Moody composed the signature tune,
Trade Wind
Hornpipe
. This show was thirty minutes of essential comedy listening every Sunday. ‘Left hand down a bit!’

Today
(1957–present) BBC Home Service (1950s). An early morning news and current affairs programme first presented by Alan Skempton, who was replaced in 1958 by its long-term and best-known presenter, Jack de Manio, who continued to present the show until 1971. Many will remember listening to the dulcet tones of the hugely popular Jack de Manio, and later his roaming London reporter Monty Modlin, as you dipped your neatly cut bread soldiers into a boiled egg. You would, no doubt, have been late for school if you relied on Jack de Manio’s time-checks in the morning. He was notoriously gaffe-prone and often got the time wrong.

Ray’s a Laugh
(1949–61) BBC Light Programme. A domestic comedy created by and starring comedian Ted Ray, with Kitty Bluett playing his wife and Fred Yule playing his brother-in-law. Other well-known names that regularly appeared were Peter Sellers, Patricia Hayes, Kenneth Connor, Pat Coombs and Graham Stark.

Semprini Serenade
(1957–82) BBC Light Programme (1950s). This was another ‘easy listening’ weekday evening show that would send the kids running for cover. ‘Old ones, new ones, loved ones, neglected ones’ – Alberto Sempini played them all on keyboard and piano, accompanied by Harry Rabinowitz and the BBC Revue Orchestra.

The
Radio Times
gave full radio and television programme listings, and the
TV Times
provided all the information about ITV programmes (often called ‘Channel 9’). ITV’s
Gun Law
(also produced under the titles of
Gun Smoke
and
Marshal Dillon
) was very popular in the mid to late-1950s. Remember Dennis Weaver who played Chester ‘Mis-ter Dil-lon’ Goode?

Sing Something Simple
(1959–2001) BBC Light Programme (1950s). A torturous half-hour for any child forced to listen to this every Sunday evening, but its longevity proved that it must have been popular with older people. The show featured the Cliff Adams Singers performing a collection of non-stop familiar songs, accompanied by accordionist Jack Emblow and his quartet.

Take It From Here
(1948–58) BBC Light Programme. A music and comedy sketch show written by Frank Muir and Denis Norden, and starred Jimmy Edwards, Dick Bentley, Joy Nichols (left in 1953), June Whitfield and Alma Cogan. The show is best remembered for introducing us, in the early 1950s, to a dysfunctional family called The Glums. Jimmy Edwards played Mr Glum, Dick Bentley played his dim-witted son Ron Glum, and June Whitfield played Ron’s long-suffering girlfriend Eth. Everyone remembers Eth’s regular catchphrase, ‘Oh, Ron…!’, and Ron’s reply, ‘Yes, Eth?’ The writers filled the show with sharp comedy lines, like this one from the overbearing Mr Glum: ‘Ron, run upstairs and fetch me your mother’s toothbrush. I’ve got my new suede shoes on and I’ve trodden in something.’ Kids didn’t always understand the TIFH jokes, but The Glums’ sketches had everyone in stitches.

Top of the Form
(1948–86) BBC Light Programme (1950s). This was radio’s general knowledge quiz show for teams of children from secondary schools around the country. However, it mainly featured pupils from grammar and independent schools. The main presenters (question masters) in the 1950s were Kenneth Horne, John Ellison and Robert MacDermott. The quiz involved teams of different age groups and the show was very popular with
young listeners, eager to pit their wits against kids of their own age. The rousing theme music was taken from
Marching
Strings
by Marshall Ross (a pseudonym of orchestra leader and composer, Ray Martin).

Woman’s Hour
(1946–present) BBC Light Programme (1950s). A weekday woman’s magazine programme that was on between 2pm and 3pm each afternoon. Norman Collins created the programme as a daily line-up of music, advice and entertainment for the home. Jean Metcalfe was its presenter from 1950 to 1958, and then Marjorie Anderson took over until she retired in 1972. This was essential listening for mums at home all day, and another interesting radio show for kids off school with childhood illnesses, particularly boys who would be fascinated by live on-air discussions about women’s menstrual problems and the menopause! Yes, they discussed such things on the radio as far back as 1947!

