WEB PAGE NO.2802 17th July 2021 BRYLCREEM 1ST PICTURE: Original Brylcreem Jar

2nd PICTURE: 1950’s Brylcreem advert

3RD PICTURE The Pink Stuff

4th PICTURE Brylcreem Jar today

|One for the lads today What's the story? Keeping quiffs neatly in place since 1928, Brylcreem is an iconic product of men's hair styling. Founded in Birmingham by County Chemicals, it was created as hair cream that was originally only sold to barbers. Men flocked to Brylcreem in droves to recreate that clean, smart hairstyle that was the fashion at the time. And that not-a-hair-out-of-place look remained the fashion for another couple of decades - rather handy for Brylcreem. In fact, a brief history of Brylcreem is like a brief history of men's haircuts. During World War II, members of the RAF were known as Brylcreem Boys thanks to their tidily done dos. The 1950s saw an even further increase with Brylcreem becoming the most dominant product in men's hairstyling. Brylcreem must have been thanking their lucky stars that the super-styled Teddy Boy look was so popular. Slick hairstyles lasted until the early 60s when Brylcreem's luck began to run out. What Happened? Well it's down in part to The Beatles and other such popular music groups of the time who wore their hair much longer and much less-perfectly styled. With this, the demand for styling creams fell and so did Brylcreem's profits. Despite efforts to convince the masses that Brylcreem could still be used on these styles, sales declined and continued to do so into the 70s. Big hair equalled big problems for Brylcreem. The 80s and 90s saw a slight renaissance when the brand tried to reinvent itself for the youth market. In 1997, David Beckham became the face of Brylcreem and showed that it wasn't just for those neat hairstyles of a different era. And now? The original cream is still available in the same packaging it's been in since the 60s plus a few other waxes and gels too. People may still think of it as a product of a certain time but it has embraced the 21st century with social media campaigns and sharp adverts to appeal to the 16-30 market. A good example of this would be their 2007 Effortless campaign where the public were invited to send in clips of effortless little tricks around the house, and the accompanying musician recruited from MySpace. But the history:- In 1895 a small chemist shop was opened in the High Street Coleshill trading under the name of the "County Chemical Company" the founder specialised in oils and lubricants mainly for the car and cycle industries along with puncture repair kits but from 1896 he was trying to develope a grease free hair product for men based on the American lanollin hair gel. The lubricant side of the business was so successful that his hair project was put on hold. The majority of trading was by mail order and distribution points were set up in London, Bristol and Manchester to meet demand. Having out-grown his Coleshill premises by 1905 the company moved to Bradford Street in Birmingham. Production of lubricants continued along with the addition of cleaning products and by 1910 Golf Balls, with the trade name of "Chemico Bob" were being manufactured. It was probably around this time that the company name changed to "Chemico". With the advent of war, production was shifted to aid the war effort with emphasis again on oils and lubricants but with the addition of Body Armour and Gas Bombs (the first ever gas bomb used by the allies was made by Chemico). After the war, production returned to normal and not a lot happened but in 1928 the founders dream of a hair product finally came true when the company chemists invented "Brylcreem" and to the surprise of the company sale were phenomenal throughout the world. In 1931 another well know product was invented by the Chemico Company. It was a household cleaning paste which was sold under the brand name of "The Pink Stuff". Production at the company now concentrated on these two products until 1939 when demand for Brylcreem was so great that the company was struggling to meet it's targets. Having been made an offer, the company decided to sell Brylcreem. During the 1930’s the demand escalated beyond all dreams and in 1939 a very generous offer was made by Beecham Trust Ltd. and the product was sold to them so that the product could reach its full potential. At that time sales were 400 gross bottles per day. In 1940 the Germans seemed to get their own back when the Bradford Street factory was bombed during a raid on Birmingham. A quick purchase of a new factory was made on Stratford Rd in Shirley where production continued with the "Pink Stuff" and other cleaning products right through until 1988. The company was then subjected to a management buyout and the factory in Shirley closed. Production was moved to new premises on Cranmore Industrial Estate, Solihull where they still trade today. You Write: From Martin in New Zealand Hello;is the below item any good to you?From Martin Stanswood ex Court Lane now living in New Zealand.I remember one lass wrote upside down in my 1957/8 year book.Any chance of being able to trace her is she is still alive?I did my first year in Court Lane and then went to Portsmouth Technical High School in 1959. =================================== A very interesting item below in colour.It is 1940 and London is being bombed without mercy by the german air farce.Brave British ,Commonwealth and allied spitfire fighter pilots are doing their best against near impossible odds to shoot down the german aircraft;they are "the few" to whom so much was owed. But life goes on as normal as possible in the form of the posh London fashion show of 1940.And talking of posh do listen to the female commentator accent.Many of the lady models must have been praying for the safe return of their men folk.And a few of them were about to be conscripted into the Womans Land Army to replace the farm men in food production.Their fashion world was about to be replaced by spud digging ! Do look at the below YouTube search.Any frock ideas gals? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hqvtZoP7bc8 Stay in touch Peter gsseditor@gmail.com

WEB PAGE NO.2800 10th July 2021 1ST PICTURE: School Choral Society that sang The Messiah

2nd PICTURE The Messiah Programme signed by the music master John Stephens

3RD PICTURE John Stephens teaching in the Music Room

4TH PICTURE Speech Day Programme

Some time ago I was sent the list of the members of the school choral society who sang The Messiah. I reproduce it below the members in heavy type over the years I have had contact with but does anyone know where any of the other are. I know that some are no longer with us but it would be nice to know where the others are. SCHOOL CHORAL SOCIETY Sopranos Mary Abbott Kattisha Forbes Ann Piper Rosemary Bailey Gillian Gale Hazel Pratt Sharon Ball Janice Garland Barbara Quinnell Jill Budd Jean Griffiths Susan Richards Heather Butt Christine Guymer Margaret Roberts Linda Capp Christine Hall Jaqueline Stone Deborah Coates Madeline Hallman Susan Sutton Rosamund Coates Valerie Hampton June Thorn Lynda Collins Oriana Henwood Anne Turtle Susan Collins Susan Jones Jill Wakdy Kathryn Cooke Michele Laviers Jennifer Went Ann Davies Anthony Lyne Catherine Whiteman Gillian Davis Linda McIntyre Susan Whitwell Joyce Dodd Marilyn Mercer Lyn Willows Graham Elderfield Janet Munford Sheila Wilton Contraltos Maureen Albertolli Angela Ellis Pat Keers Janice Austin Roberta English Carole Langford Christine Bailey Anne Fido Diane Ledger Jean Bennett Hazel Flowers Sandra Mack Christine Biddlecombe Pauline Flowers Carole Osborne Geraldine Buckeridge Marilyn Flux Susan Perry Christine Budd Geraldine Foley Berenice Pert , Christine Butterfield Carole Gill Norma Plumb Lesley Chapman Yvonne Glasby Kay Ponsford Ann Denly Janet Huggins Diane Thomas Claudia Dunthorn Carol Janczur Irene Thorrowgood Laraine Durow Lorna Judson Ann Williams Tenors Keith Andrews Christopher Farmer Leslie Smith David Bartlett John Halford Christopher Talbot Howard Bradshaw Frank Howells Keith Taylor Peter Bridger Richard James Stuart Turtle Nigel Bridges John Pearce Philip Ward David Cookson John Quarterly Philip Wheaton Anthony Duncan Carl Randall Michael Willenbnich Frederick Dyson Alan Sawyer John Wilson Philip Woods Basses Colin Blake Stephen Carter Robert Cooke Alan Cox Adrian Gee Melvyn Griffiths Barry Jackman Peter Keat Peter Mereckel John Mortimer Peter Odell Brian Palmer Peter Westcott David Wyatt 120 members Ahh! Memories from the past! Jonathon Writes:- Good morning Peter, Greetings from lockdown in South Africa. We have not been able to return to our home in the UK for nearly two years now because of the onerous travel restrictions and the need to stay at huge expense in a government controlled Quarantine hotel ( 3000 pounds). Still we get on with life and make the most of being with our three grandchildren every day in Johannesburg. You reminded me of memories of travelling to school and cycling. My first "grown up" bike was a drop handle bar white racing bike with derailleur gears and I would cycle from Rectory Ave to Tangiers Road off the Eastern Road with my satchel strapped under the crossbar. It was perilous then...... Lord knows it would be deadly now. We had a special way of holding the satchel after dismounting ........from one of the buckle straps very cool and eschewed the use of a shoulder strap, in fact this was removed. The cycle sheds had hangers so the bikes were stored vertically and we never doubted they would be there when school finished. We would smoke secretly behind the cycle sheds with someone on watch for teachers. I eventually got expelled from school for smoking blatantly at the Tangier Road (143) bus stop in uniform. I was by then 18 years old and in my third year in the sixth form and studying for O level Latin to qualify for my College place at Emmanuel as a two language O level requirement was placed on my offer. So I studied the Latin at home and passed it with ease as the Latin teacher gave me all the set book translations before I left. (He is still alive to my knowledge and attends the school reunions currently on Covid hold). I worked my gap year at AEW (Admiralty Experiment Works Haslar) in Gosport as an Assistant Experiment Officer and signed the Official Secrets Act......so I still cannot say what I did there. As a much younger boy my brother Julian and I used to ride our much less splendid bikes from Rectory Ave along the A 27 all the way to Bosham to visit our Uncle and Aunty and three cousins in a little cottage on the sea front. Again a journey you JUST could not think about today as an 8 year old. We also used to walk from Rectory Ave to Solent Road school as littluns and also to the Scout Hut for cubs where I first met you Peter. Very happy memories Jonathan Stay in touch Peter gsseditor@gmail.com

