Web Page 3046 24th February 2023 Victor Silvester First Picture: Victor Silvester

Second Picture: 78 rpm record

Third Picture: Victor Silvester Orchestra

Forth Picture: The Twist

Victor Marlborough Silvester OBE (25 February 1900– 14 August 1978) was an English dancer, writer, musician and bandleader. He was a significant figure in the development of ballroom dance during the first half of the 20th century, and his records sold 75 million copies from the 1930s through to the 1980s He was born the second son of a vicar in Wembley and was educated at Ardingly College, St. John's School, Leatherhead and John Lyon School, Harrow, from all of which he absconded. He claimed that he enlisted in the British Army on 4 September 1916, during the First World War, serving as a private in the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, and that he lied about his age to the recruiting authorities, stating this as 20 whereas he was only 16. He supposedly took part in the Battle of Arras, and said he was a member of five execution squads, where deserters were shot. However, the release of his service records in 2000 revealed that he had been discharged from the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders as underage on 12 September 1916, after just a week of service. However, he immediately joined the First Aid Services (the Red Cross and St John Ambulance), and served with them in France from 1 October 1916 to June 1917, before transferring to the First British Ambulance Unit For Italy. On 4 September 1917 at Sella di Dol while acting as a stretcher bearer to evacuate wounded Italian servicemen during a heavy bombardment was injured in the leg by a shell burst, but refused medical treatment until the other wounded had been attended to. For his gallantry he was awarded the Italian Bronze Medal of Military Valour. In a letter to parents dated 20 September 1917, his Commandant wrote: "He is certainly one who will be deservedly loved wherever he goes in life, and he is besides made of sterling stuff." After the war he studied at Worcester College, Oxford for a year. He decided to resume a military career when he was offered a place at the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, but he quickly decided it was not for him. He also studied music at Trinity College, London, having already had private piano lessons as a child. His interests had turned to dancing. He was one of the first post-war English dancers to feature the full natural turn in the slow waltz. This was a factor in his winning the first World Ballroom Dancing Championship in 1922 with Phyllis Clarke as his partner. He married Dorothy Newton a few days later He competed again in 1924, coming second. he was a founding member of the Ballroom Committee of the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing and published the first book embodying the new standards in 1927. He went on to open a dancing academy in London, which eventually developed into a chain of 23 dance studios. By the early 1930s, his teaching had become famous and he had taught some of the top celebrities of the day. He had his own BBC television show through the 1950s, called BBC Dancing Club and was later the President of the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing. The lack of what he felt were adequate records for dancing led him in 1935 to form his own band, later named Victor Silvester and his Ballroom Orchestra. He insisted his recordings conform precisely to the beats per minute recommended for ballroom dances, In British eyes he became indelibly associated with the catch-phrase "slow, slow, quick-quick-slow". His band always had a distinctive sound, achieved by an unusual line-up including, as well as the usual rhythm section, alto saxophone, a lead solo violin and two pianos, one taking turn in solos and the other maintaining an improvised tinkling continuo in the background throughout every piece. Silvester himself usually did not play (he was a violinist), but stood in front of his orchestra in white tie and tails, conducting with a flourish. He continued to make music for half a century, mostly covering the popular music standards and show tunes, sometimes swing, trad jazz and in latter years, especially from 1971 when the orchestra continued under his son, Victor Silvester Jr, rock and roll, disco and pop. There were other bands led by musicians who were capable of recording in strict time. The best for ballroom competitions was probably Joe Loss, who had an even longer musical career. He was the subject of This Is Your Life in 1957 when he was surprised by Eamonn Andrews at the BBC Television Theatre. Victor Silvester was appointed OBE in 1961. He died while on holiday in the south of France at the age of 78. The orchestra remained in existence under his son's direction until the 1990. Victor, his wife and son are memorialised at Golders Green Crematorium, London. Stay in Touch Peter gsseditor@gmail.com

