 Welcome, An
introduction and the bits in between
An introduction to TV in the
Fifties, testcards, the BBC Clock and the major
milestones of TV progress in the '50s feature in
this section. A few video clips are included to
illustrate how it all worked.
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 Next, the interludes and the
announcers
The Potter's Wheel, London to
Brighton in Four Minutes and those Announcers
with the BBC accents like MacDonald Hobley and
Sylvia Peters.
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 Now
the important bit, viewing the programmes!
Use the Contents
menu over on the left. Open the folders
to reveal the programmes and categories. This is
the main section and is split into children's
programmes and those for the not so young. You
can also use the A to Z index and the search
button at the top of the page.
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 And to view some
old commercials, Click Here!
The first commercial shown on ITV
was for toothpaste. Find out which brand and also
see some video clips of other popular
commercials.
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 Read the nostalgic memories
of a television kid of the '50s
Gerry George is an actor who was in
his teens in those early days of television. In
this section, he records for us his memories of
the performers, programmes and events of the
decade. So grab a cuppa, sit down comfortably and
click on the elephant.
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 Now,
visit our companion 1950's radio programme
website
Here we present information about
radio programmes such as Take it from Here,
Much-Binding-in-the-Marsh, The Goon Show and lots
of other programmes of the period.
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Visit the Whirligig 1950's British TV
and Radio Message Board
Visit
our 
Channel
Visit
our online shop for T-shirts and Mugs
Download the Whirligig
Screensaver... Click
Here for preview
The Whirligig  Snippets pages hold
information which is not always specific to a
particular programme but is of general interest,
or perhaps anecdotes from those involved in
broadcasting during the '50s. So if you have any
snippets to contribute,
please send them
to us!
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Listing of
classic TV video and DVD suppliers
Radio Times
Back numbers
BFI
have released two vintage Enid Blyton Famous Five
film serials on DVD
 Enid
Blyton fans, young and old alike, are in for a
nostalgic treat when the BFI releases on DVD two
rare film serials made in the 1950s and 1960s of
the much-loved Famous Five adventure stories.
Five
on a Treasure Island (1957) and Five Have a
Mystery to Solve (1964) featuring Julian, Dick,
Anne, George and Timmy the dog, have been
re-mastered to High Definition from original film
elements preserved in the BFI National Archive.
For more information or to
order DVDs, click on the picture above.
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Feature: The
Real Kathy Kirby
No Secret Anymore
By Mark Willerton
(with Ian Parkes)
Plus …
Discography & vinyl values
Kathy on TV and radio
80 pages of rare colour and b/w photos …
many previously unseen.
As Britain's highest paid female
singer of the 1960s, Kathy Kirby enjoyed a
glamorous show-business lifestyle with all the
trappings of success - a home in Mayfair, mink
coats, diamonds and champagne on tap.
Kathy's story also reveals the other side of the
business - what happens when a star fades and
falls to earth.
Kathy was a complex character; beautiful and
hugely talented - but tormented by demons as she
struggled to cope with debilitating mental
illness.
Mark Willerton was a personal
friend of the star for almost thirty years and
probably knew Kathy better than anyone else. In
addition to his own recollections, he has drawn
on commentary from Kathy's friends, neighbours,
contemporaries, songwriters and obtained
exclusive revelations from her former managers.
Advanced signed copies
(Hardback) £19.99 including P&P from
M.Willerton, 3 Burtey Fen Lane, Pinchbeck,
Spalding, Lincs. PE11 3SR
Please make cheque payable
to M.Willerton.
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