Radio Programmes of the 50's & 60's

[DaveN 1,118]

How many of the programmes below do you remember from the 50's & 60's decades?

Adventures Of PC 49

A Life of Bliss

Any Answers

Any Questions

Beyond Our Ken

Billy Cotton Band Show

Breakfast Show

Breakfast Special

Children’s Favourites

Children’s Hour

Clitheroe Kid

Desert Island Discs

Dick Barton Special Agent

Does The Team Think

Easy Beat

Educating Archie

Family Choice

Gardeners’ Question Time

Family Favourites

Hancock’ Half Hour

Have A Go

Housewives Choice

Jimmy Young Show

Journey Into Space

Junior Choice

Life With The Lyons

Likely Lads

Listen With Mother

Meet The Huggets

Mrs Dale’s Diary

Much Binding In The Marsh

Music While You Work

Paul Temple

Pick Of The Pops

Rays A Laugh

Record Roundup

Round The Horne

Saturday Club

Semprini Serenade

Savile’s Travels

Sing Something Simple

Take It From Here

The Archers

The Goon Show

The Navy Lark

Today

Tony Blackburn Show

Top Of The Form

Uncle Mac’s Favourite

Watch With Mother

Workers’ Playtime

Woman’s Hour

[Commo 1,292]

All of `em Dave, and have a selection on tape cassette and CD.

[tomlinson 879]

Sad to say, I remember all of 'em too and some of them may still be heard on Radio 4 Extra. I can also vaguely remember ITMA and a programme featuring the Palm Court Orchestra, (go straight through the glass doors). There was also, 'Palace of Varieties', 'Down Your Way'; 'In Town Tonight'; 'The Man In Black'; a programme featuring the Cyril Stapleton Showband and 'Curtain Up', a Saturday night play. There was of course Radio Luxemberg. Horace Bachelor, who did the pools, 'Ma Perkins' a soap, and a Dan Dare serial. I also have a feeling there was a 'Brains Trust', a programme I would be the first to forget, and what was that 15 minute programme which started with the music, 'Calling All Workers'. There was one broadcast in the morning and one in the afternoon. Was that Workers' Playtime? I seem to remember more as I go along. There was a school serial called, 'The Barlows of Beddington', featuring the actor, Patrick Barr and a series called, I think, 'Suspense', a reconstruction of emergency situations. That's all I can remember for now. All the programmes entertained us and what a pity such a variety can't be seen or heard today! Happy Days!

[Cliff Ton 10,465]

and what was that 15 minute programme which started with the music, 'Calling All Workers'. There was one broadcast in the morning and one in the afternoon. Was that Workers' Playtime?

'Music while you work'. (not that I was working in those days)

[Merthyr Imp 729]

a programme featuring the Palm Court Orchestra, (go straight through the glass doors).

I think that may have been 'Grand Hotel' - '...and now we go over to the Palm Court of Grand Hotel...'

[Merthyr Imp 729]

Of those listed, some were before my time although I've heard of them, e.g. 'Adventures of PC 49'. He was also in the Eagle comic - again, before my time!

I can't think of 'Breakfast Show', 'Record Roundup' or 'Uncle Mac's Favourite' (unless you mean 'Children's Favourites' which is listed separately?).

I don't remember 'Likely Lads' being on the radio, but it may have been - presumably after it had been on TV, if so? Some popular TV series did turn up later on the radio, e.g. 'Dad's Army'.

Er - 'Watch with Mother' was a TV programme!

Several are still on the radio to this day - 'The Archers', 'Woman's Hour' and one or two others.

[Merthyr Imp 729]

Anyone remember listening to boxing on the Light Programme? Commentary by Eamonn Andrews, with inter-round summaries by W. Barrington Dalby.

[Michael Booth 7,364]

I never missed any of them, Merthyr Imp. The commentary by Eamonn Andrews was very descriptive and had you bobbing and weaving in your chair....lol.