WEB PAGE NO.2798 3rd July 2021 1ST PICTURE: Wooden brief case

2nd PICTURE Leather Satchel

3RD PICTURE Advert for Royal Enfield Bermuda

4TH PICTURE One hot sunny day

Travelling to school. When I travelled to infant or junior school my mother walked with me, it was only a 5 minute walk and I also came home for lunch, so four trips a day. But on moving up to secondry school involved travelling further. This involved a bus trip of four stops to Court Lane. As most of us did I hoped that the bus conductor would not get to me to take my fare before I got off so I could pocket the money. This very rarely happened even though the buses were double deckers, the conductoralways seemed to manage to get to me before I got off. It was all new, new shoes, new uniform and a new school bag. My parents gave me the choice of a new satchel of a school case. I opted for the case and after a time I wish I had not. My father got the case made and it was a small wooden suitcase ith my initials PJK painted on the side. It looked very smart but was a pain to carry around. I was forever banging my shins on it, it was in the way down by my desk in the classroom and being wooden was often stood on by others, it was most certainly not the best choice. I cannot remember the demise of the think but I do know that I very soon had a leather satchel, which was much more convenient, especially when I got my first bike. I had never learnt to ride a bike until one day Colin Pratt arrived at my house with his bicycle and insisted that I try it. Well after a lot of falling off and scrapped knees, that afternoon I mastered the art of bicycling! When it came to a new bicycle I knew what I wanted and that was a Royal Enfield Bermuda in Red and Cream. So for my birthday I was taken by my mother to Wynns toy and cycle shop in Drayton, which was situated in the old wartime British Restaurant. Having bought the bike I insisted on riding home and I disappear along the Havant Road much to my mothers concern. But I was safely waiting for her at home when she had walked the mile or so home. A bicycle opened up all sorts of adventures and in fact I spent quite a bit of time building bikes to ride across the rough ground on Portsdown Hill and Farlington Marshes. But back to travelling to school. Riding to school my parents did not like the idea of me leaving my new bike in the cycle racks at school so it was arranged that I and my friend Willie would leave our machines in my fathers friends garage and then walk the final half mile to school. Which we did. Things seemed much simpler then, we spent hours on our bicycles espoecially in the summer and I think we must have explored every country lane in south Hampshire. Although cycling can cause accute embarrasment. A close friend and I wer cycling home from school when all of a sudden the zip in his trouser broke. Very embarrasing. His solution was to stop, take out his heavy yellow cycling cape and put it on. It was quite a sight seening him puffing and blowing in a thick cape on a hot sunny day whilst making his way home up Portsdown Hill.!!! You Write STAY IN TOUCH PETER gsseditor@gmail.com

WEB PAGE NO.2796 26th JUNE 2021 1ST PICTURE: Ena Sharples 1971

2nd PICTURE Minnie Martha and Ena in the Snug

3RD PICTURE Her last appearance

4TH PICTURE The Glad Tidings Mission Hall

Ena Sharples One programme, in the early days, that my mother and grandmother would never miss was Coronation Street just to see what Ena Sharples was gossiping about this week. Ena Sharples (née Schofield) was played by Violet Carson. She appeared in the first-ever episode, broadcast on 9th December 1960, and stayed with the show until 2nd April 1980. Ena was the widowed caretaker of the Glad Tidings Mission Hall and spent much of her time criticising the activities and loose morals of the street's residents. One of the main characters during the 1960s, she was featured less regularly in the 1970s due to the declining health of Violet Carson, and was written out in 1980. Always wearing a double breasted overcoat and hairnet, she spent much of her time with her two cronies, Martha Longhurst and Minnie Caldwell, in the snug bar of The Rovers Return drinking milk stout. Ena particularly criticised Elsie Tanner whom she believed had loose morals. In turn, Elsie strongly disliked Ena for her seemingly incessant gossip and desire to know about the private lives of others; and the two confronted each other frequently. The final episode featuring Ena was broadcast on 2nd April 1980. It attracted little media or public attention, as the producers intended her to continue in the serial – the character was merely going to stay with a friend in St Annes while her flat was being renovated. Unfortunately, all subsequent storylines involving Ena had to be scrapped owing to Violet Carson being too ill to appear. She died on Boxing Day 1983 at the age of 85, thus putting to rest any rumours of Ena's return. Following her departure in 1980 no further mention of Ena was made, and it was assumed she had moved to St Annes permanently. The back story is this:- Ena Schofield was born in Weatherfield on 24th November 1899. She had two elder siblings, Alice Raynold (née Schofield) (1885–1965) and Tom Schofield (d.1973). During her school days Ena met Martha Hartley and Minnie Carlton establishing lifelong friendships. A student with a strong Christian upbringing, Ena became devoted to her religion and developed a firm belief in the importance of rules, regulations and morals. She also quickly learned to be self-sufficient, taking on factory work when she was 11. In 1915, Ena became engaged to Phil Moss, he enlisted for military service in the Great War and was killed. Around 1917, Ena met Alfred Sharples, who had been sent home because of a leg injury. Ena was upset to learn he was already married, and broke with him. When the war ended Alfred and Ena met up again and he told her that his marriage had been in name only – he'd had to marry the daughter of someone his father had owed money to. Alfred informed Ena that his wife had recently died, so Ena decided to give him another chance. Ena married Alfred in 1920 and they had three children: Vera, Madge and Ian. Ian died after only two days and Alfred died in 1937 during the Depression, leaving Ena a widow with two children. As Vera and Madge grew up Ena alienated them through her judgemental and frequently interfering nature. Madge and her mother became almost completely estranged after Madge emigrated in 1950. In 1960, Ena was in conflict with the Mission's new lay preacher Leonard Swindley who objected to her frequenting the Rovers. Ena collapsed due to the stress, but walked out of hospital to return to her post so that Martha Longhurst who had taken on her responsibilities while she recovered, could not steal her job. In 1961, Ena was sacked for spreading a rumour that Coronation Street was being demolished, which turned out to be untrue. Mr. Swindley was forced to re-hire her when a suitable replacement could not be found (Ena had bribed the other candidates to turn the job down). Still unhappy with the working conditions Ena walked out of the job later in the year and moved in with Minnie Caldwell . She was eventually offered her job back. Ena had a health scare in 1962 when she suffered a minor stroke, she quickly regained her speech and mobility, but the following year was diagnosed with arteriosclerosis. Despite her willingness to gossip Ena was very guarded about her private life, and berated Martha for discussing her health problems with Ena's daughter, Vera. Ena's great nephew visited and invited her to her brother's home in the US for an extended stay. Ena jumped at the chance to meet the family she never knew she had. Upon her return, Ena was horrified to see the Mission converted into a Community Centre with a social worker employed there full-time. She quit upon hearing the news and moved in with Minnie. Despite being out of work a disoriented Ena was caught accidentally stealing from a supermarket. In court Ena pleaded not guilty, but refused to give her age when questioned, saying only that she was over 21. She was subsequently fined 40/-. When the Community Centre at the Mission closed down, Ena moved back into the vestry. Ena’s daughter was ill for several weeks until she died in Ena's bed in January 1967. The Mission was closed permanently a year later, when it was demolished along with the factory to make way for a block of two-storey maisonettes. Ena was offered a place at an old people's nursing home, which she unsurprisingly declined, nevertheless when the maisonettes were built Ena moved into No.6, a purpose-built OAP ground floor flat. Ena was pleased, as it occupied the exact spot where the vestry had been. In 1969, Ena became bored with the maisonette and moved into a flat over the camera shop. With Glad Tidings gone, the closest place of worship was the Victoria Street Mission, and Ena kept close tabs on the comings and goings there. When the maisonettes were demolished in 1971, one of the buildings which replaced them was a community centre. Despite her age, Ena was determined to secure the position of caretaker, and scared off her competitor by warning her about the violence in the area. With no-one else to take the job, Ena was selected for the job and she moved into a flat adjacent to the Centre. Ena's age and ability to do the work was a constant concern to the Council. A co-caretaker was foisted on her though she insisted on being called Senior Caretaker. In 1973, Ena suffered two heart attacks, but refused to move away as she wanted to die in the street. When she disappeared with the Centre keys at Christmas, preventing the children from getting any presents, Ena assumed she'd be sacked; she left to stay in St. Annes, however she was allowed to keep her job. Martha had died in 1964 and Minnie left in 1976 Angered by the lack of progress in the redecoration of her flat that prevented her from moving back into her home, Ena left to stay in St. Annes, unsure about whether or not to return to Coronation Street. Ena was never seen in Weatherfield again, and all subsequent references to her were in the past tense You Write STAY IN TOUCH PETER gsseditor@gmail.com