Web Page 3044 17th February 2023 Lionel Blair First Picture: Publicity Picture

Second Picture: Lionel and his wife

Third Picture: Lionel in his early tv days

Forth Picture: Wedding picture with Bernie Winters

Lionel Blair was born Henry Lionel Ogus on12th December 1928 and was a Canadian-born British actor, choreographer, tap dancer, and television presenter. From the late 1960s until the early 1980s, he made regular appearances as a dancer and entertainer on British television. He also presented the quiz programme Name That Tune, and was a team captain on the televised charades gameshow Give Us a Clue. Henry Lionel Ogus was born in Montreal to Jewish parents, Myer Ogus and Debora "Della" Greenbaum. His father, a barber, emigrated from Russia to Canada to start a new life, and his wife joined him shortly afterwards. Lionel Blair came to Britain when he was two years old, and the family settled at Stamford Hill in north London, where his father continued to work as a barber. Although his parents were Jewish they were not orthodox; they would eat chicken on a Friday night, but also ate bacon. Due to the anti-semitism of the time, his father changed the family name to Blair. Lionel’s first public performances were with his sister Joyce (1932–2006) in the Manor House station air raid shelters and on the trains of the Piccadilly line during the air raids of the Second World War. During the Blitz, mother and children were evacuated to Oxford, but when they saw a German plane crash from the back garden, the family decided they might as well be in London. When Blair was thirteen, his father died after what should have been a routine operation on an ulcer. After this, Blair became the breadwinner for the family and took to the stage. He started out with girlish parts, as his voice had not yet broken. He was singled out in several reviews for his performance as one of the children in a touring performance of the play Watch on the Rhine during 1943, and attended the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford in 1944. In 1946, he joined a touring company called the Savoy Players. He rekindled his passion for musical theatre and began working in the West End. He gave up acting for dancing in 1947, although he subsequently appeared in a national tour of Who Killed Agatha Christie. He took his stage name around this time later changing it by deed poll just before he married in 1967; his sister also decided to use the same surname professionally Before his break into television, he had played the juvenile lead in The Five Past Eight Show at the Alhambra Theatre, Glasgow, where he played straight man to many Scottish comedians, including Jimmy Logan. By the mid-1950s he was choreographing shows at the Alhambra which were considered stylish and were hugely popular. He came to the fore in the 1960s when, with his dance troupe, he appeared on television variety programmes. He also appeared in the films The Limping Man (1953), The World of Suzie Wong (1960), The Cool Mikado (1963), The Beauty Jungle (1964), A Hard Day's Night (1964), Maroc 7 (1967) and Absolute Beginners (1986), cameoed in an episode of The Persuaders!, and appeared in television comedy, including the short film, The Plank. In addition, he choreographed films such as Jazz Boat (1960), in which he made an uncredited appearance, and The Magic Christian (1969). He appeared in Miss World 1969 and 1970 at the Royal Albert Hall in London. He was one of the team captains on the game show Give Us a Clue from 1979 until the early 1990s, and was the second presenter of the British version of Name That Tune in the 1980s. In 1980, he made a small contribution to the children's music album Captain Beaky and His Band. In 1983, he appeared as the celebrity dart player for charity on Bullseye. He published his autobiography Stagestruck in 1985. In 2005, he took part in the Channel Five reality series, The Farm. Until 2005, he appeared extensively in pantomime, for which he earned up to £15,000 a week. In 2003, he released his first full-length album as a singer, in a tribute to Fred Astaire titled Blair Sings Astaire. He continued to work as an actor, having filmed an episode of BBC One's medical soap opera Doctors in 2014. He appeared in the British short film Evil's Evil Cousin in 2016. On 14 December that year, he guested on the ITV panel show, Loose Women, to announce and celebrate his recent 88th birthday. The panellists presented him with a personalised cake. In 2017, He was one of the celebrities appearing in the second series of the BBC reality series The Real Marigold Hotel. In 2018, he joined 26 other celebrities at Metropolis Studios, to perform an original Christmas song called "Rock with Rudolph. The song was recorded in aid of Great Ormond Street Hospital In 2019, he was named "Oldie of the Year" at the annual awards promoted by The Oldie magazine. He always found working on pantomime particularly lucrative and reported that he could earn £100,000 for a six-week run. He married Susan Davis at Kensington Register Office on 21 March 1967, with Bernie Winters as best man. They had three children and three grandchildren and celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on 21 March 2017. The couple lived in Banstead, Surrey. On 21 September 2006, he and comedian Alan Carr helped save a man about to fall from a pier in Blackpool. The man was holding on by his fingers.[36] Lionel Blair died on the morning of 4 November 2021, at the age of 92. Stay in Touch Peter gsseditor@gmail.com Forth Picture: Wedding picture with Bernie Winters Lionel Blair was born Henry Lionel Ogus on12th December 1928 and was a Canadian-born British actor, choreographer, tap dancer, and television presenter. From the late 1960s until the early 1980s, he made regular appearances as a dancer and entertainer on British television. He also presented the quiz programme Name That Tune, and was a team captain on the televised charades gameshow Give Us a Clue. Henry Lionel Ogus was born in Montreal to Jewish parents, Myer Ogus and Debora "Della" Greenbaum. His father, a barber, emigrated from Russia to Canada to start a new life, and his wife joined him shortly afterwards. Lionel Blair came to Britain when he was two years old, and the family settled at Stamford Hill in north London, where his father continued to work as a barber. Although his parents were Jewish they were not orthodox; they would eat chicken on a Friday night, but also ate bacon. Due to the anti-semitism of the time, his father changed the family name to Blair. Lionel’s first public performances were with his sister Joyce (1932–2006) in the Manor House station air raid shelters and on the trains of the Piccadilly line during the air raids of the Second World War. During the Blitz, mother and children were evacuated to Oxford, but when they saw a German plane crash from the back garden, the family decided they might as well be in London. When Blair was thirteen, his father died after what should have been a routine operation on an ulcer. After this, Blair became the breadwinner for the family and took to the stage. He started out with girlish parts, as his voice had not yet broken. He was singled out in several reviews for his performance as one of the children in a touring performance of the play Watch on the Rhine during 1943, and attended the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford in 1944. In 1946, he joined a touring company called the Savoy Players. He rekindled his passion for musical theatre and began working in the West End. He gave up acting for dancing in 1947, although he subsequently appeared in a national tour of Who Killed Agatha Christie. He took his stage name around this time later changing it by deed poll just before he married in 1967; his sister also decided to use the same surname professionally Before his break into television, he had played the juvenile lead in The Five Past Eight Show at the Alhambra Theatre, Glasgow, where he played straight man to many Scottish comedians, including Jimmy Logan. By the mid-1950s he was choreographing shows at the Alhambra which were considered stylish and were hugely popular. He came to the fore in the 1960s when, with his dance troupe, he appeared on television variety programmes. He also appeared in the films The Limping Man (1953), The World of Suzie Wong (1960), The Cool Mikado (1963), The Beauty Jungle (1964), A Hard Day's Night (1964), Maroc 7 (1967) and Absolute Beginners (1986), cameoed in an episode of The Persuaders!, and appeared in television comedy, including the short film, The Plank. In addition, he choreographed films such as Jazz Boat (1960), in which he made an uncredited appearance, and The Magic Christian (1969). He appeared in Miss World 1969 and 1970 at the Royal Albert Hall in London. He was one of the team captains on the game show Give Us a Clue from 1979 until the early 1990s, and was the second presenter of the British version of Name That Tune in the 1980s. In 1980, he made a small contribution to the children's music album Captain Beaky and His Band. In 1983, he appeared as the celebrity dart player for charity on Bullseye. He published his autobiography Stagestruck in 1985. In 2005, he took part in the Channel Five reality series, The Farm. Until 2005, he appeared extensively in pantomime, for which he earned up to £15,000 a week. In 2003, he released his first full-length album as a singer, in a tribute to Fred Astaire titled Blair Sings Astaire. He continued to work as an actor, having filmed an episode of BBC One's medical soap opera Doctors in 2014. He appeared in the British short film Evil's Evil Cousin in 2016. On 14 December that year, he guested on the ITV panel show, Loose Women, to announce and celebrate his recent 88th birthday. The panellists presented him with a personalised cake. In 2017, He was one of the celebrities appearing in the second series of the BBC reality series The Real Marigold Hotel. In 2018, he joined 26 other celebrities at Metropolis Studios, to perform an original Christmas song called "Rock with Rudolph. The song was recorded in aid of Great Ormond Street Hospital In 2019, he was named "Oldie of the Year" at the annual awards promoted by The Oldie magazine. He always found working on pantomime particularly lucrative and reported that he could earn £100,000 for a six-week run. He married Susan Davis at Kensington Register Office on 21 March 1967, with Bernie Winters as best man. They had three children and three grandchildren and celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on 21 March 2017. The couple lived in Banstead, Surrey. On 21 September 2006, he and comedian Alan Carr helped save a man about to fall from a pier in Blackpool. The man was holding on by his fingers.[36] Lionel Blair died on the morning of 4 November 2021, at the age of 92. Stay in Touch Peter gsseditor@gmail.com

