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Radio

I certainly remember those early stereophonic broadcasts on Saturday mornings Bill. A friend of mine invited me round to his house to see how this worked. Can't imagine such a set up these days but it was very innovative at the time. A bit of info on the link below. I also remember Peter Brough and Archie Andrews. We all used to listen to the show on the radio and saw how Peter Brough was not that great when he appeared on TV with Archie. Here is a Youtube video with Max Bygraves singing the Dummy Song along with a photo of Hattie Jacques, Peter Brough, Archie Andrews, and Harry Secombe.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pl0IHaF86RM
This song is one that still runs through my brain at times!

BBC Launches Network Three and Stereo VHF/FM
pam710.jpg

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The PAM 710 Radio
circa 1956
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In 1957 the BBC launched a new radio service called Network Three, which shared frequencies with the Third Programme and provided an alternative service of educational programmes and concerts of music. The BBC Radiophonic workshop was established a year later in 1958. In 1959 the BBC television service was to have still more competition as Tyne Tees, Ulster and Anglia Independent Television opened. In January 1958 the BBC conducted experimental stereo transmissions on vhf / fm in the London area with regular fortnightly stereo broadcasts being made from 18th October 1958. [Peter Adamson recalls]: The early stereo test transmissions used BBC tv and Network Three transmitters for the two channels. People could of course use an FM receiver for the radio 'half' - and the t.v for the other channel. There would be no stereo FM receivers available he




​
 
In the 1970's I remember listening to Les Ross on his Saturday Morning show on Radio Birmingham (before it became Radio WM) and he persuaded some nearby listeners to make some toast and bring it round to the studio and he ate it while he chatted to them.
 
hi remember him alright every friday evening on radio luxumburg samme time every week same channel ;
i wondered if any body took notice and tryed is fomula;
i know i never did ; there was also another guy in the sunday mrcury every week telling us simular things never worked ;
astonian ;;
 
I think everyone who furtively listened to their transistor radios under the covers in the late l950's would listen to Radio Luxembourg and
hear Horace Batchelor's ads for his Infra Draw method for Football pools. We weren't used to commercial advertising on the air waves in those days
so it's hard to forget Horace Batchelor and the delivery of his adverts with the spelling of Keynsham where he lived.https://audioboo.fm/boos/383415-horace-batchelor-radio-luxembourg-c-1958-how-to-spell-keynsham RL used to advertise Williams Lectric Shave as well. I found a bit of background about Horace Batchelor and his life: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horace_Batchelor Quite fascinating for those times. I also like Dick Offringa's site for Radio Luxembourg which I first came across over ten years ago: https://www.offringa.nl/radioluxembourg.htm
 
IMG_1273.jpg Not sure where to put this, but "Television brought to the Midlands" ....Sutton Coldfield

December 1942
 
I think that date might be 1948 as Sutton Coldfield, the second of BBC tv transmitting stations, commenced in 1949.

Television was closed down at the outset of WW2 and did not recommence transmissions until, I believe 1946, in the London area.
 
Radiorails said:
I think that date might be 1948 as Sutton Coldfield, the second of BBC tv transmitting stations, commenced in 1949.

Television was closed down at the outset of WW2 and did not recommence transmissions until, I believe 1946, in the London area.
Click to expand...

You could well be right the date was of the Magazine.
 
What a wonderful set of postings, knew them all, scared silly by the Man in Black, loved RTH, but always remember NS in Germany BFN started the day with the Marching Strings music, AFN with Apple Blossom white and Cheryy Blossom pink (or vice versa), but not the Eddie Calvert version...Perez Prado. It was on AFN late1955 early 1956 that I first heard a young singer called Elvis something, we said he'll never catch on and put on David Whitfield record....... Going back to the early radio days was there not on Sunday afternoon a current top twenty show? Remind me please

Bob Davis
 
paul stacey said:
I always wondered what "German Bite" was??
Click to expand...
Dogger Fisher German Bite I knew it was safe to go to bed then. My dad would have told you that German Bite was a mouthful from our nextdoor neighbour, Inga. When the forecaster said German Bite he turned and pulled a face at our adjoining wall.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Mohawk said:
He was a Lancastrian, Maria. He actually had a sausage and pie-making business and was inspired to start after-dinner speaking by real-life characters that he'd encountered. He once recalled how he met one of the most notable of these, a decorator who, on being invited to quote for some work at his home, virtually told Al the place was about to fall down. His most memorable catchphrase was "Right monkey!", the use of which really caught on, not least with my mother. He can still be heard on BBC Radio 7, though sadly, like so many other classic shows of the day, many of his recordings have been lost.
Click to expand...
Nan used to say that but in a Northern accent her attempt at Lanastrian maybe, rart munkeh.
 