WEB PAGE NO.2794 19H JUNE 2021 Crayola Crayons 1ST PICTURE: Range of Crayons

2nd PICTURE Original Packaging

3RD PICTURE Tin of Crayons

4TH PICTURE Crayola Factory and Crayola Experience

Crayola Crayons Today you can buy a box of Crayola crayons in 152 colorus today, but way back in 1903, they only came in eight colours. And that first-ever box of Crayola brand crayons was a huge improvement over the first crayons ever sold, which only came in black. Wax crayons were mostly used for industrial purposes until two cousins Edwin Binney and Harold Smith introduced their brightly coloured crayons for kids. Edwin’s wife, Alice, made up the name Crayola by combining “craie” (French for chalk) with “oleaginous” (which means oily). In other words, oily chalk! It’s hard to understand just how different modern crayons are from their ancestors without a look at the history of the crayon. In 1864 Edwin’s dad, Joseph Binney, started the Peekskill Chemical Works in upstate New York. The firm made charcoal and lamp black, a black pigment made from the soot left over when oil is burnt. When the two cousins took over in 1885, they started making new things, like a red pigment for barn paints and a carbon black that made rubber tires stronger. They made a number of industrial products, but from 1900 to 1902, they started making pencils and dustless chalk for school blackboards. Coloured crayons were a natural next step. But the original pigments they had used were not safe for children so they developed crayons that would be safe if swallowed. The first box they sold had just eight colours and the colours were black, brown, blue, red, purple, orange, yellow, and green.. Over the years, as the company has grown, it has introduced more than 400 different colours. You can find metallic crayons, crayons with glitter in them, crayons that smell like flavours’, crayons that wash out of clothes, and even egg-shaped crayons. Nowadays, plenty of other companies make coloured crayons for children too. However, europe was the birthplace of the “modern” crayon, a man-made cylinder that resembled contemporary sticks. The first such crayons are purported to have consisted of a mixture of charcoal and oil. Later, powdered pigments of various hues replaced the charcoal. It was subsequently discovered that substituting wax for the oil in the mixture made the resulting sticks sturdier and easier to handle. Surprisingly every one of these iconic art supplies are made at a factory in Easton, Pennsylvania. The plant churns out the top-selling crayons at a rate of 650 crayons per minute, with a total production of up to 13.5 million per day in 400 different colours. On average, the facility makes 3 billion Crayola crayons per year. Beyond Crayola, other brand name crayon manufacturers today include Rose Art Industries and Dixon Ticonderoga, the successor to the American Crayon Company. Numerous suppliers create generic brand or store brand crayons. These are typically found in supermarkets. In 2000 there was concern about potential contamination of asbestos in many popular brands of crayons after the Seattle Post-Intelligencer reported in May of that year that they had tests performed finding that three brands of crayons contained asbestos. In a follow-up study released in June the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) found traces of asbestos fibres in three crayons and larger amounts of transitional fibres which can be misinterpreted as asbestos as a result of using talc as a binding agent in additional crayons. CPSC declared the risk to be low, but said that because of the concerns it had asked manufacturers to reformulate the concerned crayons and commended them for their swift agreement to do so. I remember using Crayola Crayons at school and also buying them for my children and grandchildren. Isn’t it great to know that there are some things that have not changed over the years!!! STAY IN TOUCH PETER

WEB PAGE NO.2792 12TH JUNE 2021 JUNIOR SCHOOL 1ST PICTURE: MY CLASS AT JUNIOR SCHOOL

2ND PICTURE:. THE DREADED OUTSIDE TOILETS

3RD PICTURE :ICE IN THE PLAYGROUND

4TH PICTURE: COCONUT MATTING

WHAT DO YOU REMEMBER OF YOUR JUNIOR SCHOOL DAYS? EVEN THOUGH WE ALL CAME FROM VERY DIFFERENT FAMILIES I AM WILLING TO BET THAT WE ALL REMEMBER THE SAME OR VERY SIMILAR THINGS. TO START WITH MANY OF US REMEMBER THE DIFFERENT SMELLS AS WE PROGRESSED AROUND THE SCHOOL. FIRSTLY, WINTERS AT SCHOOL IN THE 1950’S WERE VERY DIFFERENT THAN WHAT THEY ARE TODAY. MY THREE OVERWELLING MEMORIES AT SCHOOL IN WINTER ALL INVOLVE THE TEMPERATURE. THE SCHOOL HAD SOLID FUEL BOILERS WHICH WERE FIRED BY COKE WHICH WHEN AT FULL POWER FILLED THE ATMOSPERE WITH A CLINGING GASEOUS VAPOUR WHICH WAS FAR FROM PLEASANT. THE SECOND THING IS THE EXTRA DAYS OFF WHEN THE OUTSIDE TOILETS FROZE. THIS WAS A GREAT DELIGHT TO US BUT NOT SO TO OUR PARENTS. FINALLY MAKING MY WAY TO THE LOWER PLAYGROUND THROUGH THE ICE AND SNOW AND CONSTRUCTING LONG ICY SLIDES UNTIL ONE OF THE TEACHERS CALLED US OFF AND STOPPED US USING THEM. AN EARLY EXAMPLE OF HEALTH AND SAFETY REGULATIONS I SUPPOSE! ONCE OUT OF THE PLAYGROUND IT WAS INTO THE CLOAKROOM WITH ITS PERFUME OF WET CLOTHES AND WARM KIDS WITH A SUBTILE UNDERLYING ODOUR OF CLEANING FLUID AND DISCINFECTANT. THEN IT IS OFF TO THE CLASSROOM FOR OUR NEXT NASAL EXPERIENCE. THIS CONSISTED OF CHALK DUST, POLISH, GLUE OR PASTE, MILK AND CRAYONS. THE CLASSROOM PERFUMES VARIED DEPENDING WHO THE TEACHER WAS. I REMEMBER ONE TEACHER WHO WAS ALWAYS ACCOMPANIED EVERYWHERE (I DON’T KNOW HOW IT WAS ALLOWED) BY HER CORGI, SHE ALWAYS SMELT OF DOG. ANOTHER TEACHER LIBERALLY USED EAU DE COLOGNE AND ANOTHER ASHES OF ROSES, QUITE OVER POWERING. FINALLY MANY OF THE MALE TEACHERS OFTEN PROJECTED EITHER THE SMELL OF WOODBINES OR PIPE TOBACCO AND ONE EVEN SNUFF! STILL TALKING ABOUT THE WINTERS DURING THE HARSH WINTERS IT WAS A COMMON SIGHT TO SEE THE SMALL CRATES OF MILK OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOMS WITH THE SHINY BOTTLE TOPS STANDING PROUD ABOVE THE BOTTLES ON A COLUMN OF FROZEN MILK. OF COURSE, THE ONLY WAY TO DEFROST THE SCHOOL MILK WAS TO PLACE IT BY THE RADIATOR, AND THEN WE WERE ALL DRANK WATERY, LUKEWARM MILK. OUT IN THE PLAYGROUND MOSTLY THE AIR WAS FRESHER AND CRISP IN THE WINTER. BUT THEN CAME THE SUMMER MONTHS WHEN WE HAD PT OR PE IN THE OPEN AIR. THIS IS WHEN WE HAD TO GRAB AN INDIVIDUAL RUBBER MAT OR A COCONUT MAT TO LAY ON TO DO OUR EXCERCISES. BOTH THESE MATS HAD A TERRIBLE SMELL WHEN YOU LAID ON THEM. BUT THE RUBBER ONES WERE MOST DEFINITELY THE WORST ! IN MOST SCHOOLS THERE WAS ALWAYS THE OVERARCHING SMELL IN THE BACKGROUND OF SCHOOL DINNERS. SOMETHING THAT I NEVER EXPERIENCED LIVING SO CLOSE TO HOME. FINALLY, I MUST TAKE A LOOK AT THE MEDICAL INPUT AT OUR PRIMARY SCHOOL. VISITS FROM THE SCHOOL NURSE I HAVE WRITTEN ABOUT BEFORE BUT IT WOULD BREAK UP THE DAILY ROUTINE. THE NIT NURSE USED TO MAKE REGULAR VISITS TO CHECK FOR HEADLICE AND ALL THE CHILDREN IN EACH CLASS WOULD LINE UP TO BE EXAMINED IN TURN, THEIR HAIR BEING COMBED CAREFULLY WITH A NIT COMB TO SEE IF THERE WAS ANY INFESTATION. THERE WERE ALSO ROUTINE EYE AND HEARING TESTS, AND VISITS FROM THE SCHOOL DENTIST. THERE WAS ALSO THE POLIO VACCINE, GIVEN AT SCHOOL TO EVERY CHILD ON A SUGAR LUMP. MEASLES, GERMAN MEASLES AND MUMPS WERE NOT VACCINATED AGAINST; MOST CHILDREN CONTRACTED THESE DISEASES IN CHILDHOOD. GERMAN MEASLESCAN AFFECT UNBORN BABIES IF CONTRACTED IN PREGNANCY, AND SO IF A GIRL IN THE CLASS CAUGHT GERMAN MEASLES, IT WAS NOT UNCOMMON FOR HER MOTHER TO THROW A TEA PARTY FOR THE REST OF THE GIRLS SO THEY COULD ALSO CATCH THE DISEASE. OF COURSE THIS WAS ALSO THE AGE OF THE 11-PLUS, A SERIES OF TESTS THAT THE CHILDREN IN THE OLDEST CLASS AT JUNIOR SCHOOL WOULD TAKE BEFORE MOVING ON TO FURTHER EDUCATION. WE WOULD PRACTICE PREVIOUS PAPERS IN SCHOOL IN ORDER TO PREPARE FOR THESE TESTS, WHICH INCLUDED WRITING AN ESSAY, A MATHS PAPER AND REASONING PAPERS DESIGNED TO TEST A CHILD’S IQ WITH A PUZZLES AND PROBLEM-SOLVING QUESTIONS. ALWAYS – AND STILL SO TODAY – A CONTENTIOUS METHOD OF SCHOOL SELECTION. AHHH MORE MEMORIES STAY IN TOUCH PETER