Web Page 3042 10th February 2023 Cremola Foam First Picture: Drums of Cremola Foam

Second Picture: Cremola mug

Third Picture: Cremola advert

In 2005, Allan McCandlish of Cardross started producing a re-creation of Creamola Foam under the name ‘Kramola Fizz’. In April 2019, his daughter Agnes and son Andrew of McCandlish Farmhouse Confectionery relaunched the product under its original name of Creamola Foam (registered trademark) and is now available on the shelves again in Scotland as well as worldwide. Creamola Foam came in the form of coloured crystals which were dissolved in cold water to form a sweet, fizzy drink. It was packaged in a small tin labelled with a cartoon girl and boy drinking with straws. The drink originally came in raspberry, orange, and lemon flavours; and cola was a later addition to the range. The product was originally owned by Rowntrees before coming under the banner of Nestle UK until being sold off to Premier Foods. The relaunched Creamola Foam drink now comes in 17 different flavours, including the original flavours which are Raspberry, Orange, Lemon, and Cola. The original packaging consisted of a small tin with a tight metal lid, normally pried off with a teaspoon. A paper seal covered the foam crystals. The packaging included the phrases: • "CREAMOLA FOAM CRYSTALS" • "MAKES 10 BIG DRINKS" • "FULLY SWEETENED" The original ingredient list read: • Sugar • Fruit acids • Sodium bicarbonate • Gum acacia, a thickener/stabiliser • Saccharin • Saponin, a foaming agent • flavouring • colour A revision was introduced in the 1980s featured a plastic lid and modernised branding. The label reads, "Creamola FOAM". The ingredients were: • Sugar • Citric acid • Sodium bicarbonate • Tartaric acid • Flavoring • Saccharin, sweetener • Gum acacia, stabiliser • Extract of quillaia, a foaming agent • Carmine, food coloring agent (in this example, raspberry flavor) The effervescence, when the powder dissolves as it is stirred into water, is due to the reaction of the citric and tartaric acids with sodium bicarbonate, forming carbon dioxide gas. These weak organic "fruit" acids also provide a sharp taste. The addition of stabiliser and saponaceous foaming agents extends the life of the bubbles. The artificial colouring and flavouring, plus the fruit acids, give the impression of a fruity base, although the recipe is essentially synthetic. Stay in Touch Peter gsseditor@gmail.com

