Web Page 3020 23 November 2022 The Bumblies First Picture: The Bumblies

Second Picture: Michael Bentine with the Bumblies

Third Picture: DVD featuring two Bumblies episodes

Do you remember the thirteen-part series presented by Michael Bentine, The Bumblies. Here is Michael Bentines explanation of who and what they were. For many years I have been looking into space through a rose-coloured telescope without seeing anything very unusual, so you can imagine the excitement one night when I found myself looking at a new planet which no other human being had ever seen before. I was even more excited when a little while later three visitors from this planet came flying into my room in their own little spaceship, and since then they have become my dearest friends. We appear on television together quite frequently, and you have probably seen us, so you will know that my three visitors are called Bumbly One, Bumbly Two and Bumbly Three, and that they come from the Planet Bumble. Their spaceship is called a flying saucer, and at home they have flying cups as well. It is very hard to see the Planet Bumble from earth, because it is almost always on the other side of the moon. In fact Bumblies do not see the face of the man in the moon; they see only the back of his head. The Bumblies have told me a lot about life on their planet, and I have taught them a lot about our life on earth. They love eating ice-cream, but they were very surprised to find that the only way to get it here is to go into a shop and buy some. At home, they can go out into the country and dig up great big chunks of ice-cream for nothing. You see, on the planet Bumble they have ice-cream mountains--all different kinds--and even the rock is peppermint flavoured. Bumblies like very sweet things to eat, and they always have plenty of treacle on their food. This comes from treacle wells which are dotted all around the countryside. In the woods you will find Balloon bushes and Twang trees. I think the trees have been given that funny name because the branches are very good for making catapults and when you fire a catapult it goes 'twang'. You have probably noticed on my television programme that the Bumblies do not walk. They simply float from place to place--which really is a simple way of getting around and I wish I could do it because it would stop me getting holes in my shoes. Mind you, on the Planet Bumble, the Bumblies can either walk or float; but the different quality of the atmosphere on earth makes it impossible for them to walk here. Unfortunately he tripped over an electric cable and put all the lights out in the studio, which brought the Head of Television running upstairs in a great temper and he ordered Bumbly Three never to try and walk in the studios again. by "Professor" Michael Bentine Bumbly Three is always getting into trouble, poor chap, for, as he says himself, he is not very bright. But he always has the best intentions, so I can never find it in my heart to blame him when things go wrong. Bumbly One and Bumbly Two, who are both much cleverer, are always ready to excuse Bumbly Three and I thought it was very good of them that they did not get angry with him when he let their flying saucer run out of Bumble juice half-way between the Planet Bumble and Mars. All that happened on that occasion was that Bumbly Three had to get out of the saucer and tow it through space until they came to a garage where they could buy some more Bumble juice. It might have been very dangerous, but it turned out all right, and Bumbly Three apologized in the nicest way. He promised never to let it happen again, but knowing him as well as I do, I think he will find it very difficult to keep his promise. One thing I must admit is that Bumbly Three is always willing to try anything once. When he came to afternoon tea with me for the first time, he asked if he could make the sandwiches. He had never seen a sandwich before, but I gave him a cucumber and a loaf of bread, and explained what a sandwich is. Bumbly Three went off into a corner by himself, and came back as proud as Punch with his sandwich. 'Here it is, Professor,' he said. I couldn't help laughing when I saw what he had done. He had cut the loaf of bread in half, and put the whole cucumber in the middle. I don't know who would have had a mouth big enough to eat it. Perhaps a giant, but certainly not a Bumbly. It seems that whatever Bumbly Three tries to do, he can't do it quite right. Ah, well, as he says himself, we can't all be geniuses. So far as I'm concerned, Bumbly Three may not be a genius, but he is so lovable that I forgive him all his mistakes even before he has made them. But that does not mean I like him better than Bumbly One (who is so wise) and Bumbly Two (who is such good fun). Ever since I first met them, I have been trying to decide which one of the three is the nicest. Some days I think it may be Number One, and other days it may be Number Two, and then I change my mind and say, 'Well, after all, it's Number Three'. Perhaps you would like to write and tell me which one you like best. Stay in touch Peter gsseditor@gmail.com

Web Page 3018 16th November 2022 Comedy Bands First Picture: Sid Millwall and his Nitwits

