My family are really into the `Garcia Jokes`,enjoy jokes myself as well but I mainly go for situation comedy, rehearsed/unrehearsed, One of my favourites was brought back to life over the week-end and I blushed when watching, how the hell could I be so dumb, doh!!. I am of course speaking about Peter Brough and Archie the first and probably the last "Radio Ventriliquist", Can the following upright citizens on here please raise their hands and confess they used to listnen to the afore mentioned artiste and never give a thought about the finer points, honesty please gents, 1..Jonno from Railway cuttings Cheam 2..Clarky,Screacher,Pit Bill from Round the Horne,3..Flo from Itma 4..Phoenix and True from Much binding in the Marsh. Silly sod Brough then went onto the telly on one of the first talk shows with muppet Archie and attempted to get thro the show hiding his lips behind a 14`` Cuban cigar cupped in his hands. Ah by-gone days before satire.

-- Anonymous, January 14, 2002

Answers

Ok, I'll fess up buff. I can vividly remember listening to the radio sitcoms on a Sunday before during and after Sunday lunch.

I can just recall Educating Archie, the Glums, and Hancock's Half Hour - spoken slightly breathlessly.

My personal favourites from those heady days of youth were classics like Round the Horn and The Al Read Show.

My Father had an amazingly infectious laugh, and when he got into full bellow at Al Read, he would have the entire family rolling about laughing at him laughing at the radio. Priceless, timeless memories!

-- Anonymous, January 14, 2002

Me anahll Buff.

Them were the days. Round the Horne was centuries ahead of it's time, but it took ages for me to twig that 'Much Binding in the Marsh' was a ficticious 'aerodrome'.

And what about Wot Cheor Geordie and The Charlie Chester Show and even Ray's a Laugh.

Same thing happened with Jimmy Edwards, never as good on tv. Good owld steam radio, eh ?

-- Anonymous, January 14, 2002

And I (initially) thought you meant our, very own, GarCie jokes!

;7)

-- Anonymous, January 14, 2002

I do I do,but who in their right mind these days would be took in by a Radio Ventriliquist, here`s me thinking he was good , no-one else is admitting it, the purpose of the question .

-- Anonymous, January 14, 2002

And why I ask would Dot Cottons Father, Billy scream out "Wakey Wakey" each Sunday at lunchtime when decent folks were dishing up the dinner, why why why, gotta be a reason , there was no time difference was there?, did he think we could not hear him?, all unanswered.

-- Anonymous, January 14, 2002

My first radio memory was Jimmy Clitheroe.(sp?) Of course, some of youse old gits would have been in your 40's when Jimmy was on...

-- Anonymous, January 14, 2002

Much Binding and Round the Horn were my favourites (apart from the Goons which were, of course, in a different league. I never thought the "ventriloquist" was funny. Actually, I have to confess, I did like Rays a Laugh and to this day can still sing the opening tune! Oh dear!

-- Anonymous, January 14, 2002

Reminiscing about the distant past, Buff, -- as I often do!! -- is the sign of our advancing years. My earliest memory of radio is he actual hardware itself. There it stood in pride of place -- the size of the average television set. During the war, we would gather round it to listen to the news -- at the beginning usually bad -- my highlights of the week were Monday night at Eight and the Hippodrome on Saturday -- Ramsbottom and Enoch and ME. In the forties my favourites were Take it from Hear with Jimmy Edwards, Dick Bentley, and later the Al Read show. Hancock was the greatest genius of all. Away from home it was always fun to listen to the Geordie comic Tommy (maybe Jimmy) THompson -- the litte waster.

-- Anonymous, January 14, 2002

For the benifet of a few aulder people listening in on this one, watch my lips, Radio Ventriliquist!! That`s the joke folks , how the hell could we tell if he was good? , proved later he was a tosser on tv.

-- Anonymous, January 14, 2002

Bobby Thompson, Flo , Geordie and Jimmy were a double act "The Thompson Twins" !!!!!, used to like Geordie Music Hall on the radio but Jackie Toaduff complete with clogs dancing to Flight of the Bumble Bee on radio did not come off, rather wasted effort somewhat.

-- Anonymous, January 14, 2002

The greatest half back line ever to play on radio was without a doubt

Dick.......................Snowy.................Jock...............

followed by-:

Clamp Wright Flowers

* remember those nights from Molineaux and wee Johhny Hancocks.

-- Anonymous, January 14, 2002

Bringing back lots of memories there Buff. I can't recall Peter Brough too well, the name yes, but that's about all. Seems like Floridian and myself share much the same memories. ITMA was the big comedy show with Tommy Handley. Ted Ray took on Tommies mantle later on. To Floridian..I haven't thought of Monday night at eight for at least 50 years. "Once again we stop the roar of London's traffic...". Do you recall the breeding ground for a host of Brit comedians, the Variety Bandbox? I still have fond memories of the Crazy Gang. Not sure of their names but think they were: Flannagan & Allan, Nervo & Knox, and Naunton & Wayne. Anyone remember that movie with the Crazy Gang and Alistair Sim (who played a Genii) "Alf's Button Afloat. No, I didn't think you would. :-) phoenix

-- Anonymous, January 14, 2002

That`s what it is all about phoenix, each house resembled a mini CCHQ after darkness fell, whole families grouped around the radio with the Screacher of the future expertly twiddling the reet knobs to get sound

The ladies were kept at some distance cutting up rags for the progie mats. Culture did arrive later tho with the dulcet tones of Franklin Engleman "Going down your Way", I think?

-- Anonymous, January 14, 2002

I remember hat movie.

-- Anonymous, January 14, 2002

My grandma made enough proggie mats to cover the whole of Northumberland.

-- Anonymous, January 14, 2002

Gotta close now lads cos matron is doing her rounds , nah seriously thanks for the company, fully expect to come in tomoorow and find that the man from Houston has pulled the plug, have applied for counselling life goes on, see ya when I see ya. Buff

-- Anonymous, January 14, 2002

You aulds might enjoy: http://www.andmas.co.uk/radio/main.html

-- Anonymous, January 14, 2002

Surely the Goons was just a whole gang of radio ventriloquists ?

Now you've pinned us down Buff, them days, a ventriloquist was just a double act with one normal voice and one funny voice.

I mean, who ever had a dictionary to look up what 'ventriloquist' really meant, and who ever actually saw one in the flesh ?

It was a complete con, but, now you mention it. Can't say that aspect ever registered with me though.

-- Anonymous, January 14, 2002

Can remember most of these and the film re Alistair Sim and a genie my dad used always to quote "Strike me pink" and the genei did1!!! He thought that hilarious. It wasnt until later years that I thought Brough adn Andrews o the Radio was bit odd.

Heres one there was actualy a drag act on the radio ......Nat Millsna Bobby. Canyou imagine that?? So b corny.

Question what programme replaced "Dick Barton Special Agent" BEFORE THE ARCHERS!!!

Nostalgicly yo

-- Anonymous, January 14, 2002

Frisby Dike to you all

-- Anonymous, January 15, 2002