WEB PAGE NO.2790 5TH JUNE 2021 WHAT IT WAS LIKE TO USE PUBLIC TELEPHONES IN 1940S/1950S BRITAIN 1ST PICTURE: THE TYPICAL RED PUBLIC PHONE BOX

2ND PICTURE:. THE PHOTO GIVES A VERY GOOD IDEA OF INSIDE A RED PUBLIC PHONE BOX. NOTE THE TELEPHONE ON ITS CRADLE, THE FABRIC-INSULATED LEAD, THE COIN SLOTS, THE BUTTON A, BUTTON B AND THE LARGISH COMPARTMENTS FOR TELEPHONE DIRECTORIES.

3RD PICTURE: WOODEN BOOTHS OF PUBLIC TELEPHONES AS FOUND IN THE LARGER RAILWAY AND COACH STATIONS AND OTHER PUBLIC PLACES, SOMETIMES DEPARTMENT STORES.

4TH PICTURE: A PHONE AND PAYING MECHANISM AS SEEN IN PUBS AND GUEST HOUSES.

VERY FEW FAMILIES HAD PHONES AT HOME IN THE EARLY 1940S, AND 50’S IN FACT WE NEVER HAD A PHONE AT HOME AT ALL WHEN I WAS YOUNG. SO THE PUBLIC PHONES WHEREVER THEY WERE SITUATED WERE IN FREQUENT USE FOR KEEPING IN TOUCH AND MAKING ARRANGEMENTS. TELEGRAMS WERE USED IN AN EMERGENCY OR FOR SPECIAL GREETINGS AT THAT TIME. FINDING A PUBLIC TELEPHONE PUBLIC TELEPHONES COULD EASILY BE RECOGNISED ON THE STREETS BECAUSE THEY WERE IN BRIGHT RED TELEPHONE BOOTHS AND THERE WERE PLENTY OF THEM IN POPULATED AREAS. THE TELEPHONE BOX WAS THE SMALLEST THING DESIGNED BY THE ARCHITECT SIR WILLIAN SCOTT, WHEREAS THE LARGEST THING WAS LIVERPOOL’S ANGLICAN CATHEDRAL. IT IS NOTED THAT IN A SIDE AISLE OF THE CATHEDRAL IS A TELEPHONE BOX (NOT CONNECTED TO THE SYSTEM) SO SIR GILBERTS ACHIEVEMENTS BOTH LARGE AND SMALL CAN BE SEEN IN THE ONE PLACE. MIND YOU IN LATER YEARS OUT ON THE STREETS YOU WERE LUCKY TO FIND ONE WITH A TELEPHONE DIRECTORY IN IT AND UNVANDALIZED. IN BUS AND TRAIN STATIONS, SEVERAL WERE LOCATED TOGETHER, USUALLY IN MORE SUBDUED WOODEN BOOTHS. HOWEVER, FINDING A PUBLIC PHONE BOX DID NOT NECESSARILY MEAN THAT IT WAS WORKING OR THAT IT WAS UNOCCUPIED. THERE WAS QUITE OFTEN A QUEUE AND IT WAS RATHER OFF-PUTTING TO TRY TO CHAT WHILE PEOPLE WERE WAITING OUTSIDE, POSSIBLY EVEN BANGING ON THE WINDOW, IF THEY THOUGHT THAT A CONVERSATION WAS TAKING TOO LONG. ANOTHER REASON FOR PEOPLE WAITING OUTSIDE PUBLIC PHONE BOXES WAS THAT THEY WERE WAITING FOR A CALL. PUBLIC PHONE BOXES HAD THEIR OWN NUMBERS AND COULD BE PHONED INTO. SO, PEOPLE WOULD ARRANGE TO PHONE ONE ANOTHER AT AN AGREED TIME AND THEN WAIT OUTSIDE THE PHONE BOX UNTIL THEY HEARD ITS PHONE RING. MAKING A PHONE CALL FROM A PUBLIC PHONE USING BUTTON A AND BUTTON B IS SOMETHING I HAD TO TEACH MY WOLF CUBS WHEN I WAS A SCOUT LEADER. IN ORDER TO MAKE A CALL FROM A PUBLIC PHONE BOX, YOU HAD TO HAVE THE RIGHT COINS. THIS WAS NOT TOO ONEROUS BECAUSE COINS WERE IN EVERYDAY USE AS THERE WERE NO CREDIT CARDS. NEVERTHELESS, IT WAS NOT AT ALL UNUSUAL TO BE STOPPED IN THE STREET AND ASKED IF ONE HAD CHANGE FOR A PHONE CALL. PEOPLE ALWAYS TRIED TO OBLIGE EACH OTHER IN THIS RESPECT, AND I NEVER KNEW OF ANYONE GETTING MUGGED WHEN THEY GOT OUT A PURSE OR DELVED INTO THEIR POCKETS FOR MONEY. CALLERS PUT THEIR COINS INTO THE COIN SLOT, DIALLED THE NUMBER THEY WANTED AND PRESSED BUTTON A TO BE HEARD OR BUTTON B TO GET THEIR MONEY BACK IF NO-ONE ANSWERED. IN BUSY CITIES QUEUES WOULD FORM, ALTHOUGH IN URBAN AND RURAL AREAS THIS WAS UNUSUAL. SOME PEOPLE RECALL THAT IN THEIR TEENAGE YEARS THAT IF TWO FRIENDS WISHED TO 'ACCIDENTALLY' BUMP INTO SPECIAL YOUNG LADIES, THEY WOULD COVER THEIR LIKELY ROUTES OF TRAVEL AND USE THE PUBLIC TELEPHONE TO ADVISE WHERE A FORTUITOUS MEETING COULD OCCUR. OTHER USES FOR BUTTON B AS A CHILD, YOU DID NOT PASS A PHONE BOOTH WITHOUT PUSHING BUTTON B ON THE OFF-CHANCE IN CASE THE LAST CALLER HAD FORGOTTEN TO COLLECT THEIR LEFT-OVER COINS. IT WORKED MORE OFTEN THAN YOU MIGHT HAVE THOUGHT AND 4D BOUGHT YOU A LOT OF SWEETS. HOWEVER, SOME CHILDREN STUFFED A RAG UP THE REFUND CHUTE ON THE WAY TO SCHOOL AND ON THE WAY HOME PULLED IT OUT HOPING THAT BUTTON B HAD BEEN PRESSED IN THE MEANTIME. IF SO THE REFUNDED MONEY, HAVING BEEN BLOCKED BY THE RAG, CAME TUMBLING OUT. STAY IN TOUCH PETER

Web Page No 2788 29th May 2021 EAMON ANDREWS First Picture: A YOUNG EAMON ANDREWS

Second Picture: WHATS MY LINE?

