Radio & Early TV (Mar 2001)

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Radio & Early TV (Mar 2001)

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From: Bob Thomas
To: threetowners @topica.com
Sent: Saturday, March 31, 2001

I remember getting under the covers with my wee transistor radio and listening to Radio Luxemburg into the wee small hours which made for a great start to the school day!

Talking of early TV, here in Canada last week they had a special on the 40 years of Coronation Street (it's very popular over here). They had interviews with the actors and also showed the very first Coronation Street. What great writing - no wonder it has lasted 40 years. Can't say that about any of the American "soaps" we get over here.

Regards,
Anne Thomas (Hammersley)


From: "Jean Kelly" <jkelly5859@xx.com>
To: <threetowners @topica.com>
Sent: Saturday, March 31, 2001

Hi everyone
I had forgotten about the "accumulator". There was one in my Grandpa's
house. I remember the "Children's Requests" show on the radio on a
Saturday morning. My brother and I used to get up to listen to that.
Then there was Radio Caroline - what a stir that caused. We got a TV
when I was 10, so no more radio. The first show I remember watching was
"The One O'clock Gang" with Larry Marshall, Jimmy Nairn, and Dorothy
Paul and Charlie Sim. Charlie's niece went to Stevenston High, and I
remember one day he came and visited the school!! Great excitement.
Jim remembers "The Horrors of the Black Museum". It was on at 8 or 9 at
night. It was about true stories, and how a murder had been committed
and how they caught the criminals.
Do you remember the "matinees" at the movies? Dan Dare and Roy Rogers,
and they always left you hanging at the most exciting bit. So you had go
back the next Saturday to see the next installment. I never had to get
into the "pictures" with a "Jelly Jar", but my mum did. The matinees
were always noisy, booing and hissing etc.

Jean Kelly (Park)


From: "J.F-Smith" <jferg@xx.co.nz>
To: <threetowners @topica.com>
Sent: Saturday, March 31, 2001

Hello all......used to have to take the accumulator ddon tae the garage for
my Father and as I recall it cost sixpence to have it re-charged... My
sister and I used to go and we'd get another sixpence ( I think it was>) to
buy a wee bag of Smith's Tattie crips with a wee twist of salt wrapped in
blue wax paper in the bags.
My Father would sometimes get me up in the middle of the night or some
ungodly hour to listen to the great boxing matches broadcast from America.
We'd listen with great tension and excitement to " Dick Barton Special
agent"
The MacFlannels(?) and other great Radio shows. My sister listened to a
serial which was called I think something along the lines of " Red Shoes"
about Ballet I think... and Oh the angst when the Accumulator ran low!!
I latterly spent 25 years in Commercial Radio in New Zealand and my guess is
that it was influenced by my early ( very) years of Radio Listening. It was
and still is a great medium and to listen is and builds pictures in ones
mind .... My Father said the very first time we watched television
1953/4(?)) that that was the end of guid conversation and family and he was
not wrong was he?

Regards
John


From: richard maxwell
To: threetowners @topica.com
Sent: Saturday, March 31, 2001

I'm supposed to be "cleaning up" Dick's emails while he is in Scotland for 2 weeks. But I'm having so much fun reading and answering all the letters from the threetowners. Have met some nice folk on this site and chit chat with same. I seem to be perpetuating all the letters instead of clearing them off - I'm adding to them. I LOVE IT. Keep em coming.

I remember my folks taking the accumulator to the electrician to be "charged" every so often. Then we got a radiogram ( posh). Loved to hear Jimmy Shand's dance band, Wilfred Pickles''Have-a-go" show, Mrs. Dale's Diary, The Man in Black( scared us half to death). Some great evenings spent round the wireless. Then as a teenager there was nothing like Radio Luxemberg...I loved Sunday night top 20. Later there was the pirate stations from the North Sea. Gt.memories -Evie


From: <alan@boscorose.xx.co.uk>
To: <threetowners @topica.com>
Sent: Saturday, March 31, 2001

Hi All,
I remember early t.v., the first was when my father got one all
we done was watch the test card!! mind you we must have watched other things
i can't mind!! My first t.v. was Great!! black& white as you ken,coun't
afford ari al so my arial was believe it or not was a knitting needle!!. it
only gave you a few hours signal so i had to pick to either miss the
start o a film or the end ( i chose the start) i had to watch the weans
didn'e knock the needle out!!, i mainly listened to murder mysteries on the
wireless!! Liz Scott. ( my winching days were done to radio luxenburg).


From: <david@presto1.xx.co.uk>
To: <threetowners @topica.com>
Sent: Saturday, March 31, 2001

Loved coming home from school and listening to Dick Barton.
The accumulator had to be changed every week and the shop was just opposite
Saltcoats station on the raise street side run by Harry Donaldson who later
had a shop in Green Street.
In 1961 I was in hospital having my tonsils out and I used to listen to
radio Luxemburg top 20 late at night, hiding under the bed sheets so the
nurse wouldn't find out.
David Young.


From: "Bob Bryden" <bobbryden@xx.net.nz>
To: <threetowners @topica.com>
Sent: Saturday, March 31, 2001

Hi there,
We got our first T.V. about the mid 50's. It could only receive the B.B.C.,
showed a black & white picture & had a small screen but to compensate for
that, had a massive, thick magnifying screen of glass that hung via 2 stout
straps over the main screen. Two of my favourite programmes in those days
were The Lone Ranger and Hopalong Cassidy. Recently I downloaded a copy of
the Lone Ranger opening theme tune & it is now one of a selection that I use
as the sound heard when I start up Windows on my computer. For contrast I've
also got the opening theme from Star Trek, The Next Generation. I can also
remember the start of Coronation Street but I've no time for it now.

Anyway. after a few years we progressed to a new T.V. that could receive
multiple channels. We finished up at one stage having 3 T.V. aerials on our
roof - 1 for B.B.C., 1 for S.T.V. ( I.T.V. ) & 1 for Ulster T.V. The first 2
were normal aerials but the one for Ulster T.V. was home made, consisting of
a wooden broom handle through which various pieces of wire were bent to
match the elements on a standard T.V. - and it worked !!!

Bob Bryden


From: mcguire
To: Threetowners
Sent: Saturday, March 31, 2001 10:37 PM
Subject: [3T] TOTW

I can still remember our first TV. Bought on the 'Never-Never' from Napier's of Dockhead St. The screen was about 12" and there were so many buttons like vertical and horizontal holds etc. etc. We even had to sit in the dark if the picture was to be see'able.
Many a time I had to climb onto the roof and move the 'H' aerial to the best position.

My best memory of Radio Luxemburg ( '208' on the medium wave) was about 11 o'clock on a Sunday evening listening to Top
to presented by 'Mum rollete ?'. I lost a lot of pocket money as my brother and I used to bet on what was No1 2,3 etc. He was always right, but unknown to me at the time one could see the results in the New Musical Express he was a keen reader he could also afford to be on my pocket money (only a bob a week!). I always randomly picked Buddy Holly or the Everly Brothers (I didn't like Elvis).

Like others I used to like watching the 1' o' clock gang with Larry Marshall from STV.

Those were the days.
regards Tony McGuire
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