Web Page 3040 5th February 2023 Eli Woods First Picture: Eli Woods

Second Picture: Jimmy James

Third Picture: Roy Castle, Jimmy James and Eli Woods

Eli Woods was born John Casey on the 11th January 1923 comic actor, who was born in Stockton-on-Tees in County Durham and, possibly best known for his work with stage comedian Jimmy James (who in reality his uncle), and particularly for his part in the famous 'elephant-in-the-box' routine. He made his first professional appearance on the stage of the Hippodrome Theatre in Aldershot in Hampshire. Jimmy James developed his famous act over many years, but from the first it required two 'stooges'. One was John "Jack" Casey—tall and stick-thin, with a bony face and a stammering delivery—who originally appeared as "Bretton Woods" (named after the location of the famous 1944 United Nations monetary and financial Conference), and only later redubbed as "Eli" Woods (often "Our Eli"). The other stooge, 'Hutton Conyers' would be played either by members of the Casey family - including, on occasion, James Casey - or (from 1956 to 1959) by Roy Castle. Much later, Eli Woods was in the support cast of Castles in the Air, a comedy series that was on BBC Radio 2. During the late 1970s and early 1980s, Eli Woods featured in three Eddie Braben scripted comedy shows: The Worst Show on the Wireless (20 episodes, 1973 -75) The Show With Ten Legs (26 episodes, 1978–80) and The Show with No Name (13 episodes, 1982–84). Both shows harked back to the UK’s music hall tradition. As a performer, Eli Woods turned his lifelong stutter to his advantage, using it to comic effect in many contexts. For many years he was active as a stage and radio performer, he also appeared in a number of television comedies, as well as playing small parts in a variety of films including A Private Function released in 1984. The apex of his career (in terms of recognition) was appearing in a comedy sketch (the elephant in a box routine) with James Casey and Roy Castle in the 1982 Royal Variety Performance in which they also sing Kisses Sweeter than Wine. Although Eli Woods's birth name was John Casey, he was always better known to his family as Jack. He died at home in Stockton-on-Tees in the early hours of Thursday 1st May 2014, aged 91 Stay in Touch Peter gsseditor@gmail.com

Web Page 3038 27th January 2023 First Picture: Publicity Picture

Second Picture: With Marilyn Munroe

Third Picture: The Vaughan family

Forth Picture: With wife Stella

Frankie Vaughan Frankie Vaughan CBE DL was born Frank Fruim Abelson on 3rd February 1928 and died on 17th September 1999. He recorded more than 80 easy listening and traditional pop singles in his lifetime. He was known as "Mr. Moonlight" after his signature song "Give Me the Moonlight, Give Me the Girl". Two of his singles topped the UK Singles Chart – "The Garden of Eden" (1957) and "Tower of Strength" (1961). He starred in several films, including a role opposite Marilyn Monroe in Let's Make Love (1960). He was (1960) was born on Devon Street in the Islington district of Liverpool and was one of four children of Isaac and Leah Abelson. He came from a family of Russian Jewish descent, and derived his stage surname from his grandmother; as he was her first-born grandson, she called him "Frank my 'number one' grandson", and her Russian accent made "one" sound like "Vaughan". In his early life, he was a member of the Lancaster Lads' Club, a member group of the National Association of Boys' Clubs; having started out at the club intending to become a boxer[ he was a major contributor to them during his career, dedicating his monetary compensation from one song each year to them. He was an evacuee during World War II[. He attended the Lancaster College of Art on a scholarship and was a vocalist in their dance band. After a stint in the Royal Army Medical Corps (where he spent most of his time boxing) he returned to art school, this time at the Leeds College of Art. An early appearance was in the Leeds students rag revue “It’s Rag Time” which opened on June 20, 1949 at the Empire Theatre in Leeds when he was described as the show’s main vocalist. He was still known as Frank Abelson at that time. When he won a prize in a design contest, he left for London, where he won second prize on a radio talent show. He auditioned for the agent Billy Marsh who quickly booked him in for a week at the Kingston Empire in May 1950 with Jimmy Wheeler. His debut went well with press comment stating "Frankie Vaughan gives a promising performance when singing some new and old songs in a crooning style. He receives a warm reception." This led to further bookings on the variety circuit and he appeared with the veteran male impersonator Hetty King on several occasions. Her guidance helped change his style for the rest of his career. He became known as a fancy dresser, wearing top hat, bow tie, tails, and cane. He made his first television appearance on October 13, 1951 in a variety show from the Theatre Royal, Leeds starring Gracie Fields. He was introduced by Donald Peers and sang "Lucky Me". He made his first records in 1950 for HMV but they were not popular. In August 1952 he joined the dance band of Nat Temple for a year but the popularity of further recordings he made in 1953 encouraged him to return to the variety stage. He switched to the Philips label and in 1955, he recorded what was to become his trademark song, "Give Me the Moonlight, Give Me the Girl". He recorded a large number of songs that were covers of United States hit songs, including Perry Como's "Kewpie Doll", Jimmie Rodgers' "Kisses Sweeter than Wine", Boyd Bennett's "Seventeen", Jim Lowe's "The Green Door", and (with the Kaye Sisters), the Fleetwoods' "Come Softly to Me". In 1956, his cover of "The Green Door" reached No. 2 in the UK Singles Chart. The same year he was voted 'Showbusiness Personality of the Year'. In early 1957, his version of "The Garden of Eden", reached No. 1 in the UK Singles Chart. In 1957 he was voted the eighth most popular star at the British box office. Managed at this time by former journalist and theatrical agent Paul Cave, he stayed in the United States for a time to make a film with Marilyn Monroe, Let's Make Love (1960), and was an actor in several other films, but his recordings were never chart hits in the US,] with the exception of "Judy", which reached No.100 on the Billboard Hot 100 in August 1958. In 1961, he was on the bill at the Royal Variety Performance at the Prince of Wales Theatre, , London. That December, he hit No. 1 in the UK again, with "Tower of Strength”. The rise of beat music eclipsed his chart career before he returned to the Top 10 in 1967 with "There Must Be a Way". Chart success eluded him after this although he did have two more Top 40 singles; "Nevertheless" and "So Tired". In the late 1960s, he involved himself with a youth project in Easterhouse, Glasgow. He was appalled by the level of violence amongst young people. He held meetings with the gang leaders and appealed for them to surrender their weapons. In 1985, he starred in a stage version of 42nd Street at Drury Lane opposite his old friend Shani Wallis who appeared in their first film together, Ramsbottom Rides Again. After a year, he nearly died of peritonitis and had to leave the cast. He was married to Stella Shock (1924–2022) from 1951 until his death; the couple had three children, a daughter Susan (b.1963) and two sons, singer and David Sye (b.1961) and actor-singer Andrew Abelson (b.1968). In 1994, he was one of a few to be honoured by a second appearance on This Is Your Life, having been a subject of the show previously in April 1970] Despite frequent bouts of ill-health, he continued performing until shortly before his death from heart failure in 1999. He was awarded an OBE in 1965, a CBE in 1996, and as a long-time resident of High Wycombe had been appointed a Deputy Lieutenant of Buckinghamshire since 1993. He was an Honorary Fellow of Liverpool John Moores University. He also received the Variety Club of Great Britain Award for "Showbusiness Personality of the Year" in 1957. He died from heart failure at his home in High Wycombe aged 71. His wife donated archival materials, including scores and sheet music he had collected throughout his career to Liverpool John Moores University in 2000. Stay in Touch Peter gsseditor@gmail.com

