Web Page No 2692

5^th June 2020

1st Picture. Portrait

 

2nd Picture. In Sykes

3rd Picture. Playing the washboard

4th Picture. In Please Sir

Deryck Guyler

Deryck Guyler was one of those actors that seemed to be forever on our TV screens and was best known for his portrayal of officious, short-tempered middle-aged men in sitcoms such as Please Sir! and Sykes.

He was born on 29th April 1914 in Wallasey on the Wirral Peninsula  and brought up on the other side of the River Mersey in Liverpool where his father was a jeweller. He attended Liverpool College and originally planned a career in the church. In the 1930s he joined the Liverpool Repertory Theatre and performed in numerous productions. During the Second World War he was called up and joined the RAF Police but was later invalided from service, whereupon he joined Entertainments National Service Association (ENSA) and then on 4th May 1942 the BBC's Drama and Repertory company in Manchester.

During the war, he became a regular on the radio series, It's That Man Again (ITMA), where he player 'Frisby Dike' (named after a Liverpool department store bombed in the Blitz) when it was the first time the real Liverpudlian accent was heard on the radio. He took part in a Royal Command Performance of ITMA for King George VI and Queen Elizabeth in December 1947. He remained with the show until the death of Handley in 1949 when the series ended.

After ITMA, he worked in varied roles from BBC Children's Hour to classical parts, including with John Gielgud in King Lear. He was known for his often-amusing asides in rehearsals.

In the 1950s, he played the time-traveller (also known as "the voice") in Journey Into Space. After this he took on the title role in the Light Programme series Inspector Scott Investigates, that ran from 1957 to 1963. During the half hour programme a crime was committed; Scott and his sidekick, Det. Sgt. Bingham (Brian Hayes, brother of Patricia Hayes) interviewed two or three suspects; then, while music played, there was a short intermission for listeners to guess 'whodunit' before the final reveal.. During the 1960s and 1970s, when he starred in the satirical radio programme about life in the British civil service The Men from the Ministry with Richard Murdoch, where he played the pompous, self-important Number One in the General Assistance Department, with Richard Murdoch as his diffident but equally incompetent Number Two.

He appeared as the Police Sergeant in the Beatles' film A Hard Day's Night (1964) and as the art professor in the Gerry & the Pacemakers film Ferry Cross the Mersey (1965).

He held a unique place in theatrical history, having 'acted' in every performance of The Mousetrap since the opening night on 6th October 1952 in Nottingham, via a recorded news bulletin which is still being used during performances of the play today.

He appeared as one of Michael Bentine's sidekicks in surreal BBC show It's a Square World (1961), but he gained greater recognition on the small screen in his association with Eric Sykes. He played the part of Constable ('Corky') Turnbull in Sykes and a... (1960–65) which was later revived as Sykes (1972–79). In 1975, he appeared in the ITV children's show The Laughing Policeman, based on the Charles Penrose song and his character from the series.

In between the two series with Eric Sykes, he was also a regular on Please Sir! (1968–72), playing the cantankerous school caretaker Norman Potter. Other television appearances include those in That's My Boy, a comedy series starring Jimmy Clitheroe, and the short-lived political comedy Best of Enemies. He also played a drunken surgeon in the film Carry On Doctor. During the 1980s he voiced an animated skeleton in UK adverts for Scotch Video Tapes. He was the narrator of the BBC documentary about Fred Dibnah - Fred Dibnah, Steeplejack

He had been a devotee of washboard playing since his school days and appeared in numerous television light entertainment shows performing his washboard novelty act. In 1990, he played the washboard on three tracks of an album by long-time fan Shakin' Stevens. He also played washboard on an episode of the Morecambe and Wise Show as well as the drums. Take a look. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GembZTOdJl8

In 1941 he had married Paddy Lennox from the three-sister variety harmony act the Lennox Sisters, and they had two sons, Peter and Christopher. His passion was collecting jazz records and as of 1986, he had about 1,600 78rpm records, collecting records up to about the year 1947. In addition, he was a well-known wargamer, and a founding member of the Society of Ancients, a group of wargamers specialising in the classical era being elected its first president in 1966, Guyler was later made an honorary life president of the society.

A long-time resident of Norbury, South London, he retired to Ashgrove, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, in 1993, to be near his younger son Chris, daughter-in-law Judy and his three grandchildren.

He died on 7th October 1999. In 1995, Danny Baker and the BBC had made a 10-minute tribute to him and this was used as a part of the eulogy delivered by his son Chris at his funeral service. He was cremated at Mount Gravatt Cemetery and his ashes were placed at Mount Thompson Memorial Gardens in the Brisbane suburb of Holland Park in a family "garden seat" estate. 7th October 1999. His wife Paddy died on 6th January 2002 and is buried with her husband.

