# Radio - what tickled your fancy when you were younger ?



## KeithChesterfield (Mar 12, 2010)

We all have different reasons why we laugh, or don't, at things we see and hear.

I was brought up on a diet of comedy Radio programmes when I was at School in the 1950s from the age of 11 to 16.

The ones I liked were The Goon Show, Hancock's Half Hour, Beyond our Ken, The Al Read Show, Much Binding in the Marsh, Take it from Here, Ray's a Laugh and Life with the Lyons.

I thought that all had their merits, some made me laugh out loud and others brought a chuckle, and they probably shaped the type of humour I like now.

Comics such as the Beano and Dandy also had an input to my chuckle muscles while Dick Barton and Journey into Space kept my imagination awake.

What do you think helped shape your sense of humour on the Radio in your formative years ?

I realise many of you won't have heard of any of the programmes or seen the comics I mention but did anything on the Radio tickle your fancy as a youngster on those wet and windy days when you couldn't get out to play or have a crafty *** or nip behind the bike sheds for pleasurable times ?


:grin2: :grin2: :grin2: :grin2:


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## JanHank (Mar 29, 2015)

I used to listen to all of those Kieth as well as `the man in black´ I would sit on my big brothers lap to listen to that.
Radio Luxembourg on 208 meters medium wave we listened to a lot. 
What about `Take it from here´with the Glums and Ron & Eth.
Billy Cottons band show. 
Yes Radio played a big part in my life as well, it allowed you to use your imagination.


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## erneboy (Feb 8, 2007)

Radio Luxembourg then Radio Caroline. Loved Caroline and I have the original theme tune, the proper version with the horns. Listening to that makes me tingle all over. Don't confuse it with the more recent remixed version which lacks the brass. 




Radio I never quite measured up, though I liked the Top Twenty on Sunday evenings.


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## Penquin (Oct 15, 2007)

Radio Caroline was my youth and I still listen to the CD's I also love listening to "The Navy Lark" - it is so good I can listen to the episodes again and again - I was able to find it on CD a number of years ago and now have it on my ipod (no that is not a spelling mistake) and love listening to it when driving from home to St Malo......

The pictures on Radio are so much better than those on TV - they are within you own imagination - great.


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## TeamRienza (Sep 21, 2010)

I was going to say ‘The Navy lark’ too. There are episodes available on the bbc I player, but perhaps you cannot access it in France.

The clitheroe kid, all gas and gaiters, just a minute, sorry I haven’t a clue and several others mentioned above, with a repeat mention for the goons. Oh and Hancock. There used to be a satirical programme on a Friday night after the 10 o’clock news.

I must say I miss the 12.30 comedy slot which used to aired every weekday. I think there might have been a similar situation after ther late news but the Friday night one is the only clear memory of that slot.

The current 6.30 material is very thin. I can’t warm to a lot of it, although I do like the Mark Steele visiting towns programme.

Davy


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## dghr272 (Jun 14, 2012)

Sunday nights in bed with a transistor radio, single ear piece tuned into the Radio Luxembourg Top Twenty show and awakening in the morning to a hissing sound and nearly flat batteries. :surprise:

Terry


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## H1-GBV (Feb 28, 2006)

I must agree with the "younger" folk: Navy Lark, Round the Horne, Clitheroe Kid, I'm sorry I'll read that again etc. 

However, after getting my final job in Norfolk in1986, I needed to travel "home" to Teesside on Friday evening and the journey was always shortened by the News Huddlines.

Gordon


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## Drew (May 30, 2005)

As well as those mentioned there was Top of the Form. Happy memories, never to be forgotten.


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## GMJ (Jun 24, 2014)

John Peel on Radio 1

Graham :smile2:


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## emjaiuk (Jun 3, 2005)

Keith's first mention. the Goon Show, absolutely hysterical. I'll never forget their plan to put down an uprising in the desert by transporting a British battleship there.



Malcolm


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## teljoy (Jul 4, 2005)

KeithChesterfield said:


> We all have different reasons why we laugh, or don't, at things we see and hear.
> 
> I was brought up on a diet of comedy Radio programmes when I was at School in the 1950s from the age of 11 to 16.
> 
> ...