Third Picture: EAMON AND GRAINNE AT HOME

Fourth Picture: THIS IS YOUR LIFE

EAMONN ANDREWS WAS BORN IN DUBLIN ON 19TH DECEMBER 1922, AND WAS EDUCATED AT THE CITY'S SYNGE STREET CHRISTIAN BROTHERS' SCHOOL, NOT FAR FROM THE FAMILY HOME HE SHARED WITH HIS PARENTS, THREE SISTERS AND A BROTHER. IT WAS WHILE HE WAS AT SCHOOL THAT EAMONN DEVELOPED A PASSION FOR SPORT, AND IN PARTICULAR, BOXING. HE JOINED ST ANDREWS BOXING CLUB IN DUBLIN AND BECAME A SUCCESSFUL AMATEUR BOXER, WINNING THE ALL-IRELAND JUVENILE TITLE. HIS OTHER GREAT LOVES WERE LITERATURE AND THEATRE. HE HAD AN INTEREST IN AMATEUR DRAMATICS, AND ALONG WITH A GROUP OF FRIENDS, ESTABLISHED A DRAMA GROUP CALLED BLUE WHITE PRODUCTIONS, NAMED FOR THEIR OLD SCHOOL COLOURS. IN ADDITION TO ACTING, HE WAS A KEEN WRITER AND WROTE PLAYS AND POETRY. EAMONN WON THE FIRST PRIZE OF A BICYCLE IN AN ESSAY WRITING COMPETITION AT THE AGE OF 13 IN MAY 1936 BOXING TOOK UP MUCH OF HIS TIME OUTSIDE SCHOOL, AND IRONICALLY HIS FIRST PAYMENT FOR WRITING WAS CONNECTED TO HIS BOXING. BY THE AGE OF 16 EAMONN ALREADY HAD AN AMBITION TO BROADCAST, AND CLAIMING TO BE AN EXPERT ON BOXING, HE APPLIED FOR WORK WITH RADIO EIREANN - DUBLIN'S COMMERCIAL RADIO STATION – AND FOLLOWING AN AUDITION, HE WAS OFFERED A TRY-OUT: THE TRY-OUT WAS A SUCCESS AND EAMONN BEGAN HIS BROADCASTING CAREER WITH REGULAR SPORTING COMMENTARIES FOR BOXING, RUGBY AND SOCCER. IN ADDITION, HIS CONTINUING INTEREST IN THEATRE SAW HIM STUDYING ACTING UNDER RIA MOONEY AT THE ABBEY THEATRE. HE ALSO TOOK PART IN PLAYS ON RADIO EIREANN, AND HAD HIS OWN PLAY, A SOLEMN – AND UNSUCCESSFUL – WORK ENTITLED THE MOON IS BLACK, PRODUCED AT THE PEACOCK THEATRE. AS A TEENAGER EAMONN HAD A VARIETY OF INTERESTS TO KEEP HIM BUSY, INCLUDING BOXING AND LITERATURE. AFTER LEAVING SCHOOL HE TOOK HIS PARENTS ADVICE TO SECURE A STEADY JOB AT THE HIBERNIAN INSURANCE COMPANY IN DUBLIN AS A JUNIOR CLERK, WHERE HE WAS PAID £1 A WEEK. AND HE WAS STILL BOXING - AT THE AGE 22 IN 1944 AT THE NATIONAL STADIUM IN DUBLIN, EAMONN ENTERED THE IRISH JUNIOR MIDDLEWEIGHT TITLE – AND WON. BUT NOT BEFORE HE HAD COMMENTATED ON THE OTHER SEMI-FINAL! WITH THE EXTRA ACTIVITIES BOOSTING HIS INCOME, EAMONN MADE THE DECISION, WITH TREPIDATION, TO LEAVE THE SECURITY OF A REGULAR INCOME AT THE HIBERNIAN, AND BECOME A FULL-TIME WRITER AND BROADCASTER IN 1946. THE DECISION PROVED TO BE THE RIGHT ONE FOR HIM - AS WELL AS THE BOXING COMMENTARIES, EAMONN'S TIME WAS FREED UP TO WORK ON OTHER PROGRAMMES, INCLUDING MICROPHONE PARADE, WHICH RAN FOR ALMOST THREE YEARS WITHOUT A BREAK, AND INVOLVED HIM INTERVIEWING VISITING CELEBRITIES. EAMONN BECAME A FULL TIME WRITER AND BROADCASTER AFTER LEAVING THE HIBERNIAN INSURANCE COMPANY WHERE HE HAD WORKED AS A CLERK HE ALSO BECAME INVOLVED WITH A NEW ENTERTAINMENT PHENOMENON THAT WAS SPRINGING UP IN IRELAND AT THE TIME CALLED CINE VARIETY, WHERE AS A TAX BREAK CINEMA OWNERS COULD OFFER LIVE ENTERTAINMENT BEFORE SHOWING A FILM. AS PART OF CINE VARIETY, EAMONN WAS OFFERED THE OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT A QUIZ CALLED DOUBLE OR NOTHING, WHICH INVOLVED MEMBERS OF THE AUDIENCE ANSWERING A SERIES OF QUESTIONS FOR CASH PRIZES. AFTER BEING ON THE ROAD IN LIMERICK AND GALWAY, THE SHOW SECURED A REGULAR SPOT AT THE THEATRE ROYAL IN DUBLIN, WHERE EAMONN, AS COMPERE, GAINED VALUABLE EXPERIENCE OF WORKING DIRECTLY WITH THE PUBLIC. IT WAS AT THE THEATRE ROYAL AFTER A PERFORMANCE OF DOUBLE OR NOTHING IN JULY 1949 THAT EAMONN MET GRAINNE BOURKE, WHO WAS ENJOYING A NIGHT OUT WITH HER FAMILY. THE BOURKES RAN A COSTUMIER BUSINESS IN DUBLIN, AND WERE THEATRICAL FRIENDS OF EAMONN'S. HE HAD MET GRAINNE CASUALLY A FEW TIMES, BUT THAT NIGHT HE JOINED THEIR PARTY AFTER THE SHOW, AND GRAINNE AND EAMONN HAD THEIR FIRST REAL 'DATE'. THEIR COURTSHIP LASTED NEARLY TWO AND A HALF YEARS, AND THEY WERE MARRIED AT DUBLIN'S CORPUS CHRISTI CHURCH ON 7TH NOVEMBER 1951. IT WAS DURING A SEASON AT THE THEATRE ROYAL THAT EAMONN MET JOE LOSS, WHO CHANGED THE COURSE OF HIS PROFESSIONAL CAREER: JOE LOSS WAS A SUCCESSFUL BANDLEADER WHO HAD BEEN BOOKED FOR TWO WEEK’S. HE LIKED EAMONN AND WHAT HE WAS DOING WITH DOUBLE OR NOTHING AND OFFERED HIM THE OPPORTUNITY TO BRING THE SHOW OVER TO ENGLAND. THIS RESULTED IN A LIFELONG FRIENDSHIP WHILE IN LONDON, EAMONN APPROACHED THE BBC IN PERSON, AND EVENTUALLY AN OPPORTUNITY AROSE. STEWART MACPHERSON, THE CANADIAN BROADCASTER WHO HAD BEEN ONE OF THE MOST FAMILIAR VOICES ON BRITISH RADIO DURING THE WAR, ANNOUNCED HE WAS LEAVING. EAMONN WAS SWIFT TO TRY THE BBC AGAIN; POINTING OUT THAT HE COULD DO EVERYTHING THAT MACPHERSON DID. HIS AUDITION WAS SUCCESSFUL, AND AT THE AGE OF 27 IN 1950, HE MOVED TO LONDON, SECURED HIMSELF AN AGENT, AND BEGAN A 14-YEAR LONG BROADCASTING CAREER WITH THE BBC. EAMONN ANDREWS CHAIRED HIS FIRST