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Peter

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On this day 5^th June 1960-1965

On 05/06/1960 the number one single was Cathy's Clown - Everly Brothers and the number one album was South Pacific Soundtrack. The top rated TV show was Wagon Train (ITV) and the box office smash was Psycho. A pound of today's money was worth £13.68 and Burnley were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.The big news story of the day was Filming of Spartacus begins.

On 05/06/1961 the number one single was Surrender - Elvis Presley and the number one album was GI Blues - Elvis Presley. The top rated TV show was Probation Officer (ATV) and the box office smash was One Hundred and One Dalmations. A pound of today's money was worth £13.25 and Tottenham Hotspur were on the way to becoming Champions.

On 05/06/1962 the number one single was Good Luck Charm - Elvis Presley and the number one album was Blue Hawaii - Elvis Presley. The top rated TV show was Coronation Street (Granada) and the box office smash was Lawrence of Arabia. A pound of today's money was worth £12.89 and Ipswich Town were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions. The big news story of the day was Boeing crashes on take-off in Paris killing 130.

On 05/06/1963 the number one single was From Me To You - The Beatles and the number one album was Please Please Me - The Beatles. The top rated TV show was Coronation Street (Granada) and the box office smash was The Great Escape. A pound of today's money was worth £12.64 and Everton were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.The big news story of the day was Pope John XXIII dies.

On 05/06/1964 the number one single was You're My World - Cilla Black and the number one album was Rolling Stones - The Rolling Stones. The top rated TV show was Coronation Street (Granada) and the box office smash was Dr Strangelove. A pound of today's money was worth £12.24 and Liverpool were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.

On 05/06/1965 the number one single was Long Live Love - Sandie Shaw and the number one album was Bringing It All Back Home - Bob Dylan. The top rated TV show was Coronation Street (Granada) and the box office smash was The Sound of Music. A pound of today's money was worth £11.69 and Manchester United were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.

Web Page No 2690

29th May 2020

1st Picture. Civil Defence rule booklet

 2nd Picture. Civil Defence pin badge

 3rd Picture. Portsmouth Civil Defence Shoulder flashes

4th Picture. Fort Widley used a CD base.

Civil Defence Corps

The Civil Defence Corps (CDC) was something that I vaguely remember from my childhood days but never understood what they did and as far as I know never knew anyone who was a member.

It was  a civilian volunteer organisation established in 1949 to mobilise and take local control of the affected area in the aftermath of a major national emergency, principally envisaged as being a Cold War nuclear attack. By March 1956, the Civil Defence Corps had 330,000 personnel and was an organisation that existed for over 30 years, it was stood down in 1968, although one Civil Defence Corps still operates within the British Isles, namely the Isle of Man Civil Defence Corps.

Although under the authority of the Home Office, with a centralised administrative establishment, the corps was administered locally by Corps Authorities. In general, every county was a Corps Authority, as were most county boroughs in England and Wales and large burghs in Scotland. The CDC was never established in Northern Ireland. Each Corps Authority established its own Division of the corps.

Each division was divided into several sections:

Headquarters Section, responsible for staffing control centres and divided into three sub-sections.

Intelligence and Operations Sub-Section, responsible for recording and analysing information and preparing instructions.

Signal Sub-Section, responsible for installing, operating and maintaining communications systems.

Scientific and Reconnaissance Sub-Section, responsible for advising controllers on scientific and technical aspects of nuclear, biological and chemical warfare, and providing reconnaissance parties (especially to monitor nuclear fallout).

Warden Section, responsible for local reconnaissance and reporting, and leadership, organisation, guidance and control of the public.

Rescue Section, responsible for rescue operations, demolition and debris clearance.

Ambulance and First Aid Section, built around peacetime local ambulance services.

Ambulance Sub-Section, responsible for the operation of ambulances to transport casualties to Forward Medical Aid Units.

First Aid Sub-Section, responsible for basic first aid at the scene and the removal of casualties by stretcher to ambulances.

Welfare Section, responsible for the welfare of those rendered homeless and/or deprived of normal facilities, including evacuation, accommodation, feeding, sanitation, clothing, nursing, information etc.

From 1949 to 1968, the Civil Defence Corps Training School was at Taymouth Castle in Scotland. The Castle was also one of the sites for PYTHON, the plan for continuity of government in the event of nuclear war.

