Radio and TV - Memories and Favourites

I think there are a couple of factors here: popular music before the late 1960's had an expression through melody that was uplifting and easy to remember; workplaces in machine shops did not require constant interaction with other people unlike the service economy of today, whistling over the noise would not annoy one's neighbour. "Whistle while you work" comes immediately to mind when I read this thread and reminds me of the loss of jobs for those who manufactured goods they could be proud of, many of whose decendants are not capable of acquiring the interpersonal skills needed to work in the post industrial society such as exemplified by cities such as Coventry.

Pretty good points, there, Choirboy. Another factor behind the rise and fall of whistling is the technology. Wikipedia says: In 1916, E.C. Wente of Western Electric developed the next breakthrough with the first condenser microphone.[15] In 1923, the first practical moving coil microphone was built. Singers like Al Jolson included a lot of whistling in the 1920s and 30s, but it would have sounded awful prior to the microphones that made "crooning" possible. Jolson's whistling sounds pretty awful anyway - at least until his songs were digitally remastered in recent decades. But better technology was soon to come. Wikipedia says: This was improved in 1930 by Alan Blumlein and Herbert Holman who released the HB1A and was the best standard of the day.[18] Also in 1923, the ribbon microphone was introduced, another electromagnetic type, believed to have been developed by Harry F. Olson, who applied the concept used in a ribbon speaker to making a microphone.[19] Over the years these microphones were developed by several companies, most notably RCA that made large advancements in pattern control, to give the microphone directionality. This technology allowed singers like Al Bowlly and Bing Crosby to "croon" into the mic, rather than bellowing like opera singers or "projecting" like Jolson. Years ago, the BBC produced a terrific radio series explaining how the desire for a better "sound" (mostly choral) greatly influenced early religious architecture, and how the development of new types of instruments (particularly, of course, the organ - over to you Phillip!) further influenced religious music. Coming up to the 19th and 20th Centuries, the series told of the development of the microphone, from which I retrieved these memories. I've looked in vain for a copy of that radio series - at the time I thought how much more informative it was, about music through the ages, than Beebop's KHVIII classes! There is, however, an interesting podcast about the BBC's iconic AXBT mic. - https://youtu.be/uJmOXq0g27Y. "The AXBT was the 4th generation design of the original Marconi Type A microphone (X, B and T representing improvements) widely used by the BBC from the early 1930s onwards. The ribbon microphone was particularly good in studio situations and the double-sided design which accepted sound from front and back but not from the side was particularly suited to voice. It also gave the microphone its characteristic shape, which has entered popular culture as a symbolic image of broadcasting, as well as being the icon for audio in nearly all computer software".

Hi JW. My husband used to whistle in the bathroom and it sounded fairly good and that was without any technology.

Dreamtime, your husband whistling,didn't you have a lock on the bathroom door

Did anyone have a lock on the bathroom door? There was a lot of loud singing in our house.

While my dad was decorating, we didn't even have a door. We also had a kettle that was a great whistler!!

Argon, no we didn't, we had two offsprings and didn't want the threat of an accident. You can imagine what kids get up to.

Hi all, Last evening, I listened to a wireless episode of Hancock's Half Hour, where he was a visiting magician at Dartmoor Prison. His party piece was making folk disappear. I can remember the original from 1956, seen it used by amateur drama & the like. It was just as amusing last evening. Hancock half hour.

Presumably, for those of us of a certain age, the Wireless would have played a big part in our families' lives. Mrs Dale's dairy, every weekday at 4-00/4-30 ish for Mother. Sports Report, 5-00 on Saturday for Dad (us kids being constantly told to shush). Children's Requests, 09-00 on a Saturday morning for us kids. Listen with Mother, 2.00pm time in School Holidays. Any Questions with Freddy Grisewood on a Friday evening. We would often listen as a family to The Saturday Play, and then, Saturday night Theatre, in the evening. Two Way family Favourites, Sunday Lunchtime. Then Billy Cotton's Band Show. Lots of brilliant memories. I was always glad that we never had a TV, we had much better, more things to do, than to sit still watching boring old TV. We never had a TV in our house until I was about 20. Never missed it one bit.

Well remembered timetable Slash

Around The Horn !!!

We used to listen to it while eating Sunday dinner and almost chocked at the double entendres, hoping our parents didn't notice that we got the jokes. We loved Jules and Sandy.

Born in 1965, I wish I'd been able to enjoy those shows you've all mentioned first time around - they were so ground-breaking. For me, I'd love to have heard The Goons when they were in their prime, but fortunately well over 100 original recordings still exist, many available for free download. I was about 16 when a friend of mine played me a Goon Show LP belonging to his parents, and those two shows were simply the funniest things I'd heard in my life, with my mind picturing the crazy goings on of each character vividly. I still recall that the episodes were "Tales of Old Dartmoor" and "Dishonoured", and I'd recommend them to anyone. But at least in the 70s I was able to enjoy some good original comedy. Every Sunday lunchtime my dad would put on Radio 2, who would air half-hour comedy shows like Castle's in the Air with the wonderfully talented Roy Castle, Listen with Les with Les Dawson, Hello Cheeky with Barry Cryer etc., The News Huddlines with Roy Hudd, and many more. I have no idea if any equivalent shows are on air today though - somehow I doubt it!

Every few weeks we used to visit our ex lodgers in Tile Hill. uncle Jim was mad on his radio. We would spend the afternoon listening to things like Sing something simple and childrens favourites and then the various comedy programmes, who remember Oooh Ron, yes Eth ? Also How they away with having a ventriloquist on the radio I will never know, Archie Andrews and Peter Brough. After that we would ask him to put his records on. We loved "Three little fishes" and "Little black swan" (or it could have been called little white swan, not sure) He had a wonderful collection of original George Formby records which he left to my Mum but I think she gave them to a charity shop as she did not think they were worth anything. Sadly as we got older he got more modern and got into stereo so we had to listen to his train records with speakers either side the sofa with trains going from one side to the other. Happy days.

Spike Milligan was absolutely brilliant !!