Worker’s Playtime
(1941–64) Originally on the BBC Home Service then moved to the Light Programme in 1957, until 1964. This was a radio variety touring show that was broadcast live, three days a week, from different factory canteens around the country, as selected by the Ministry of Labour. The programme was produced by Bill Gates and featured countless well-known entertainers, like Charlie Chester, Peter Sellers, Tony Hancock, Frankie Howerd, Anne Sheldon, Betty Driver (now famous for her role as
Coronation Street
’s barmaid, Betty Williams), Eve Boswell, Dorothy Squires, Arthur English, Julie Andrews, Morecambe and Wise, Bob Monkhouse, Ken Dodd, Ken ‘I won’t take me coat off – I’m not stopping!’ Platt, Gert and Daisy (Elsie and Doris Waters) and the impressionist, Peter
Goodwright. Children who listened to the show imagined that working in a factory was fun and was all about having a good time – what was so hard in that?

Radio Luxembourg (1933–92), 208 metres on the medium-wave band. One of the earliest commercial radio stations broadcasting to Britain; it helped pioneer modern radio presentation styles and kick-started the careers of many well-known radio and television celebrities. In the 1950s, it brought back to air a new version of the sponsored Ovaltiney’s Concert Party, featuring the
We Are
The Ovaltineys
theme song, which Radio Luxembourg first introduced in the early 1930s. In the ’50s, you will have stayed up late to listen to Pete Murray present the
Top Twenty
show, one of the earliest pop music shows transmitted on British radio. Up until the 1960s, when the station became predominantly a pop music station, Radio Luxembourg broadcast a wide variety of programmes, including comedy, drama, music and quiz shows. You might well remember listening to such diverse programmes as
The Adventures of
Dan Dare
,
Perry Mason
,
The Story of Dr Kildare
,
Take Your Pick
with Michael Miles, and
Double Your Money
with Hughie Green. There were also sports programmes and a host of sponsored religious programmes. Some of the 1950s disc-jockeys and presenters that you may remember included Teddy Johnson (half of the famous Pearl Carr and Teddy Johnson husband-and-wife singing duo), Warren Mitchell, Pete Murray, Barry Alldis, Sam Costa, Alan Dell, Dick Emery (the comedian), Keith Fordyce, Alan ‘Fluff’ Freeman, David Gell, Tony Hall, Jack Jackson, David Jacobs, Brian Matthew, Don Moss, Ray Orchard, Jimmy Savile, Shaw Taylor, Jimmy Young and Muriel Young. One memory that
is surely burned into everyone’s mind is that of the Horace Batchelor’s ‘spot commercials’, for the secret to his ‘Famous Infra-Draw Method’ of winning the football pools – ‘and remember, that’s Keynsham, spelt K-E-Y-N-S-H-A-M, Bristol’.

It was the day that all of your dreams came true: the day that television came into your home for the first time. That tiny television screen with its 405 lines of grainy black and white picture was just wonderful. This newly acquired entertainment novelty had the whole family hypnotised into watching anything that appeared on the screen – even the BBC’s black, grey and white test card that often bridged the gap between transmissions! It’s likely that you had already seen some of the programmes on a lucky few friends’ and neighbours’ television sets, but to have your very own television was another one of those life-changing experiences that made you pinch yourself to believe it was true. Some of your favourite programmes had been previously on the radio, but now you could actually see the stars of those shows in the flesh – or at least in the form of a wishy-washy grey miniature moving picture. So what if your dad did have to keep moving around the room with the aerial to improve reception of the television signal. The furniture in the room was all reorganised to face the television, and the hitherto indispensable radio set was forever consigned to some lonely spot in the room – or was it?