大象传媒

This is the 大象传媒 Home Service - a reassuring sound amidst the conflict of WW2. At the end of my earlier contribution I was writing about the news broadcasts, and referred to the men reading the news as being austere and remote. On reflection this was not too good a description. Perhaps formal might have been better - it was the order of the day - but more importantly these men were brave. Regardless of danger they would continue broadcasting with bombs falling not only around them but actually on the 大象传媒. I didn't mention Bruce Belfrage who was actually reading the news when Broadcasting House was bombed, and carried on. We owe such a lot to them - and many other stories of bravery didn't come out until after the end of the war. Then there were the reporters - Richard Dimbleby, Frank Gillard, Wynford Vaughan Thomas to mention just three who brought us reports from high over Germany in bombers or with the troops in the front line As the war went and I understood more of what was going on so I listened to the reports of these men with increased interest.
Childrens Hour with Uncle Mac - always at five o'clock, although strictly speaking in our part of the country it was a quarter of an hour later - with the children from Wales having part of the the programme in their language. Today we are used to quizzes - on radio and TV, but the first I remember was Regional Round. Teams of children competed from 大象传媒 centres in various parts of the country - Bristol, Manchester, London, Cardiff, etc. and the question master was Uncle Mac. Aunty Violet was in charge of the Manchester team - of course Violet Carson (later Ena Sharples of Coronation Street) I think someone called David Davis kept the scores - it was all very exciting. Then there was Larry the Lamb - with Uncle Mac as Larry in Toytown. Nearly all the childrens favourites were uncles and aunties in those days. I can also remember Romany -with his dog Raq. Romany was a descendent of a famous preacher Gypsy Smith and gave wonderful talks on the countryside. I think he may still have lived in a caravan. There must have been a lot more but these are my particular memories Its just a childhood memory but when I think of the wartime children's hour it is always in he winter, with the blackour curtains drawn, the gaslight flickering, a cosy fire in the old fasioned hearth and teatime before my dad came in from his days work. Then onto the six o'clock news.
Then there was what I would call the entertainment. Many programmes, but one I always remember was Music While you work. A small green at the rear of our house backed on to Ushers Botttling Stores and as children we liked to watch the empty beer bottles going along the conveyor belts to be filled. It was certainly a noisy place but above the din Music While you work could always be heard - very loud and clear - and the workers - nearly all ladies - would be singing along. In fact even if we didn't have it on our wireless although we often did as my mum loved listening to it, we could still hear it from our house. There were other music programmes throughout Ushers working day which we could certianly hear without much effort(!) and Workers Playtime was another favourite. We even had one broadcast from a factory in Trowbridge. I think this was one of the programmes which went on long after the war -at one time I recall introduced by a Bill Gates - not the Bill Gates of Microsoft fame! Sandy Macpherson was ever present on his theatre organ. Again only some of the many programmes. In the evening there were such items as ITMA with Tommy Handley. Also Arthur Askey with his busy little bee song. Although I mention such programmes as Itma quite honestly I cannot really remember listening to them - maybe I was tucked up in bed by the time they came on! Can anyone remember the name of the Radio Doctor - I think he became an MP afterwards. In his deep gravelly voice and graphic language he would give short talks on how to manage how health whilst living on war rations. Another well known voice was that of the Minister of Food - later Lord Woolton who gave tips and recipes made up from very basic ingredients. Again I expct there were more of this type of broadcast, giving us vital information.

I cannot remember Neville Chamberlain's broadcast at the start of war - and I didn't hear the late night announcement on the eve of VJ Day that Japan had surrendered. In the first part of my memories I told how my dad went into to the chapel next door to tell the Pastor that war had been declared. That was 1939 - He was again listenening in 1945. This time dad came up to my bedroom with words I shall never forget. "Its all over" A certain boy turned over and went to sleep. No more disturbed nights - Peace had come.

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