A 1950s Childhood by Paul Feeney

Author:Paul Feeney [Paul Feeney]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780752462271
Publisher: The History Press
Published: 2010-02-05T16:00:00+00:00

Pete Murray presented Six-Five Special live music show on BBC TV in 1957/8, and in 1958 he lent his name to this songbook, which gave the words of sixteen current songs. The songbook came free with Roxy, ‘the new exciting all-star picture love story weekly’.

Children’s Favourites (1954–67) BBC Light Programme (1950s). Every Saturday morning, Derek McCulloch (Uncle Mac) would play a selection of children’s record requests, starting each programme with the words, ‘Hello children, everywhere!’ Among the most popular record requests from children were The Laughing Policeman by Charles Penrose, Buttons and Bows by Dinah Shore, The Runaway Train by Michael Holliday, When You Come to the End of a Lollipop by Max Bygraves, Nellie the Elephant by Mandy Miller, I Tawt I Taw a Puddy Tat by Mel Blanc, The Bee Song by Arthur Askey, How Much is that Doggy in the Window by Lita Roza, The Ugly Duckling by Danny Kaye, The Hippopotamus Song by Flanders and Swann, Little White Duck by Danny Kaye, The Deadwood Stage by Doris Day, My Old Man’s a Dustman by Lonnie Donegan, The Teddy Bear’s Picnic by Henry Hall, Puff the Magic Dragon by Peter Paul and Mary, Que Será Será by Doris Day. There were just too many regular children’s favourites to mention them all. Most children just wrote to the show in the hope of getting their name read out on the radio by Uncle Mac, thereby obtaining full bragging rights in the playground on the following Monday morning!

Children’s Hour (1922–64) BBC Home Service (1950s). Broadcast from 5pm to 6pm on weekdays. It was filled with stories, plays and drama serials, as well as informative talks, children’s newsreels and competitions. The various presenters included Derek McCulloch, ‘Uncle’ Arthur Burrows, ‘Auntie’ Violet Carson, Jon Pertwee and Wilfred Pickles. Popular serials included Jennings at School, Just So Stories for Little Children, Sherlock Holmes, Worzel Gummidge and Winnie the Pooh.

The Clitheroe Kid (1957–72) BBC Light Programme (1950s). This was a long-running situation comedy programme, featuring the diminutive Northern comedian, Jimmy Clitheroe, who played the part of a cheeky schoolboy. Amazingly, Jimmy Clitheroe was already an experienced thirty-five-year-old comedy actor when The Clitheroe Kid was first launched on radio in 1957. Famous celebrities that appeared in the 1950s’ programmes included Judith Chalmers, Bob Monkhouse and Violet Carson (best known for her role as Ena Sharples in Coronation Street).

Desert Island Discs (1942–present) BBC Home Service (1950s). This programme was devised and presented by Roy Plomley from 1942 until his death in 1985. Each week, a guest was invited to choose eight gramophone records and one book. It is said to be the longest-running music radio show in radio history. It was not essential listening for 1950s kids as most of the musical choices seemed to be either classical or from stage shows. The signature tune was, and still is, By the Sleepy Lagoon by Eric Coates.

Dick Barton, Special Agent (1946–51) BBC Light Programme. This was the BBC radio’s first daily serial. Our special agent hero,

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