Web Page 3115 30th March First Picture: Leeds Variety theatre

Second Picture; Leonard Sachs

Third Picture: The Audience

Fourth Picture; Danny la Rue

Every weekend my parents would settle down in front of the television set to watch The Good Old Days. The Good Old Days was a very popular BBC television programme which was produced by Barney Colehan which ran for 30 years from 20st July 1953 to 31st December 1983. (actually, Barney Colehan was the cousin of my next-door neighbour when we moved into Gosport, Colehan also owned and ran a bric a brac shop in Shanklin). Early in 1953 Barney Colehan had devised a one-off show entitled "The Story of the Music Hall" which was presented by Deryck Guyler. The programme proved so popular that it was decided to create a series under the title of "The Good Old Days”. The Good Old Days was performed at the Leeds City Varieties theatre and recreated an authentic atmosphere of the Victorian–Edwardian music hall with songs and sketches of the era performed in the style of the original artistes, You must remember seeing that that the audience always dressed in period costume and joined in the singing, especially "Down at the Old Bull and Bush" which closed the show each week. The show was compered throughout its whole run (except for the first two shows) by Leonard Sachs, who introduced the acts from a desk situated at the side of the stage. In the course of its run it featured about 2,000 performers. Each show was up to an hour long. The orchestra pit was deliberately visible in front of the main stage. The orchestra leader for many years was Bernard Herrmann who was a flautist and later became conductor with the BBC Northern Dance Orchestra. The show was first broadcast on 20th July 1953 and the first two shows were compered by Don Gemmell. Early series of the show were broadcast live. The show included many regulars such as Joan Sterndale-Bennett, Tessie O'Shea, Dudley Stevens, Hattie Jacques, Loraine Hart, Ray Alan, Roy Castle, Roy Hudd, Ken Dodd, Barbara Windsor, Eartha Kitt, Danny La Rue, Hylda Baker, Les Dawson, Larry Grayson, Tommy Steele, Frankie Vaughan, Richard Hearn and Arthur Askey. Critical to the show was not only the performers who were "in character": the entire audience was required to dress in period costume, adding greatly to the atmosphere and allowing shots of the audience to be interspersed with the acts, particularly in the multiple sing-along acts. Out of 245 episodes, only 108 are believed to survive complete in the archives. 63 of the surviving programmes were rebroadcast on BBC Four between December 2015 and February 2018. On 16th December 1983, Goodbye to the Good Old Days was shown, this was a documentary celebrating the end of the 30-year run that year; Barry Cryer served as narrator for the documentary. The final show aired on New Year's Eve that year. One of the benefits of the programme, especially in the early days were appearances of several of the old music hall stars, many of these acts would have been lost for ever, stars such as Rob Wilton, Hilda Baker and Nat Jackley. Stay in touch Peter gsseditor@gnail.com Pictures from Carl can you fill in the gaps