Web Page 3036 20th January 2023 First Picture: Jelly Bunny

Second Picture: Nestle Tinned Milk

Third Picture: Felix the Cat

Forth Picture: Indoor Fireworks

Parties The other day Pam and I were talking about the birthday party food produced by our parents when we were kids. First of all we both remembered jelly bunnies. I remember my mother struggling with a bowl of warm water to free the jelly bunny from the aluminium mould. The same went for the large pink Blancmange which accompanied the jelly. The jelly bunnies were usually surrounded by chopped green jelly to represent grass. On the table there were always a plate with a collection of white and pink Sugar mice all with string tails. My grandmother, who lived with us, would always make individual Butterfly cakes with a filling made of butter cream and she would also make a jam filled Victoria jam sponge The selection of sandwiches in those days was very different from those see that we see around today. Luncheon Meat, Spam, Nutella, Shipham’s Bloater Paste, Heinz Sandwich Spread, cheese and tomato, also Chicken Paste, jam sandwiches and there nearly always was a plate of plain white bread and butter. Do you remember the Sweet Cornets, filled with marsh mellow and with hundreds and thousands sprinkled all over the top bought and from the local bakery. Cream filled meringues and eclairs were also very popular, plus packets of Dolly Mixtures and not forgetting the obligatory Birthday Cake and candles. Our parties always featured bowls of canned peaches or pears served with tinned Nestles cream or maybe Ideal Milk. Drinks featured, lemonade, cherryade, ginger beer, dandelion and burdock and ice cream, soda and orange and lemon squash plus Tizer. These party occasions called for us to wear our best clothes and party dresses with smart shoes and white socks. Then came the party entertainment, we must have all played pass the parcel, pin the tail on the donkey and musical statues. Plus the group games such as The Farmer wants a Wife and Ring a Ring of Roses; then, of course. there were the team games such as passing a balloon between the knees or chins along a line of children, One of our near neighbours had three children and the father, know to us as Uncle Ray, had an ancient 8mm cine projector and a selection of Felix the Cat silent films. Such films as Felix goes on Walking. Felix predated Mickey Mouse by several years but died out when talking films flooded the market. Uncle Ray would come in after work and set up the projector and stretch a sheet across the wall as a screen and off we would go. This always marked the end of the party and then everyone went home and in those days party or doggie bags were unheard of. On very rare occasions the party would end with indoor fireworks. Do you remember the appalling smell they gave out. Then after the birthday party, the following day, came the obligatory chore of writing thank you notes to all the relations who had sent you a birthday present!!!!! Stay in Touch Peter gsseditor@gmail.com