Onceabrummie said:
What a wonderful set of postings, knew them all, scared silly by the Man in Black, loved RTH, but always remember NS in Germany BFN started the day with the Marching Strings music, AFN with Apple Blossom white and Cheryy Blossom pink (or vice versa), but not the Eddie Calvert version...Perez Prado. It was on AFN late1955 early 1956 that I first heard a young singer called Elvis something, we said he'll never catch on and put on David Whitfield record....... Going back to the early radio days was there not on Sunday afternoon a current top twenty show? Remind me please

Bob Davis
Click to expand...

I can't remember the opening signature tune but it was still BFN when I was posted to Germany, in '59.
We also listened to AFN (American Forces Network), and CFN, serving the Canadians.
Never understood why they changed BFN to the ponderous BFBS.
 
This always takes me back to the Sundays of the 1950s, no wonder I was always eager in late afternoon to go up town and meet everyone for an evening in the Gaumont cinema ...
 
maypolebaz said:
I can't remember the opening signature tune but it was still BFN when I was posted to Germany, in '59.
We also listened to AFN (American Forces Network), and CFN, serving the Canadians.
Never understood why they changed BFN to the ponderous BFBS.
Click to expand...
Was it BFBO or BFPO that I am remembering. I was nearly 2 when you were posted Baz so this would have been a little later.
 
Blimey Nico, I'm 76 termorra, cheer me up mate !
The BFPO you're thinking of would be British Forces Post Office. One of the many collections of initials that all soldiers need to learn.
 
Happy Birthday, sorry Baz I just got this. For you mediatirs Baz does not have a private mail or I would send him 2 new hairnets!
 
Loved listning to the radio in my childhood and teenage years.
Back in the late fiftees I wrote up to Uncle Macs children's favourites on Saturday morning. I loved Tommy Steel and requested Come on lets go. Very disappointed when he didn't play it.
I remember going to the Adelphi in Hay Mills to see his films, The Tommy Steel Story, and the Duke wore jeans.
Into the sixties and I would religiously write down the top twenty listening to Alan Freemans Pick of the Pops 5 till 6 on Sunday afternoons. Would go upstairs to my bedroom after so that I wouldn't have to listen to Sing something simple which Mum and Dad liked. I found it so depressing. Tuned into Radio Luxemburg instead if reception allowed.
Saturday Club with Brian Mathews was a favourite too.
Does anyone remember a half hour radio show on a weekday afternoon around 4.30 which was just the Beatles, in there early days. Had to rush home from school to catch that.
Finally Alan Freemans Saturday afternoon show on Radio One throughout the 70s. Great music, when introducing the songs he would play stirring classical pieces in between the tracks.
 
Anybody remember Dick Barton Special Agent, and if you are old enough Workers Playtime, music for the workers especially in the factories during the war with singers such as Vera Lyn and Ann Shelton (showing my age). Eric
 
Eric,

I used to love Dick Barton - my mother hated it - and use to hate it when the series came to an end and they replaced it with the Daring Dexters or some other series for a few months. You can download it free from here, though it does sound a bit antiquated now:-
http://otrarchive.blogspot.com/2010/04/dick-barton-special-agent.html

Workers' Playtime was a bit of a hit & miss thing, depending on who was on. Likewise variety shows like Monday Night at Eight.

Maurice
 
cookie273uk said:
Anybody remember Dick Barton Special Agent, and if you are old enough Workers Playtime, music for the workers especially in the factories during the war with singers such as Vera Lyn and Ann Shelton (showing my age). Eric
Click to expand...
Workers playtime. Was that with Wilfred Pickles & Mabel? Also, Give him the money Barney.
 
Smudger said:
Workers playtime. Was that with Wilfred Pickles & Mabel? Also, Give him the money Barney.
Click to expand...

Smudger, I don't remember Barney. I thought it was 'Give him the money Mabel'. Or was it?

We've just got back from a few days away in the Peak District. As we only had one telly and my brother was was with us we couldn't agree on which programmes to watch (nothing has changed in 60-plus years!). So we listened to Radio 4 Xtra or whatever it's called now. The Navy Lark was on (funny how 'Left hand down a bit' is still remembered) and Beyond our Ken which I believe came before Round the Horne. We missed the Huggetts (What unusual wallpaper, it's got ducks on).

However, there was one programme I didn't remember and that was Parsley Sidings. It was about a railway station and starred Arthur Lowe, Ian Lavender, and Liz Fraser. Kenneth Connor was in it too. I think it ran from 1971 to 1973.
 
In the late 1950s I used to cycle home at lunchtimes from Witton to Great Barr, listen to the Goon Show while eating my lunch and then cycle back to work.
 
Smudger,

No, Workers' Playtime was a half hour show that toured factories -the content varied a lot. You are thinking of Have a Go, with Wilfred Pickles and his wife Mabel.