Second Picture: Dr Crock and his Crackpots

Third Picture: Nuts & Bolts

Around the later years of the 1940’s right up to the mid 1960’s one of the most popular forms of entertainment was the comedy musical groups with their acts based on classical music. Here are three of the most popular. Sid Millward and his Nitwits Sidney Millward (9th December 1909 – 2nd2 February 1972) was a British musician who led the comedy band Sid Millward and His Nitwits, performing comedy classical music from the 1930s until the 1970s. Sid Millward was born in London, and raised in the East End. He left school in his teens but studied woodwind at the Royal College of Music. By the mid-1930s he was known as a leading saxophone and clarinet player in swing bands, including the Jack Hylton Orchestra. He formed his own band in 1937 naming them the Nitwits the following year. They made regular appearances on BBC radio, and became the resident band at the Café Anglais in Leicester Square. In the Second World War they performed as part of Stars in Battledress in ENSA. After the war, they were the house band on the BBC radio show Ignorance Is Bliss, and featured in the 1949 film The Nitwits on Parade. In 1950 they had their own radio show, Nitwit Serenade, and later were frequent performers on British television variety shows. Beside Sid Millward, band members included Wally Stewart, Cyril Lagey, Charlie Rossi, Arthur Calkin, Sid Flood, Harry Coles, Ronnie Genarda and Tony Traverci. They played "wild versions of classical hits, interspersed with madcap, visual jokes", and were an influence on the Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band. Comedian Roy Hudd described them as "an idiot conductor in an ill-fitting tail suit with mad hair and a Hitler moustache... [with] a bunch of idiot-looking senile delinquents...". By 1960, as theatre work dried up in Britain, the band started working regularly at Le Lido nightclub in Paris, and moved to the Stardust Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, run by Moe Dalitz, in 1962. They returned to Britain in 1967, before a short stint working in Teheran just before the Six Days War. The band then returned to Las Vegas. Following several heart attacks, Sid Millward gave up playing the clarinet, and instead "wandered around the stage in tails and spats, waving a baton around rather pointlessly. He died in 1972, from another heart attack, in a hotel in Carolina, Puerto Rico, during a season performing there. He was buried in Puerto Rico after his widow refused to pay for his body to be repatriated. Dr. Crock and his Crackpots Dr. Crock and His Crackpots were another British comedy band popular between the 1940s and 1960s. They were led by saxophone and clarinet player Harry Hines. Henry Albert "Harry" Hines (born Henrick James Albert Rudolph Hinz; 9 June 1903 – 14 May 1971) was a jazz musician, born in Tottenham, London. He learned clarinet when in the Royal Navy, later learned the saxophone, and became a professional musician in 1933. In the 1930s and early 1940s, he played in various dance bands, including those of Ambrose, Ray Noble, Teddy Brown, and Maurice Winnick, and wrote arrangements. In 1947, Maurice Winnick persuaded Harry Hines to take over the musical interludes in the popular radio programme Ignorance Is Bliss, after Sid Millward and His Nitwits left the show. Though he as a serious musician, was initially reluctant, he formed a band, which was given the name Dr Crock and His Crackpots by Maurice Winnick. They typically played classical themes at breakneck speed, interspersed with noises such as cowbells and hooters; "like a cross between a small symphony orchestra and a Dixieland jazz band". Soon afterwards, when Harry Hines wanted to leave the radio show, he took a successful legal action against Maurice Winnick, who claimed he had the legal right to use the band name. In the 1950s and early 1960s, Dr Crock and His Crackpots, with a line-up comprising both musicians and comedians, toured successfully, often topping the bill at variety shows and performing in a style similar to the American combo, Spike Jones and His City Slickers. Harry Hines died in London in 1971, aged 67. Nuts and Bolts Nuts & Bolts were another world-famous musical comedy orchestra from the UK. This absurd act performed their last American tour in 2000 to rave reviews. Before that they toured all over Europe and South America performing their hilariously funny 'Concert Of Music'. The fun started when you thought you were about to hear a concert of classical music and then mayhem came to call in the shape of Count Rossini! Each of the characters in the show had a strange, quirky personality and played even stranger musical instruments! Nuts & Bolts left you aching with laughter and wondering what on earth had just hit you! Stay in touch Peter GSSEditor@gmail.com

Web Page 3016 9th November 2022 Conway Stewart First Picture: Conway Stewart Advert