Web Page 3034 14th January 2023 First Picture: Desperate Dan

Second Picture: Cow Pie

Third Picture: The Dandy

Forth Picture: Desperate Dan statue

Desperate Dan Desperate Dan is a wild west character in the now-defunct Scottish comic magazine The Dandy, and became its mascot. He made his appearance in the first issue which was dated 4th December 1937. He is apparently the world's strongest man, able to lift a cow with one hand. The pillow of his (reinforced) bed is filled with building rubble and his beard is so tough he shaves with a blowtorch. The character was created by Dudley D. Watkins, originally as an outlaw or ‘desperado’ (hence his name), but evolved into a more sympathetic type, using his strength to help the underdog. After Dudley Watkins’ death in 1969, the cartoons were drawn by many other artists, principally Ken H. Harrison. When the Dandy became digital-only in 2012, the Desperate Dan strips were drawn by David Parkins. There is a statue of Dan in Dundee, Scotland, where his publishers, D. C. Thomson & Co. are based. Although The Dandy Annuals featured new strips from other artists from then on, the comic continued reprinting Watkins strips until 1983 (though the then Korky the Cat artist Charles Grigg drew new strips for annuals and summer specials), when it was decided to start running new strips. These were initially drawn by Peter Davidson, but Ken H. Harrison soon took over as regular artist. The following year Dan was promoted to the front cover of The Dandy, replacing Korky who had been there since issue 1. Starting from issue 2985, dated 6th February 1999, Cuddles and Dimples replaced Dan on the front cover. This didn't last long, however, as after a readers' poll in 2000, Dan returned to the cover. Although Ken Harrison was the main artist from 1983 to 2007, other artists have also occasionally filled in for Harrison. When The Dandy was redesigned and renamed Dandy Xtreme, the writers used reprints of the old comic strips, until Jamie Smart took over drawing and writing the Desperate Dan comic strips in April 2008 Desperate Dan's final appearance left his fate ambiguous after being caught in an oil well explosion. Desperate Dan's favourite food is cow pie with the horns sticking out, although the term "cow pie" has a different meaning in the American West. Much like Popeye with his spinach, Desperate Dan draws his immense power from eating these pies. Desperate Dan was voted the UK's second favourite superhero after Batman in 2011. Initially Dan was a desperado on the wrong side of the law, hence the name Desperate Dan. Later on, however, he switched sides and become a friendlier character, helping the underdog, although sometimes his great strength caused more harm than good. With the first revamp of The Dandy (from issue 3282, 16 October 2004) Dan, was redesigned slightly. His eyes and chin became much bigger and exaggerated. Dan's personality was changed to that of a bumbling fool, a change to which many fans objected. He was originally going to be left out of the revamped issues, but focus group tests objected to his absence[ A number of spin-off strips have appeared in The Dandy over the years, including Desperate Dawg in the 1970s and 80s, Danny and Katey in the late 1980s and Aunt Aggie in the 2000s (before the 2004 relaunch).[2] A statue of him (and his dog Dawg) can be found in the High Street of Dundee, Scotland – The Dandy is published by Dundee-based D. C. Thomson & Co. The Desperate Dan statue (erected as part of the Dundee Public Art Programme) is the most photographed of 120 pieces of public art in the city. After the print Dandy ended with its 75th anniversary issue. The Dandy relaunched as a digital comic. Stay in Touch Peter gsseditor@gmail.com

Web Page 3032 12th January 2023 The Tufty Club First Picture: Tufty and Family

Second Picture: Tufty Club badge

Third Picture: Road Safety Game

Forth Picture: Tufty Club membership book

The Tufty Club. Were you a member? Tufty Fluffytail, a childlike red squirrel character was created in 1953 by Elsie Mills at The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents. It was hoped that Tufty would help to communicate safety messages to children across the United Kingdom for many years. In 1961, his influence was cemented through the formation of the Tufty Club This was a nationwide network of local road safety groups for children. At its peak, there were 24,500 registered Tufty Clubs, with membership passing two million children in 1972. Although focusing on road safety education, Tufty and his Furryfolk friends – including Policeman Badger, Willy Weasel, Harry Hare, Minnie Mole and Mrs Owl – also made forays into other areas of child safety, including home and water safety. TV spots (which were voiced by Bernard Cribbins), books, comics, board games, handkerchiefs, jigsaw puzzles, stickers, colouring books, Christmas cards, soft toys, ceramic figures, puppets, toothbrushes, knitting patterns, nightwear and song sheets were among the items that helped to maintain Tufty’s profile. Tufty’s image was changed to keep up with the times in 1979 (when Princess Michael of Kent became the president of the Tufty Club) and again in 1993, before new methods of helping children to learn about road safety came to the fore. In 2007, Tufty once again rose to national prominence when he made a guest appearance in the cult BBC series Life on Mars. The club relied heavily on catch phrases and saying one of the best remembered is :- Stay in Touch HAPPY NEW YEAR Peter gsseditor@gmail.com