Yes, that was my era and I enjoyed all of them. I think age is now having an effect on my memory, can anyone tell me the programme with Kenneth Williams where he would say " hello I'm Julian and this is my friend Sandy ". It was all so very innocent in our day and would probably upset some people now.

Terry


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## erneboy (Feb 8, 2007)

Round the Horne. You can find it on Radio 4 Extra regularly.


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## KeithChesterfield (Mar 12, 2010)

Hello, I'm Julian and this is my friend Sandy -


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## HurricaneSmith (Jul 13, 2007)

In addition to the above, "Beyond our Ken" which ended with the spoof "Hornerama".

.


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## erneboy (Feb 8, 2007)

I like Round the Horne very much and the humour hasn't aged at all, but the musical interludes are truly awful, dated and corny.


Much of the old stuff can be found on Radio 4 Extra between 8 and 9 in the mornings and at lunch time between 12 and 1. Some great stuff.


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## barryd (May 9, 2008)

Cant remember any of those. Used to like Steve Wright in the Afternoon in the 80s. Some funny characters. its all so boring and safe now on Radio 2 and he's a bit of a knob.

James Whale on Talk Radio in the 90s was hilarious on the late night phone in but he turned out to be a bit of a knob an all.

Of course as a teenager the all important top 40 on Sunday evening. I was a DJ back then and to save money on buying records I used to tape the ones I wanted on my dads music centre but you had to time it right and fade out the recording before the dumb arse DJ started spouting off at the end of the record.


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## KeithChesterfield (Mar 12, 2010)

I was sent away to School from 11 to 16 and I acquired a 'portable' radio that ran on accumulators.

It was about the size of a beer crate, with a leather carrying strap on top, and weighed a ton.

The sound quality was terrible with crackling and other terrible noises but somehow we managed to listen to shows such as the Goon Show and got the gist of them.

It was only later in life, when I heard them again, that I fully appreciated how advanced their humour was compared to what was normally on the Radio in that era.

To while away the long dark evenings we'd listen to the radio and beside the comedy, we certainly need that, anything that helped pass the time was appreciated.

Radio Luxembourg was popular but reception was diabolical and the sound came through as and when it felt like it – Radio Caroline was not broadcast until the mid 60s and I'm afraid was well after my youth had receded.

The Navy Lark and Clitheroe Kid didn't start until the late 1950s and, because I'd started work then, I didn't really get the chance to listen to them as much as the earlier programmes.

Do you think the Radio shaped your humour or was it other things in life that contributed more ?


:smile2: :smile2: :smile2: :smile2:


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## rayrecrok (Nov 21, 2008)

The Army Game and the spin off Bootsie and Snudge, always ate my Sunday dinner to Wakey Wakey the billy Cotton Band show along with others mentioned here..

No telly in my younger days it was always the radio, with sat afternoon soccer results along with the paper Green un, and Pink un. which my dad read cover to cover.

ray.


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## JanHank (Mar 29, 2015)

Being a call girl at the GPO brought out my adult sense of humour, but many times jokes from the old radio programs would start us all laughing.


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## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)

A call girl eh, new I'd seen you before   

Liz was a 192 girl in another lifetime.


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## JanHank (Mar 29, 2015)

rayrecrok said:


> The Army Game and the spin off Bootsie and Snudge, always ate my Sunday dinner to Wakey Wakey the billy Cotton Band show along with others mentioned here..
> 
> No telly in my younger days it was always the radio, with sat afternoon soccer results along with the paper Green un, and Pink un. which my dad read cover to cover.
> 
> ray.


I remember my Dad checking the results on the radio Saturday nights, I don't ever remember him winning aything. Do the pools still exist?


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## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)

rayrecrok said:


> The Army Game and the spin off Bootsie and Snudge, always ate my Sunday dinner to Wakey Wakey the billy Cotton Band show along with others mentioned here..
> 
> No telly in my younger days it was always the radio, with sat afternoon soccer results along with the paper Green un, and Pink un. which my dad read cover to cover.
> 
> ray.


Wow, forgot all about old Excused boots  

1st TV was Boots n Saddles at my mate batesies house, guesss his later nickname, it wasn't Mr Bates, 1st at home TV was Lassie, "what's up girl" "someones fallen down the mine shaft"


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