Second Picture: The Gold nib

Third Picture: Gift Set

Forth Picture: The Winston Set

For those who wanted a pen a little better than the Osmoroid a Conway Stewart was the pen of choice. Conway Stewart is a British former manufacturing company of writing implements, founded in 1905 by Frank Jarvis and Thomas Garner in London. The company became notable for its fountain pens, although it also produced ballpoint pens. Conway Stewart was placed in receivership in 2014, with its stocks and assets acquired by Bespoke British Pens Ltd., which owns the rights to the brand since then. Jarvis and Garner had previously worked for the De La Rue Company, the leading British fountain pen manufacturer of the time. Drawing on the experience they had gained at De La Rue, the two started their own business, initially reselling fountain pens manufactured by other companies. The name "Conway Stewart" was apparently derived from a popular music hall act of the time. The fountain pen market in Britain at that time was dominated by De La Rue and it was clear to Frank Jarvis and Thomas Garner that only a very limited market share could be gained by reselling un-branded fountain pens. At the same time, De La Rue was embarking on a substantial marketing campaign by re-branding its products "Onoto". Jarvis and Garner identified a market niche for attractive and reliable writing instruments at an affordable price. The 1920s saw rapid development of the Conway Stewart product line. Pens of several different types of filling mechanisms, materials and sizes were offered for sale. The business model proved successful for Conway Stewart and its market share increased at the expense of other established manufacturers. As a result, Conway Stewart had outgrown its initial premises and in 1927 the company relocated to a larger facility which would serve as its home for the next two decades. During the depression years, the company was able to remain profitable, helped by the public's perception of good value products. In 1935, Conway Stewart went public, raising additional capital at the same time by offering shares. The years of World War II proved difficult for Conway Stewart and many other manufacturers; there were shortages of materials but the company managed to survive by continuing to offer good reliable pens at reasonable prices. Emerging from post-war austerity in Britain, the 1950s proved to be golden years for Conway Stewart, with the creative use of coloured plastic reaching its peak. The company once again relocated to new premises, but the golden age proved to be short-lived. At the same time, the ballpoint pen was being developed and while initially unreliable and more expensive than comparably finished fountain pens, soon decreased rapidly in price. Conway Stewart, along with most other fountain pen manufacturers of the time, failed to anticipate the effect that this innovative product would have on fountain pen sales. In the 1960s, fountain pen sales declined very quickly and Conway Stewart began to feel the effect of falling revenues. The company tried to compete by offering lower priced fountain pens and also introduced ballpoint pens to its range. The company relocated to Crumlin, Caerphilly in Wales in 1968, taking advantage of regional development grants, but its financial health continued to deteriorate. In 1975, the company was wound-up and production ceased. The company was revived in the 1990s, with headquarters in Plymouth. Sales started in 1998, although some models had been produced for special occasions before that, including for the Heads of State attending the 1998 G8 Summit in Birmingham. On 28 August 2014, the company was placed in receivership. The remaining stock, as well as the machinery and tooling, were sold off and its offices closed. Bespoke British Pens went on to acquire the stock of components from the Conway Stewart factory. The Turners Workshop Ltd in the UK bought all the remaining materials including large stocks of Casein, Ebonite Cellulose Acetate and Acrylics. On 11 November 2014, Mr Caltagirone Emmanuel registered the trademark Conway Stewart for the USA. Early models marketed by Conway Stewart were sourced from other manufacturers, were made of hard rubber and were indistinguishable from many other pens available at that time. By the mid-1920s, the company was establishing its own design style, helped by the use of colourful celluloid and casein plastics. The plastics of the 1940s to 1960s were produced in a variety of styles and colours and while never specifically named by Conway Stewart, they have become known informally by collectors by names such as cracked ice, herringbone, tiger’s eye and crosshatch and the more common marbled finish. Of particular note is the model 22 which was produced in the 1950s in a floral pattern. This was produced in very small numbers compared to other models of the time. There is some uncertainty as to the number produced; estimates range from 200 to 2000. After the early 1960s injection moulded plastic of a uniform colour was used for the manufacture of pens. Nibs, which had been 14ct gold until this time, were generally replaced by stainless steel. 1990s–present Models produced in this era are made for the "high-end" of the market and feature precious metals, enamels and celluloid plastics and 18ct gold nibs. The Conway Stewart trademark in the UK was purchased by Helix from the liquidators in 1975. The trademark was then purchased by another company with a view to relaunching the brand on a range of fibre tipped pen for the mass market, only limited numbers were produced and in 1994 Don Yendle purchased the UK tradename from the company. The USA trademark was purchased from Stuart Edwards of Palo Alto in 1994. In 1995 Don Yendle met with the directors of Shaeffer Australia who had registered the name with a view to relaunching a cheap range of Chinese pens for the Australian market. A meeting was held in Hong Kong in early 1995 whereby Don Yendle purchased the rights to the CS tradename for Australia. Having formed Conway Stewart as a Limited Company in the UK the trademark was registered in Europe and Asia to ensure worldwide security for the brand. Having researched Conway Stewarts previous manufacturing history and techniques Don Yendle wanted to keep true to its core values from 1905. What followed were 3 years of research into Casein and plastics including vulcanite for barrels and feeders for nibs. The company even used a Birmingham-based company who still used a 1-metre pantograph to make the miniature moulds for the pen clips in order to keep the detail in the clips. All of the new clips were exactly the same size as the originals so pen collectors would have spares for the vintage pens they wished to repair. After much experimentation with slabs of casein from uk and some very old stock from Japan Conway Stewart re-launched in 1997. At that first exhibition the Foreign Office chose Conway Stewart as a supplier of gifts for Number 10 Downing Street and gifts from the government to visiting dignitaries. The first collections were all made from casein with solid gold rings swaged on to each cap. Each slab of casein had to be cured for at least 3 months in drying room with just the right humidity. Returning the barrels to the drying room after each process in order to train the material to be 'round'. Each collection was limited to 500 pcs based on material and colour. Each pen code and number laser engraved on to each barrel. The company then introduced designs (Churchill series, 58, Dinkie) in acrylic, solid silver, and solid gold. The first solid gold pens were made for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth and HRH Prince Philip on the celebration of their golden wedding anniversary 20 November 1997. Two pieces were made in 18ct solid gold. The queen wrote a letter of thanks for the gift stating they were 'useful to boot'. The pens were originally made in Horrabridge and the company moved to its Plymouth premises in 2001 having outgrown the original premises. The company continued to produce pens for the Prime Ministers Office, supplying birthday presents of a Conway Stewart Churchill to Bill Clinton, George Bush, Jacques Chirac, Vladimir Putin to name but a few. The pens were also selected by the Foreign Office as gifts to all world leaders at the G8 and G20 summits, along with pens for Prince Charles, Princess Diana and Barbara Cartland. Conway Stewart introduced a few prototype celluloid pens, mainly as overlays on solid silver Duro pens. The company supplied another set of gold pens for the celebration of Her Majesty's Golden Jubilee featuring a hard rubber Churchill with an 18ct Overlay. Only a few pieces were sold. Don Yendle sold the company to an investor in October 2003 having established worldwide distribution. Stay in touch Peter gsseditor@gmail.com