Web Page 3030 5th January 2023 First Picture: Peter Scott

Second Picture: Crackerjack

Third Picture: Max Jaffa

Forth Picture: Chipperfields Circus

BBC CHRISTMAS TV 1959 Christmas Eve Thursday 24th December 1959 BBCTV 1.00pm Beunydd (In Welsh : Daily news, and a talk on Welsh religious matters) 1.15pm Closedown 2.30pm Watch with Mother : Rag, Tag, and Bobtail 2.45pm Man from 1997 a comic fantasy 3.30pm Faraway Look Kangaroos and Koalas Peter Scott looks back, with his wife, on his first Faraway Look tour which took him to Australia,New Zealand, New Guinea, and Fiji 4.30pm The Apple Tree with the Golden Apples Hungarian film. The story told by Johnny Morris 4.55pm Children's Newsreel 5.10pm Eamonn Andrews in Christmas Crackerjack featuring Lenny the Lion with Terry Hall, Pearl Carr and Teddy Johnson and Ronnie Corbett . Raymond Rollett 6.05pm News, The Weather 6.25pm Christmas Fare A look ahead at Christmas programmes with Michael Aspel 6.30pm Carols from Canterbury Sung in the Crypt and the Choir of the cathedral 7.05pm Film : The Trail to Christmas (1957) starring James Stewart 7.30pm Julie Andrews and John Fraser in "The Gentle Flame" 8.15pm Amahl and the Night Visitors 9.00pm News Summary 9.05pm Film : Sister Kenny (1946) starring Rosalind Russell 10.55pm Mass of the Nativity from the Roman Catholic Bergkirche, Eisenstadt, Austria 12.00 Closedown Christmas Day Friday 25th December 1959 8.30am Christmas Greeting A programme of carols by The George Mitchell Glee Club and Dennis Wilson Quartet 9.00am The Queen (sound only) 9.03am Dartington Christmas Festival introduced by Huw Wheldon 9.30am Gwyl Y Geni (Festival of the Nativity) 10.00am Closedown 11.00am Morning Service from St George's Parish Church, Stockport 11.45am Peace on Earth Christmas programme from the International Pestalozzi Children's Villages in Switzerland and in Sussex children from all over Europe gather round the Christmas tree as one family. 12.15pm Meet Mr Kringle film comedy 1.00pm News Summary 1.15pm Music with Max Max Jaffa's with The Trio, Alicia Markova and the Linden Singers 1.35pm Days Before Christmas National Film Board of Canada 2.00pm Boots and Saddles : Dispatch Rider 2.25pm While Angels Watch A documentary film about Queen Alexandra's Nursing Service 3.00pm Chipperfield's Circus 4.00pm Billy Cotton's Christmas Party 4.45pm A Kiss for Cinderella starring Jeannie Carson 6.15pm News Summary 6.20pm Christmas Night with the Stars featuring Jimmy Logan Show ,Charlie Drake, Whack-O! 7.35pm Harry Belafonte in Songs of Many Land 8.20pm Film : High Noon (1952) starring Gary Cooper, Grace Kelly, 9.45pm News Summary 9.50pm Bleak House Charles Dickens adapted for television 10.20pm Make Way for Music Alyn Ainsworth and the BBC Northern Dance Orchestra 10.50pm Epilogue for Christmas Day The Rev. Frederic Greeves Principal of Didsbury College, Bristol followed by Weather Closedown Stay in Touch HAPPY NEW YEAR Peter gsseditor@gmail.com

Web Page No 3028 22nd December 2022 Christmas in the 1950’s First Picture: Christmas Tree Lights

Second Picture: Tree decorations

Third Picture: Glass tree decorations

Forth Picture: St. Nick Christmas Lights

In the 1950’s and 60’s the approaching Christmas season saw my folks buying all kinds of different foodstuffs and fancy goods to place on the sideboard for the festive period. Various items that were never seen in our home at other time of the year. Firstly, there would be a net bag selection of various types of nuts. Walnuts, Hazel nuts (why we bought these as we had a whole row of hazel nut trees in our back garden), plus Brazil nuts, this naturally started a search through the various cupboards and drawers around the house for the nut crackers which had not been seen since the previous Christmas. Another item only purchased at this time was Turkish Delight (not the Fry’s version but the real thing dusted with icing sugar). The only person that liked it was my grandmother, who lived with us. The hexagonal box would be placed with its wooden fork on the side board and there it sat for several weeks until my grandmother finally finished it off sometime in mid-January. Another item bought around this time were tangerines, I liked them and would frequently attack the bowl of them set out on the sideboard. Talking about fruit, this was the only time in the year that we ever saw Crystalised Fruit in our house. Oblong boxes of dates would also appear. They were horrible, sticky things that came with their own long handled eaters. Again, I cannot remember anyone liking these particular fruits but it was the done thing to have them available. As was a tray of Sharpes toffee complete with its little hammer to break up the block with. We now come to alcohol. This was something the was rarely kept in our house. Some bottles of stout were bought in for my grandmother and a bottle of Advocaat so my father could make snowballs for my mother. Babycham and Pony were bought in for guests and so was sherry and Port so that Port and Lemon could be offered and of course lemonade for me. My dad would go out and buy some luxury smoking aid , Du Maurier in its bright red flat box and mini cigars such as Manakin. These items would be put on the sideboard so they could be offered to visitors. Then there were the homemade decorations! You Write Obituary Robert Barlow Robert ( Bob ) Barlow passed away on Saturday 17th December aged 78 after suffering a general decline in his health over the last few weeks. The son of John & Mary Barlow who owned the well know Chemist and gift shop in Cosham High Street , Bakers of Cosham we lived over the shop throughout our school life. Bob went to Court Lane infants school and then primary school and then secondary school which became Manor Court. Bob became head boy while he was there and finished school in 1961. He then joined National Provincial Bank which became NatWest. He stayed there and took early retirement in his mid 50s. He also travelled a lot on his holidays. I will post funeral arrangements when known. Regards Peter Barlow Stay in Touch Peter gsseditor@gmail.com