Members of the corps were issued with dark blue battledress and berets. A system of horizontal bars and point-down chevrons was used to indicate rank.

                               

The Civil Defence Corps initially inherited vehicles and equipment that had been stored from the end of the Second World War. However, it was realised that a nuclear attack demanded a different kind of response from the war time experience, potentially wiping out any local emergency response and communications in the affected area, so from 1954 there was a new approach to training and equipment to reflect this.This included a new rescue ManPack, and the purchase of new vehicles.

The headquarters sections were equipped with mobile control centres, despatch riders, and Land Rovers equipped for reconnaissance (e.g. to measure radiation levels, damage, and road accessibility). These were fitted with radio to communicate back to base, and could carry a second radio for forward communication to personnel on foot. To repair or establish communication, there were also field cable party Land Rovers towing trailers for cable laying.

A reconnaissance detachment comprised four Land Rovers, each with a crew of four (driver, leader/navigator, radiac operator, wireless operator), which would be sent in on three parallel paths towards an area affected by a nuclear strike (with one vehicle spare). The radio operator would be in touch with area control at a base station, which could be a mobile station based in a Ford Thames signal office vehicle, or could be in a local town hall. The wireless equipment was Pye or BCC which were 12 volt powered, using the vehicle supply or batteries. A second 5-channel radio operating was fitted between the driver and navigator and could be used to communicate with personnel on foot. These vehicles were fitted with hard tops with side windows. The Radiac operator would gather radiation level measurements that would be analysed together with wind patterns by the intelligence section.

The field cable party Land Rovers were soft-tops towing trailers with both cable and poles, so that cables could be carried over roads. Establishment of communications was one of the first priorities. Other vehicles included rescue trucks, equipped with a wide range of rescue equipment and trained staff with Rescue Manpacks, and welfare vehicles, as well as ambulances.

All this was going on in Cosham and Fort Widley and apart from being vaguely aware of its existence I had no idea of what their role in life was.

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Peter

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On this day 29th May 1960-1965

On 29/05/1960 the number one single was Cathy's Clown - Everly Brothers and the number one album was South Pacific Soundtrack. The top rated TV show was Wagon Train (ITV) and the box office smash was Psycho. A pound of today's money was worth £13.68 and Burnley were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.

On 29/05/1961 the number one single was You're Driving Me Crazy - The Temperance Seven and the number one album was GI Blues - Elvis Presley. The top rated TV show was Bootsie & Snudge (Granada) and the box office smash was One Hundred and One Dalmations. A pound of today's money was worth £13.25 and Tottenham Hotspur were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.

On 29/05/1962 the number one single was Good Luck Charm - Elvis Presley and the number one album was Blue Hawaii - Elvis Presley. The top rated TV show was Coronation Street (Granada) and the box office smash was Lawrence of Arabia. A pound of today's money was worth £12.89 and Ipswich Town were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions. The big news story of the week was Panic on Wall Street.

On 29/05/1963 the number one single was From Me To You - The Beatles and the number one album was Please Please Me - The Beatles. The top rated TV show was Conservative Party Political Broadcast (all channels) and the box office smash was The Great Escape. A pound of today's money was worth £12.64 and Everton were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.

On 29/05/1964 the number one single was Juliet - Four Pennies and the number one album was Rolling Stones - The Rolling Stones. The top rated TV show was Coronation Street (Granada) and the box office smash was Dr Strangelove. A pound of today's money was worth £12.24 and Liverpool were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.

On 29/05/1965 the number one single was Where Are You Now (My Love) - Jackie Trent and the number one album was Freewheelin' Bob Dylan. The top rated TV show was Coronation Street (Granada) and the box office smash was The Sound of Music. A pound of today's money was worth £11.69 and Manchester United were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.

Web Page No 2688

22^nd May 2020

1st Picture. Eastern Road Bridge

  

2nd Picture. Flick Knife

3rd Picture. Bait Digging

4th Picture. Sheath Knife

Would not be allowed today.

This is a page aimed at the lads, I do not think that the majority of the items in this article applies to the girls.

What to us as boys was regarded as being normal today would be described as ‘carrying offensive weapons’. So, let’s start with knives. Most of us carried a small pocket or pen knife in our pockets wherever we went. They were handy for cutting string, peeling scrumped apples, drilling holes in things and a thousand and one other vital uses for the young boy. As we grew older, and especially if we joined the Boy Scouts movement our view of knives changed. Every self-respecting scout would proudly wear a Swiss Army Knife or a large British army knife (complete with spike for removing stones from horses hooves) on his belt. One we got a little older we would then attach a six-inch blade sheath knife in its sheath to our belts. It was all part of the uniform of the day but in this modern world they would be classed as offensive weapons. Luckily we were never stopped by the law for wearing or carrying such blades. However, this did not apply to a couple of other knives that I managed to acquire during my teenage years.