Web Page 3014 2nd November 2022 WHACKO! First Picture: Professor Jimmy Edwards

Second Picture: School nameplate

Third Picture: A mass whacking

Forth Picture: In the classroom

Whack-O was a sitcom TV series starring Jimmy Edwards, written by Frank Muir and Denis Norden, and broadcast from 1956 to 1960 and 1971 to 1972. The series (in black and white) ran on the BBC from 1956 to 1960 and (in colour) from 1971 to 1972. Jimmy Edwards took the part of Professor James Edwards, M.A., the drunken, gambling, devious, cane-swishing headmaster who tyrannised staff and children at Chiselbury public school (described in the opening titles as "for the sons of Gentlefolk"). The Jimmy Edwards character bore more than a passing resemblance to Sergeant Bilko as he tried to swindle the children out of their pocket money to finance his many schemes. The first six episodes were subtitled "Six of the Best". In 1959 a film was made based on the show, called Bottoms Up!. The series was revived in colour with updated scripts in 1971–72, slightly retitled Whacko!. In all, it ran for a total of 60 episodes, with 47 of black-and-white and 13 colour, of 30 minutes each. There were three special shorts. There was also a radio version with Vera Lynn starring as herself in the second episode. Many of these radio episodes were recovered by a BBC archivist from a listener's collection of tapes in 2012, and are now being broadcast on Radio 4 Extra. The front of the historic house of near Egham in Surrey was used in the opening title sequence of the TV comedy series, behind the name of the fictional Chiselbury School. Most of the show's episodes are missing, presumed lost. Six of the original black-and-white episodes are known to exist today; from the colour revival series of the early 1970s, only one is known to have survived. TV comedy historians have written that the central theme of Whack-O! and Bottoms Up! was corporal punishment and specifically the caning of boys’ backsides. This however was largely absent from the revived series in 1971, as by that time corporal punishment was becoming less acceptable in Britain and was eventually banned in state and many independent schools in 1986. Whack-O! tended to glorify a ritualised form of punishment that had been an accepted practice in British schools, but by modern standards the popular humourizing of corporal punishment is an anathema. The comedy of the series was built around whether boys would be caught and punished for minor misdemeanours, and the size and effectiveness of canes and the building of caning devices. In one episode a device and long cane was made so six boys could be punished together. In another a device was made so the teacher carrying out the caning did not see the boy, and it turned out that all the backside seen to be caned were that of deputy headmaster Pettigrew (when played by Arthur Howard). A feature of Jummy Edwards carrying out punishment was the clear enjoyment he exhibited. Both Jimmy Edwards and Arthur Howard were gay men and Anthony Slide, a biographer of Jimmy Edwards with "Wake Up at the Back There! This is how the BBC sums up this aspect of Whack-O! on its official website: "Watching the series now is a little painful in one respect – we're too sensitive to find canings amusing – but it's right on the money in other ways, mainly because finding over-privileged kids vile hasn't gone out of fashion." BBC Radio adapted the TV scripts into 45 thirty-minute shows, mostly with the original cast, of which 42 recordings survive. There were three series which originally ran on the BBC Light Programme from 23 May 1961 until 22 July 1963. They have been repeated on BBC Radio Extra since 2015 and the last airing was in 2020. Jimmy Edwards died in 1988 Stay in touch Peter gsseditor@gmail.com