Web Page 3024 8th December 2022 First Picture: Publicity Photo

Second Picture: Christmas Alphabet

Third Picture: Dickie and family

Forth Picture: Memorial plaque

Dickie Valentine Richard Bryce (né Maxwell; 4 November 1929 – 6 May 1971 was known professionally as Dickie Valentine, and enjoyed great popularity in Britain during the 1950s. In addition to several other Top Ten hit singles, He had two chart-toppers on the UK Singles Chart with "Finger of Suspicion", featuring The Stargazers (1954) and the seasonal "Christmas Alphabet" (1955). He was born Richard Maxwell in November 1929 (his birth father was Dickie Maxwell) in Marylebone. He was known as Richard Bryce after his mother married Bryce. Dickie Valentine's first acting job was at age only three when he appeared in the British comedy film Jack's the Boy starring Jack Hulbert and Cicely Courtneidge He developed a flexible vocal style and skills as an impersonator of famous singers. Actor-singer Bill O'Connor overheard him singing as a call boy at Her Majesty's Theatre in London and paid for his voice lessons. He sang in clubs and learned stagecraft to help gain confidence and experience. While he was in his late teens, he was singing at the Panama Club one night when music publisher Sid Green saw him and brought him to the attention of bandleader Ted Heath. On 14 February 1949, Dickie Valentine, an unknown, was signed by Ted Heath to join his band, Ted Heath and his Music, to sing alongside Lita Roza and Dennis Lotis. He was voted the Top UK Male Vocalist in 1952 while singing with the Ted Heath Orchestra, the most successful of all British big bands, and again after going solo in 1954. In November 1954, he was invited to sing at the Royal Command Performance, and in February 1955 he was top billed at the London Palladium. He also cracked jokes and impersonated entertainers, including Johnnie Ray, Frankie Laine, Mario Lanza and Billy Daniels. He recorded two number one hits, "Christmas Alphabet" and "The Finger of Suspicion (Points at You)". His first chart-topper came only two months after his marriage to Elizabeth Flynn at Caxton Hall, which caused scenes of hysteria and was widely expected to sound the death knell to his career. In fact, 1955 was by far his best chart year, with both the two number ones and three other's placed in the Top Ten. While his second number one saw him playing 'King Canute' to Bill Haley's incoming tide of rock and roll, "Christmas Alphabet" marked the first time in the UK that a song created for the Christmas market would hit number one. In April 1955, he again topped the bill at the London Palladium for two weeks, a month after winning the male vocalist category in the NME poll. He went on to win this title consecutively from 1953 to 1957. In 1961, he had a television series Calling Dickie Valentine. In 1966 he partnered with Peter Sellers on the ATV sketch show The Dickie Valentine Show. Although his fame began to wane during the 1960s, he remained a popular live performer until his death. He was travelling back to his friends home where he was staying, after having played a concert at the Double Diamond Club in Caerphilly, he was killed outright in a car crash on a single lane bridge at Glangrwyney, near Crickhowell, on 6 May 1971, at the age of 41, together with pianist Sidney Boatman and drummer Dave Pearson, both aged 42. The coroner's inquest revealed the car in which the three were travelling to have been driven in excess of 90 mph at the time of impact, and that Dickie Valentine, who was driving his wife Wendy's Hillman Avenger, with which he was unfamiliar (he was awaiting delivery of his new customised car), had lost control of the vehicle while attempting to take a (clearly marked) dangerous bend. Even though he had travelled on that stretch of road many times and was familiar with its hazards, it was thought that his attention might have been distracted by conversation with his friends, in addition to fatigue (the crash having happened at 4:20am). There was also heavy fog in the area. The coroner returned a verdict of 'death by misadventure'. Valentine is interred at Slough Crematorium. A commemorative plaque was unveiled on the new bridge on August 7, 2021 by his son Richard Valentine and other family members and friends of the three musicians. Dickie Valentine married Elizabeth Flynn, a Scottish professional ice skater, in 1954. They had two children together, Richard (later a television director) and Kim, but divorced in 1967. He married the actress Wendy Wayne in 1968. Prior to the car accident, Wayne and Valentine were scheduled to undertake a twenty-week summer season at the Water Splash in Jersey Stay in touch Peter gsseditor@gmail.com

Web Page 3022 30th November 2022 Molly Weir First Picture: Publicity Photo