EDITION OF IGNORANCE IS BLISS, HE ALSO WORKED ON OTHER RADIO PROGRAMMES, INCLUDING SPORTS REPORT, A SATURDAY AFTERNOON FOOTBALL RESULTS PROGRAMME WHICH HE JOINED IN DECEMBER 1950, AND WOULD CONTINUE CONTRIBUTING TO UNTIL 1964. THE IDEA OF APPEARING ON TELEVISION HAD NOT THRILLED HIM BUT, IN THE SPRING OF 1951 THE BBC COMMISSIONED A NEW GAME SHOW FROM AMERICA, CALLED WHAT'S MY LINE, THE PANEL GAME DEBUTED ON BBC TELEVISION IN THE SUMMER OF 1951 WITH EAMONN ANDREWS AS THE CHAIRMAN BY 1955 THE BBC - NOW WELL AWARE OF EAMONN'S TALENT AND POPULARITY - WERE ON THE LOOK OUT FOR A NEW SHOW FOR HIM TO FRONT. RONNIE WALDMAN, THE THEN HEAD OF BBC LIGHT ENTERTAINMENT, HAD HIS SIGHTS SET ON CREATING A BRITISH VERSION OF A HUGELY POPULAR AMERICAN SHOW CALLED THIS IS YOUR LIFE. SO, ON FRIDAY 29 JULY 1955, EAMONN ANDREWS AND FREDDIE MILLS TOOK THEIR SEATS AT THE BBC TELEVISION THEATRE IN SHEPHERD'S BUSH, AS RALPH EDWARDS, ON LIVE TELEVISION, TEASED THE AUDIENCE ABOUT WHOSE LIFE STORY WOULD BE TOLD ON BRITAIN'S FIRST EDITION OF THIS IS YOUR LIFE. RALPH EDWARDS HANDED EAMONN THE THIS IS YOUR LIFE BOOK, AND AS EAMONN HIMSELF WOULD DO TO HIS FUTURE SUBJECTS ON MANY SUBSEQUENT OCCASIONS, ASKED HIM TO READ THE COVER. HIS REACTION ON SEEING HIS OWN NAME PRINTED ON THE COVER WAS – "THIS IS YOUR – OH BLIMEY!" EAMONN'S THIS IS YOUR LIFE WAS A HUGE SUCCESS, WITH MANY POSITIVE REVIEWS IN THE FOLLOWING DAY'S PRESS. EAMONN HAD RECEIVED A TASTE OF WHAT HIS FUTURE SUBJECTS WOULD EXPERIENCE AND TO HIM THE SURPRISE WOULD ALWAYS BE THE SHOW'S CENTREPIECE. THE PROGRAMMEWENT FROM STRENGTH TO STRENGTH, AND WAS SOON BEING BROADCAST WEEKLY AND EAMONN BECAME SYNONYMOUS WITH THE PROGRAMME. HE PRESENTED 255 EDITIONS OF THIS IS YOUR LIFE FOR THE BBC BETWEEN 1955 AND 1964 EAMONN ALSO PRESENTED OTHER TELEVISION SHOWS FOR THE BBC, INCLUDING THE CHILDREN'S PROGRAMMES PLAYBOX AND CRACKERJACK! WHICH INCLUDED HIS OWN INVENTION: THE PARLOUR GAME 'DOUBLE OR DROP'. BY 1964, AFTER NINE SERIES OF THIS IS YOUR LIFE, THERE WAS A FEELING AMONG THE BBC HIERARCHY THAT THE PROGRAMME HAD LOST A LOT OF ITS SPONTANEITY AND EXCITEMENT. THE BBC MADE THE DECISION TO DROP THE PROGRAMME. EAMONN TOOK THIS NEWS BADLY, AS IT CAME IN ADDITION TO THE ANNOUNCEMENT THAT HIS OTHER RATINGS WINNER, WHAT'S MY LINE? HAD ALSO BEEN RECENTLY CANCELLED. HOWEVER, AN OPPORTUNITY AROSE WITH AN OFFER FROM ABC TELEVISION FOR EAMONN TO FRONT WORLD OF SPORT, AS WELL AS HIS OWN LIVE WEEKLY CHAT SHOW. His CHAT SHOW, THE EAMONN ANDREWS SHOW, HIT THE AIR LIVE IN OCTOBER 1964 AND QUICKLY BECAME A SUCCESS, ATTRACTING GUESTS AS DIVERSE AS NOEL COWARD AND THE BEATLES. IT RAN FOR FIVE YEARS AND EAMONN LAUNCHED WORLD OF SPORT ON THE ITV NETWORK IN JANUARY 1965, AND REMAINED AS HOST UNTIL 1968 IN 1968 HE WAS GIVEN THE TASK OF FRONTING THAMES TELEVISION'S NEW TODAY PROGRAMME. THE DAILY LIVE ENTERTAINMENT AND INFORMATION SHOW AIMED TO REFLECT "WHAT IS GOING ON IN LONDON". EAMONN ANDREWS PRESENTED THAMES TELEVISION'S TODAY PROGRAMME BETWEEN 1968 AND 1977 HOWEVER, IT WASN'T LONG BEFORE HE WAS SUGGESTING THE IDEA OF REVIVING THIS IS YOUR LIFE. HE FELT THAT THE BBC HAD KILLED OFF THE SHOW TOO EARLY, AND THAT THE FORMAT HAD YEARS OF 'LIFE' STILL IN IT. T THAMES - COMMISSIONED A 13 PART SERIES EXTENDED TO 26 EDITIONS. HE CONTINUED TO PLAY A MAJOR PART IN THE SHOW'S PRODUCTION, AND WAS INFLUENTIAL IN HELPING TO SECURE SUCH HIGH RATING SUBJECTS AS MUHAMMAD ALI AND ALSO LORD MOUNTBATTEN, THOUGH HIS DREAM TO SURPRISE THE QUEEN MOTHER NEVER MATERIALISED! HE PRESENTED 480 EDITIONS OF THIS IS YOUR LIFE FOR THAMES TELEVISION BETWEEN 1969 AND 1987 SINCE 1961 EAMONN AND GRAINNE HAD BEEN LIVING IN CHISWICK WITH THEIR THREE ADOPTED CHILDREN, BUT IN 1970 THE FAMILY MOVED BACK TO IRELAND. THEY SET UP HOME OUTSIDE DUBLIN, FROM WHERE EAMONN COMMUTED TO LONDON, FOR THE WEEKLY ROUTINE OF MEETINGS AND RECORDINGS. EAMONN BECAME A SUBJECT OF THIS IS YOUR LIFE FOR A SECOND TIME IN MAY 1974 WHEN HE WAS SURPRISED WHILE APPEARING AS A GUEST ON THE DAVID NIXON SHOW. A SELF-CONFESSED WORKAHOLIC, HE SHOWED NO SIGNS OF SLOWING DOWN, DESPITE A DOCTOR'S WARNING AFTER HE HAD CONTRACTED BRONCHITIS. IN AILING HEALTH, HE CONTINUED WORKING TO HIS LIMIT. FOLLOWING SEVERAL BOUTS OF ILLNESS, EXACERBATED BY THE DEMANDING SCHEDULE AND NXIETY OVER SOME TROUBLED BUSINESS INTERESTS IN DUBLIN, FRIENDS, COLLEAGUES AND VIEWERS BECAME INCREASINGLY CONCERNED ABOUT HIM. AS THE 28TH SERIES OF THIS IS YOUR LIFE BEGAN, IT WAS EVIDENT THAT EAMONN WAS DETERIORATING PHYSICALLY AND, ONLY AT GRAINNE'S BEHEST, DID HE AGREE TO POSTPONE THE PLANNED RECORDING OF A PARTICULAR SHOW, AND ATTEND THE CROMWELL HOSPITAL FOR URGENT TESTS. SOME HOURS LATER EAMONN DIED PEACEFULLY IN HIS SLEEP IN THE EARLY HOURS OF 5 NOVEMBER 1987. STAY IN TOUCH PETER

Do you have your copy of our new book yet?