There was no television, and on fight night families would gather around the radio to listen to the commentary from Eamonn Andrews.

[benjamin1945 16,158]

Used to listen to it with my dear old Dad,who was a real boxing fan and thats what got me interested,i think ANDREWS was brilliant,you could almost smell the ring,

[benjamin1945 16,158]

Without looking it up i am sure we listened to,Marciano v Don Cockell and Sugar Ray Robinson v Randy Turpin,

[Merthyr Imp 729]

The other noted commentator of the time (or earlier) was Raymond Glendenning.

[Michael Booth 7,364]

Later on, of course, there was Harry Carpenter who did radio and TV. He was a great commentator...."Know what I mean, Harry". It was so sad to hear that he had fallen down the stairs and died.

[Oztalgian 3,292]

On 12/24/2023 at 10:34 AM, MRS B said:

Also the shipping forecast and “sing something simple”

There was always a rush in our house to turn the radio off as soon as we heard this 

 

[Brew 5,416]

As a child I hated his programme but the king of the cringe was Al Read....

[Oztalgian 3,292]

4 hours ago, Brew said:

As a child I hated his programme but the king of the cringe was Al Read....

I have no recollection of Al Read either on the radio or his TV appearances.

[Jill Sparrow 10,305]

Al Read's voice was enough to make anyone turn the radio off.

[philmayfield 6,133]

‘Right monkey’. ‘You’ll be lucky, I say you’ll be lucky!’ 

[Beekay 5,143]

"Anymore tea in that jug"? !!!

[Cliff Ton 10,465]

12 hours ago, Oztalgian said:

There was always a rush in our house to turn the radio off as soon as we heard this 

 

 I could never understand what he was saying/shouting. I thought it was just a random noise. It was only many years later that I discovered it was 'Wakey Wakey'.

[philmayfield 6,133]

I found Al Read quite amusing. He was a successful businessman, a sausage maker I believe.

Like many successful businessmen I’ve know, they could have been comedians if they’d chosen a different route. 

 

[Beekay 5,143]

I remember well, as a youngster, sitting around the wireless listening to the Al Read show. I think it was on about 6.30pm

Another favourite was 'Journey into Space", with Jet Morgan, Doc and Lemmy, starring David Kossov and Alfie Bass among others. These were on the Light programe. These were regulars in the mid to late 50s, along with Paul Temple,

The Range Riders etc. All escapism from the drudgeries of everyday life. We did'nt know of anyone who was rich enough to own a television. Those were the days when we would sit and listen to the wireless while holding a slice of bread on a toasting fork and holding it against the front of an open fire. Toast does'nt taste the same from a machine.

' I'll not take me coat off, I'm not stoppin'.

[Jill Sparrow 10,305]

Al Read probably was quite amusing but it was the timbre of his voice I couldn't abide. Too loud. I can't tolerate loud people. Probably a symptom of the Asperger's I quite possibly have!

[philmayfield 6,133]

One of the symptoms is the inability to recognise humour, irony and sarcasm. 

 

Can hardly say that about you with your acerbic wit.

[Beekay 5,143]

Alas Jill, you were'nt even born when I used to listen to A.R.

I don't think he really made the transition from radio to small screen. His type of humour started to get a bit stale. Others might not agree.

[Jill Sparrow 10,305]

28 minutes ago, philmayfield said:

Can hardly say that about you with your acerbic wit.

Ah, a compliment.  My father used to say, "If you had another wit, you'd be a half wit!"  

 

@Beekay  I don't think I ever saw Al Read on the television.  If I had, he'd have been switched off, pronto.  I remember Jimmy Clitheroe and he used to get on my nerves. My father loved The Navy Lark but none of us liked The Goon Show. I couldn't see anything remotely funny in it. To us, it seemed very childish.  I'd be the first to admit that my father's side of the family had a very strange sense of humour. Perhaps that accounts for much!