One evening in the early 1960’s when the gang rivalry between the Paulsgrove Gang and the Leigh Park Gang was at its height in Portsmouth a massive grudge fight was arranged to take place along the Eastern Road on the road bridge across the creek. The road was much quieter in those days. I am told that the gangs lined up opposite each other with most gang members armed to the teeth and intent on doing damage to the opposing gang members. The fight began and apparently lasted only a few minutes as the police arrived to sort the situation out. Now, all these gang members, not wanting to be caught with their weapons on them threw all manor of things over the side into the creek.

I was unaware of this when I and a friend went down to the creek the following day to go bait digging ready for a fishing trip the following day. After wading out through the sticky mud to our favourite bait digging area, we plunged our forks into the mud and were absolutely amazed to discover what we found.

Firstly, out of the mud appeared a couple of bicycle chains, then a set of brass knuckle dusters, two or three rubber coshes and the items kept coming. By the end of the afternoon we had no fishing bait but a great haul of weapons, the most impressive were the mother of pearl handled flick knives (I think there were five of them) and three black handled lock knives.

As you can imagine we were dumbfounded and did not have a clue what to do with this booty so we made our way carefully back to the shoreline where we were met by the long arm of the law someone must have seen what we were doing and reported us. Eventually the police relieved us of our lethal collection and we were sent on our way.

But I had the last laugh because little did they know that I had slipped a lock knife that I fancied into my pocket and successfully took it home and hid it among my Scout things. I still have that knife to this day, it lives in my shed, is in bad need of sharpening but I keep it as it is a link with my past and how for the only time in my life I managed to outwit the Law!

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Peter

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Some of the things my parents used to say to us:

If we said our food was hot........"Well its come out of a hot place".....sic the oven

Where are you going Dad......."I'm going to see a man about a dog".......in other words my business

If we were driving out and we passed a Learner Driver we were encouraged by Father to sing in unison...."Learner Learner Hahaha"

Again in the car if someone passed a secret fart the retort from Father was loudly and crossly...."Who wants to go to the toilet"

Going to bed was always...."Up the wooden hill"

One of Carol's was a put down......."You're Not the only pebble on the beach you know!!!"

When Carol asked her mum for something....."ask your Father" ....his response "ask your Mother".....very helpful.

We were encouraged every night to recite the Lord's Prayer and afterwards had to intone....."God Bless Mummy and Daddy, Christopher, Jonathan and Julian, Grandma and Grandad, all of our Uncles and Aunties, al of our cousins and all the children in the World....Amen"

Jonathan

News and Views:

On this day 22nd  May 1960-1965

On 22/05/1960 the number one single was Cathy's Clown - Everly Brothers and the number one album was South Pacific Soundtrack. The top rated TV show was Royal Variety Performance (ATV) and the box office smash was Psycho. A pound of today's money was worth £13.68 and Burnley were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.

On 22/05/1961 the number one single was On the Rebound - Floyd Cramer and the number one album was GI Blues - Elvis Presley. The top rated TV show was Bootsie & Snudge (Granada) and the box office smash was One Hundred and One Dalmations. A pound of today's money was worth £13.25 and Tottenham Hotspur were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.

On 22/05/1962 the number one single was Nut Rocker - B Bumble & the Stingers and the number one album was Blue Hawaii - Elvis Presley. The top rated TV show was Coronation Street (Granada) and the box office smash was Lawrence of Arabia. A pound of today's money was worth £12.89 and Ipswich Town were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.

On 22/05/1963 the number one single was From Me To You - The Beatles and the number one album was Please Please Me - The Beatles. The top rated TV show was Conservative Party Political Broadcast (all channels) and the box office smash was The Great Escape. A pound of today's money was worth £12.64 and Everton were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.

On 22/05/1964 the number one single was Juliet - Four Pennies and the number one album was Rolling Stones - The Rolling Stones. The top rated TV show was Coronation Street (Granada) and the box office smash was Dr Strangelove. A pound of today's money was worth £12.24 and Liverpool were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.

On 22/05/1965 the number one single was Where Are You Now (My Love) - Jackie Trent and the number one album was Beatles For Sale - The Beatles. The top rated TV show was Coronation Street (Granada) and the box office smash was The Sound of Music. A pound of today's money was worth £11.69 and Manchester United were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.