Web page no 2786 22nd May 2021 BSR First picture: Daniel Mclean Mcdonald

Second picture: typical BSR deck

Third picture: Goblin teasmaid

Fourth picture: vintage Swan electric kettle

The record player When we were teenagers most of the record players contained a BSR record turntable and playing arm. I know the one my father and I built did. But I had no idea of the history and diversity of the BSR company Daniel Mclean Mcdonald (1905–1991) founded Birmingham sound reproducers as a private company in 1932 in the west midlands. By 1947, the company chiefly manufactured intercoms, laboratory test equipment, and sound recording and reproducing instruments, including phonographs. In the early 1950s Samuel Margolin began buying record auto-changing turntables from BSR using them as the basis of his Dansette record player. Over the next twenty years, Margolin manufactured more than a million of these players, and "Dansette" became a household word all over Britain. In 1957, BSR, also known by the name BSR McDonald, became a public company which by 1961 had grown to employ over 2,600 workers in several sites in the midlands. BSR McDonald supplied turntables and autochangers to most of the world’s record player manufacturers, eventually gaining in excess 87% of the market. By 1977 BSR’S factories produced over 250,000 units a week. The company also manufactured their own brand of player, the Monarch automatic record changer. This could select and play 7", 10" and 12" records at 331⁄3, 45 or 78 rpm, changing automatically between the various disc sizes, although the turntable speed had to be changed manually. BSR also made tape recorder mechanisms but these were less well known. The company Bang & Olufsen used BSR’s TDd2 tape deck in their Beocord Belcanto from 1962. During 1975, with the help of Pifco electronics, BSR started the manufacture of a new upmarket turntable called the ADC Accutrac 4000. This turntable had individual track selection capabilities, allowing the user to play specified individual tracks, or play the LP in any order desired. It had a direct drive turntable motor, and a high quality ADC lma1 cartridge and stylus. This was further developed into a turntable called the Accutrac 3500, which in addition to track selection handled a stack of up to six singles or LP’s. Both turntables were equipped with an ultrasonic (but not infrared) remote control. Changing home audio trends impacted BSR in the early 1980s. Although the company produced some reel to reel tape decks in addition to their turntables and changers, consumers had begun to expect portability from their music players, and BSR faced serious competition from eight-track cartridge and the cassette tape players of the day, particularly Sony's Walkman. In the first five years of the 1980s, BSR closed several factories and made thousands of workers redundant. During the 1980s, BSR moved away from audio equipment and manufactured the rotronics wafadrive for the zx spectrum range of computers. After producing their last turntable in 1985, BSR McDonald closed all divisions except for astec power supply. In the 1970s, BSR had diversified by acquiring the houseware companies of goblin vacuum cleaners (who also made teasmaids clocks), judge international housewares ltd (kitchen pots and pans), and even Bulpitt & Sons, who made kettles and irons under the "swan brand" name. The future was uncertain and the goblin part of the company was sold to US company shop vac in 1984, and swan was sold to Moulinex of France in 1988. Griff Writes:- I was talking to a person on the phone the other day who I hadn't seen for a number of years and I was quite surprised when they remembered and asked after my tortoise Tiggy and if he was he still around. The answer is yes, he is and he is in fine fettle after waking from his hibernation slumbers in late March. It takes him a few days to get going again but if it's a nice warm day he sets off for a trot around our secure garden. You would be amazed at just how much ground a tortoise can cover and I have a big garden. He sleeps under a large half flower pot under a bush during the summer months. You may have read this before. Tiggy was purchased in the Drayton pet shop by me back in 1958 for the princely sum of 2/6d (12.5p). My mum looked after him for years and years until she passed away and Tigs then moved back in with us. We think he is now about 75 years old. He just loves melon and strawberries and cucumber. regards to all

Melvyn Griffiths. Stay in touch Peter

Web Page No 2784 First of all, the new book on growing up in Portsmouth “Gobstoppers and Blue Lollies” will be available from me next week. It has 75 pages and photographs plus illustrations by Peter Westcott. A real look at the past.

15th May 2021 GETTING OLD First picture: Prison gates

Second Picture: Two on a seat.

Third Picture: Weather Vane

Fourth Picture: Brush and comb set

GETTING OLD When one door closes and another door opens, in front of you, you are probably in prison. To me, "drink responsibly" means don't spill any of it. When I say, "The other day," I could be referring to any time between yesterday and 15 to 40 years ago. I remember being able to get up out of a chair without making sound effects. I had my patience tested. The result was that I'm negative. Remember, if you lose a sock in the tumble dryer, it comes back as a Tupperware lid that doesn't fit any of your containers. If you're sitting in public and a stranger takes the seat next to you, just stare straight ahead and say "Did you bring the money?" When you ask me what I am doing today, and I say "nothing," it does not mean I am free. It actually means I am doing nothing. They sat that the age 60 might now be the new 40, but to me 9:00pm is new midnight. I finally got eight hours of sleep. However, it took me three days, but whatever I got 8 hours . I run like the winded. I hate it when a couple argues in public, and I missed the beginning and don't know whose side I'm on. When someone asks what I did over the weekend, I just squint and ask, "Why, what did you hear?" I don't remember much from last night, but the fact that I needed sunglasses to open the fridge this morning tells me it must have been good, When you do squats, are your knees supposed to sound like a goat chewing on an aluminium can stuffed with celery. I don't mean to interrupt people. I just randomly remember things and get really excited. When I ask for directions, please don't use words like "east and west”’ It's the start of a brand new day, and I'm off like a herd of turtles. Don't bother walking a mile in my shoes. That would be boring. Spend 30 seconds in my head. That'll freak you right out. For most people that moment when you walk into a spider web suddenly turns you into an arm waving karate master. Sometimes, someone unexpected comes into your life out of nowhere, it makes your heart race, and changes you forever. We call those people police. The older I get, the earlier it gets late. My luck is like a bald guy who has just won a brush and comb set. STAY IN TOUCH ANIDA WRITES I really enjoyed your piece about the Theatre Royal, it holds memories for me as my Grandmother and Grandfather used to take me there on Saturday evenings, we used to get the bus to the Guildhall Square and when the performance had finished we used to go round to the Stage door, by the side of the Swan Tavern, to see if we could get an autograph or two. The shows were mainly variety and I can remember fan dancers and some probably risky comedians but as I was very young, about 8 or 9, it went over my head! My favourite was a chap on a unicycle! We used to sit in the Gods and I just loved the whole atmosphere. My great grandfather worked in the Dockyard but in the evenings he used to play the clarinet in the orchestra at the Theatre Royal, that would have been in the early 1900's as he died in 1911. We occasionally went to the Empire (I think it was) in Edinburgh Road, that was almost music hall. I have attached a picture of two carvings, these have been knocking around in the family for decades and came from the Swan Tavern when there was some refurbishment going on possibly back in the 1930's or 40's. My father acquired them, don't quite know how but he was an electrician, they are heavily carved and appear to be cupboard doors and are about to be hung in my garden and hopefully will survive for another number of years. In recent years they decorated the front of my Mum and Dad's house in Yealmpton. I was interested in your picture of the top of Cosham High Street before Spur Road was cut through. I didn't realise that the Red Lion started its days actually in the High Street. You remarked that Mr Boughton was the Manager and later owner of the Theatre Royal, he lived in a house just to the right of the Red Lion set back. It later became Ashleys wallpaper and paint shop and has probably disappeared now. You may be surprised to see that in your photograph it shows quite clearly the chimney pots which were on the shop which later became the Olde Sweet Shoppe, my second picture shows one of those very pots in my garden. I have carted it around from house to house after rescuing it when the shop was demolished in the 1970's.

ON THIS DAY 15TH MAY 1960 – 1965 On 15/05/1960 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 15/05/1961 the number one single was Blue Moon - The Marcels and the number one album was GI Blues - Elvis Presley. The top rated TV show was No Hiding Place (AR) 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 15/05/1962 the number one single was Wonderful Land - The Shadows 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 Film star Emilio Estevez born On 15/05/1963 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 Labour 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 15/05/1964 the number one single was Don't Throw Your Love Away - Searchers and the number one album was Rolling Stones - The Rolling Stones. The top rated TV show was Conservative Party Political Broadcast (all channels) 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 15/05/1964 the number one single was Don't Throw Your Love Away - Searchers and the number one album was Rolling Stones - The Rolling Stones. The top rated TV show was Conservative Party Political Broadcast (all channels) 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 15/05/1965 the number one single was Ticket to Ride - The Beatles 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.

The New Theatre Royal, Portsmouth. Web Page No 2782 8th May 2021

1st Picture: The frontage of the present building

2nd Picture: The words New Theatre Royal incorporated in the frontage

3rd Picture: One of the famous wrestlers when the building was the Royal Arena was the Mohawk Indian Billy Two Rivers.