Maurice
 
Most of the programmes mentioned in previous posts, I heard. Radio Luxembourg was an interesting station. It could be found on long wave - near to the Light Programme (became R2), That was an all French station. 208m. medium wave was a UK only in the evenings. However it also transmitted in Dutch and German at other times of the day.
There were many places in what is often called the 'short wave', many in English. There were news and cultural details from such station as Radio Prague, Radio Peking (old spelling), Radio Moscow and Voice of America. There were many more but usually in their native language.
One most entertaining station,on Sundays, was from Radio Nederland from Hilversum, Holland. It transmitted in Dutch, English and Spanish. It was know as The Happy Station and ran from 1928 until 1995. There is a new version, since 2009, but I have never heard it. Ike all re-runs they are never quite the same. I knew the original presenter and his successor. The only break was during WW2 when, from London the Dutch ran Radio Oranje (Orange), 1946 saw the creation of Radio Nederland Wereldomroep (Dutch Worldwide Radio). The station had three great slogans, the oldest was PCJ - peace, cheer and joy (in English), the original station identification was PCJJ, the transmissions being aimed at the East Indies/Indonesia. The second was 'Smiles Across The Miles' and the third Keep In 'Touch With The Dutch'. both in English' People from all over the world wrote in with god wishes and requests - it became a very 'family' kind of place. There was great sadness when it ceased. I never knew the Spanish slogans, but without doubt they has some.
The station transmitted week days as well and had interesting information.
Many of these overseas radio stations ran quizzes principally about their country. They were not difficult, but no internet in those days, so not easy to cheat. :eek: I won quite a few, usually records or books.
I am sure others here have some interesting comments about their radio listening - there was a great wide wide outside of Auntie BBC. :laughing:
 
Elmdon Boy said:
Loved listning to the radio in my childhood and teenage years.
Back in the late fiftees I wrote up to Uncle Macs children's favourites on Saturday morning. I loved Tommy Steel and requested Come on lets go. Very disappointed when he didn't play it.
I remember going to the Adelphi in Hay Mills to see his films, The Tommy Steel Story, and the Duke wore jeans.
Into the sixties and I would religiously write down the top twenty listening to Alan Freemans Pick of the Pops 5 till 6 on Sunday afternoons. Would go upstairs to my bedroom after so that I wouldn't have to listen to Sing something simple which Mum and Dad liked. I found it so depressing. Tuned into Radio Luxemburg instead if reception allowed.
Saturday Club with Brian Mathews was a favourite too.
Does anyone remember a half hour radio show on a weekday afternoon around 4.30 which was just the Beatles, in there early days. Had to rush home from school to catch that.
Finally Alan Freemans Saturday afternoon show on Radio One throughout the 70s. Great music, when introducing the songs he would play stirring classical pieces in between the tracks.
Click to expand...

I thought "Sing Something Simple" was just dreary Another show that depressed me, as a child, was one that played Victor Sylvester music for at least an hour. I'm glad we've progressed from that stuff !
 
maypolebaz said:
I thought "Sing Something Simple" was just dreary Another show that depressed me, as a child, was one that played Victor Sylvester music for at least an hour. I'm glad we've progressed from that stuff !
Click to expand...
There was also a programme, which I guess gave you similar aggravation, Maypolebaz, and that was 'Sing It Again'. That kind of programme was not unique to the BBC, popular programmes often had a counterpart in other countries, so it was risky to emigrate! :rolleyes:

 
I well remember Victor Sylvester and then there was Edmundo Ross who always sounded as if he was speaking with a mouth full of treacle or had adenoid trouble.
 
Ah, good old Eric Coates, bits of whose music was also used for In Town Tonight, the Saturday sports programme, and several others. Music While You Work was always 'music at a pace', designed to keep workers' output high. They couldn't play slow romantic stuff because the workers would have been dozing off! Many of the dance bands of the day were given regular slots and the bands in most cases comprised older musicians as most of the younger musicians were away with the forces or ENSA.

There were a few exceptions however, but I'm not going to name names. At least one was a deserter, who would go to ground when they came looking for him and work in the clubs at night, where he was less likely to be spotted. Several others worked a flanker when it came to the call-up medical, and avoided being conscripted.

Sing Something Simple comprised close harmony versions of songs that were popular before WW2, really before pop music came into its own. Victor Syvester played strict tempo music for ballroom dancers, and there were the old-tyme dance bands like Harry Davidson and Sydney Thompson who used to have a slot on a Saturday evening after In Town Tonight.

After the war the whole broadcasting environment changed - Round the Bend with Michael Bentine. The Goon Show and several others appealed to the younger audiences, the crooners took over pop music, and finally came skiffle & rock & roll.

Maurice
 
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