4th Picture: Victorian advertising poster for the theatre

The Theatre Royal is a Victorian Grade II listed theatre with a capacity of 667. The theatre was built in 1854 as the Landport Hall and was converted to a theatre two years later. It was rebuilt in 1884 by Charles J. Phipps and again in 1900 by Frank Matcham. The Theatre reopened in October 2015 after a £4.7M refurbishment project. The present building was built to replace a theatre located in the High Street Old Portsmouth that features in Nicholas Nickleby. It was a popular music hall and hosted performances by Paganini and Liszt . It closed in 1854 and was demolished in 1856 to allow for the construction of Cambridge Barracks. This building now houses Portsmouth Grammar School. The three-arch entrance to the school occupies the location of the theatre. In the same year as the old theatre was demolished, Henry Rutley opened a new venue on the present site. He was an impresario and circus proprietor who had arrived in Portsmouth in 1854 and purchased the Swan Tavern in Commercial Road and the adjoining Landport Hall, a racquet court. He converted the hall to accommodate equestrian displays and applied to the magistrates for permission to construct a new theatre on the site. The magistrates granted a licence for a limited period with the condition that there was no direct access from the tavern. A door to the hall, bricked in during building, was temporarily uncovered during renovation work in 2004. The theatre opened on 29th September 1856. In a typical week the theatre would host two plays a night with matinees at the weekend. Rutley died in 1874. \Mr. Boughton then became manager in 1876 and after the death of Rutley's successor took over control of the Portsmouth Theatres Company in 1882. Rutley's widow eventually sold the theatre to him. Most of the famous performers of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries appeared at the Theatre Royal. Sir Henry Irving and his leading lady and mistress, Ellen Terry, appeared many times both individually and together. Sarah Bernhardt performed there on several occasions, including her legendary appearances in later life when in a wheelchair. She left her signature on the wall of the dressing rooms, Marie Lloyd was also a regular. Laurel and Hardy appeared before fame in Hollywood and Oliver Hardy chose the theatre as the venue for his birthday party in 1954. Morecombe and Wise were among many stars who appeared early in their career. Henry Irving died on tour in 1905 but his last complete set of performances was completed two weeks earlier at the Theatre Royal Portsmouth. Ellen Terry was appearing there the week he died. During some of performances his secretary Abraham ('Bram') Stoker - author of his biography and of Dracula - worked in the offices backstage. The programming provides an insight into the talent and workload of the acting profession up to theWW2. In most weeks, the performances would change with as many as three distinct programmes of shows. Posters show an actor taking the lead in Hamlet followed by the lead in a farce at the start of the week and the lead role in different plays at the weekend, a formidable memory load. From 1856 to 1976 the theatre was officially the Theatre Royal. At some point the 'New' was informally added probably inthe middle of the century. The frontage of the theatre says both "Theatre Royal" and "New Theatre Royal". By the 1920s, radio and cinema led to the decline in attendances and, coupled with economic depression, theatres began to close. These including the Prince's and Kings. theatres The Theatre Royal was home to a repertory company, The Denville Players, until 1932 when it had a projection room installed and became a cinema. Portsmouth was subject to extensive damage during WW2. The neighbouring Prince's theatre was destroyed by a direct hit during a matinee for children but the Royal escaped unharmed. It continued as a cinema until 1948 when it reverted to a variety theatre in fact the theatre was the venue for the first live rock 'n' roll performance in the UK in 1954. The Theatre Royal was eventually forced to shut in 1955. In 1956 Bernard Delfont's 'Brilliant Summer Revue' starring David Nixon was in the Theatre Royal for a Summer Season. In 1957 it opened as a repertory theatre but this was short lived and from 1960 it operated only as a bingo hall and a venue for wrestling. In 1966 the owners the Portsmouth Theatres Company, sought permission to over-ride its 'listed' status and demolish it. The council agreed. A pressure group was formed to oppose this, leading to a council decision in which the proposal was beaten by only one vote! The empty building began to attract vandals. In 1968 squatters occupied it and brass fittings and roof lead were stolen. The continuing decay and damage led to the formation of the Theatre Royal Society which pressured to defend and preserve the building. This campaign included the locally born actor Brian Murphy who had starred in 'The Boyfriend' and is now a patron of the theatre. The society became the New Theatre Royal Trust in 1976. In 1971 Ken Russell chose the theatre as the location for a film version of "The Boyfriend". He chose the ballet dancer Christopher Gable and Twiggy for the lead roles backed by a cast of experienced actors including Barbara Windsor, Brian Murphy and there was a cameo role for Glenda Jackson (not listed in the credits). Ken Russell shot most of the film on location in the empty theatre and adjoining streets. It was to be the Victorian theatre's last performance. The following year, 1972, children entered the theatre and lit fireworks setting the stage on fire. But by the time the fire brigade arrived the rear was ablaze. Early in the fire the ropes of the safety curtain burned through causing it to fall into place saving the auditorium. The stage and the entire building behind the proscenium arch was destroyed. Once again, demolition was proposed but the Theatre Royal Society opposed the plan. In 1975, volunteers started the long process of repair and renovation. The New Theatre Royal (Portsmouth) Limited was registered in 1976. The theatre was gradually repaired, largely by volunteers, and slowly came back into operation. In 1984 a small temporary stage was built over the orchestra. Productions were largely restricted to amateur performances. Damage extended beyond the fire in 1972. Thieves stole brass fittings and other artefacts and in the 70's thieves with a van stole the auditorium doors which had been removed for renovation whilst volunteers worked in the theatre. In the early 70's artefacts, papers and records including a large collection of posters were moved from the managers office for safekeeping. These records were transferred to an empty shop nearby in Guildhall Walk. Two years later, the entire content of the shop had disappeared. Neither the volunteers or the owner of the shop had authorised or knew of their removal. These items were never retrieved. In the early 'noughties', builders renovating a house in Southsea found a number of posters from the theatre under the floorboards. Most dated from the 1860s. They were sold to Langford Antiques in Albert Road Southsea where they were framed and sold. Several were purchased for the theatre trust. In 2003 the Board of Trustees commissioned a report which advised a short closure and re-launch and the appointment of an experienced professional director. The Trust was awarded £440,000, the largest single grant given by the Onyx Trust. With additional funding, the cast iron portico was renovated, central heating and a new pit bar installed, and the original seating in the stalls. A larger stage was built in front to accommodate this, the frontage of the lower boxes had to be removed. Investigation revealed that these were prefabricated and fitted using large bolts. They were stored until eventually reinstatement when the new stage was built. Drama, stand-up comedy, music and dance became features of each season whilst work with local schools and community groups was expanded. However, performances were still restricted by the lack of a proper stage and limited seating capacity. Inevitably, lack of operating finance became problematic necessitating a period known as "NTR Lite" with less risky but less exciting programming. Shortly after the recruitment of a new executive director, the trust embarked upon the most challenging an exciting period since the remodelling by Matcham. The board of trustees came up with a plan to rebuild the stage and back stage accommodation in addition to teaching facilities for the university. In 2009, Peynore and Prasad were contracted to design the building and a professional fundraiser was appointed to raise the estimated £4m cost. A fund-raising programme began in 2010 with a weekend finishing with a gala performance Compared by Sandi Toksvig and headlined by Sheila Hancock, Paul Jones and Christopher Timothy were among the cast list. At the end of the evening, Sheila Hancock accepted the invitation to become the patron of the theatre. In May 2010, the theatre hosted the first screening in nearly three decades of "The Boyfriend. The screening was preceded by an interview with Ken Russell and cast members Twiggy, Brian Murphy and Georgina Hale plus the score composer Sir Peter Maxwell Davis, former Master of the Queens Music. The interview was hosted by local television personality Sally Taylor. Following this event, Twiggy, Sir Peter and Brian Murphy agreed to join Sheila Hancock as patrons. The theatre is now planning a full programme for the future Stay in touch Peter gsseditor@gmail.com

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On this day 8th May 1960 – 1965 On 08/05/1960 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. The big news story of the day was Contraceptive pill becomes available in US. On 08/05/1961 the number one single was Blue Moon - The Marcels and the number one album was GI Blues - Elvis Presley. The top rated TV show was No Hiding Place (AR) 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 08/05/1962 the number one single was Wonderful Land - The Shadows 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 08/05/1963 the number one single was From Me To You - The Beatles and the number one album was Summer Holiday - Cliff Richard & the Shadows. The top rated TV show was Labour 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 08/05/1964 the number one single was Don't Throw Your Love Away - Searchers and the number one album was Rolling Stones - The Rolling Stones. The top rated TV show was Conservative Party Political Broadcast (all channels) 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 08/05/1965 the number one single was Ticket to Ride - The Beatles 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.