Hancock's Half Hour Page 11

I've read those links and blimey it proves it was only 3 years ago I was there, feels like ten, but no, it ties in with things. I was on the new sold off clearing, houses still being built. I take it you're aware Aaron that the old radio room G&S set up was demolished a few months after you were there, it's in the link. Possibly why you had to put the plaque on the saved buildings? I'll pop down there soon to check it out. This feller's house went up he said bang on the block they knocked down. Others being built on it too.

Now on the saved buildings I've some interesting waffle on them, or not. I remember big campaigns and posters up for 30 years at least to save Milford Hospital, it was always being threatened with closure. Big bits were saved such as the main building you plaqued but it was a large old site with many acres and outbuildings as above that weren't saved and went bit by bit over the years. I had some minor involvement with the water tower once which is no more.

Now, there are at least three other comedy people I know of who were involved in some way in the campaigns to stop the whole lot being flattened. The point here is that all 3 or at least 2 of them afaik used the G&S connection to help keep main part there, I'm not sure when it was listed, but it's not been that long. All locals, one still there, Penelope Keith, was very vocal in the campaigns, that's why she's so popular in area.

Another, Ben Elton wasn't there long but lived in a caravan on the site opposite The Merry Harriers in Hascombe/Hambledon end when he was at Godalming College in about 1980 or just before, who I believe got involved years later in some smaller way remembering his links there.

And lastly of the ones I know of anyway was the late Terry Scott, a comedy hero of mine and perhaps the only troubling aspect relating to all this but I'm very sketchy on what the real truth was. But he was president of the new golf club opposite the main Hospital which opened in the late 80s or around that time. He opened it and did a lot of the negotiating for it to be built there, partly or wholly on the sanitorium's land.

That's the point, there was a rumour at time he stitched the hospital up in backing plans for the golf course instead of the putative reasons of saving the site, I really don't know what the truth was on it but he was indeed an exclusive member and I've heard less than flattering things about him, which is sad if true, just petty things that he was a stuffy sort who flaunted his fame or status as some do. It could just as well be that he found a good use for already earmarked land, I've no idea! That's it, interested me anyway. Oh well.

Quote: Hercules Grytpype Thynne @ 8th March 2017, 4:08 PM

Browsing a 1960 Radio Times and came across this for April 8th. No prizes for saying what the episode is..............

View original

Fab photo you found there btw.

No, actually I wasn't aware that that specific part of the building had gone. A bit of a shame, but I suppose these things happen at times. The rest of the place, I'm sure, also holds large history in the formation of the duo.

I saw the last three minutes of an episode of Hancock's yesterday at a TV event I went to. This was the 1967 series he made for ITV and is otherwise missing - it wasn't particularly great and seemed like a far cry from the genius of Galton and Simpson's scripts.

Also saw a complete episode of the ATV series from 1963 entitled 'The Reporter' which had moments of greatness, but really felt like it was missing that touch of brilliance. Unfortunately it seems that after firing Galton and Simpson he never managed to recapture that brilliance.

There were also a few clips from his time in Australia, including a TV interview he carried out the day after he had fallen off stage - an incident he claimed was down to the side effects of cholera shots, but is probably more likely to be down to his alcoholism which was was causing him serious issues by this point.

And the good news is that audio footage of a couple of missing episodes of Hancock's Half Hour is due out on CD in the next few months. One episode is 'The Italian Maid' and the other is... I forget, but look it up!

Quote: Ben @ 3rd September 2017, 4:06 PM

I saw the last three minutes of an episode of Hancock's yesterday at a TV event I went to. This was the 1967 series he made for ITV and is otherwise missing - it wasn't particularly great and seemed like a far cry from the genius of Galton and Simpson's scripts.

Also saw a complete episode of the ATV series from 1963 entitled 'The Reporter' which had moments of greatness, but really felt like it was missing that touch of brilliance. Unfortunately it seems that after firing Galton and Simpson he never managed to recapture that brilliance.

There were also a few clips from his time in Australia, including a TV interview he carried out the day after he had fallen off stage - an incident he claimed was down to the side effects of cholera shots, but is probably more likely to be down to his alcoholism which was was causing him serious issues by this point.

And the good news is that audio footage of a couple of missing episodes of Hancock's Half Hour is due out on CD in the next few months. One episode is 'The Italian Maid' and the other is... I forget, but look it up!

View original

No mention of The Italian Maid in Volume 1, but perhaps Volume 2 (April) will deliver.

https://www.comedy.co.uk/radio/hancocks_half_hour/shop/5289/collectibles_rarities_vol_1/ https://www.comedy.co.uk/radio/hancocks_half_hour/shop/5509/collectibles_rarities_vol_2/

Ah, yes, must be in the second CD release. I heard several minutes of it yesterday and it's classic Hancock. Didn't get to hear The Horror Serial, but that's the other one I was thinking of.

Went to see "Hancock's Half Hour" at the Theatre Royal, Brighton last night, a production by the Apollo Theatre Company (who did a similar thing with "Round the Horne" a few years ago), replicating radio recordings of three original episodes with James Hurn as Tony Hancock, Ben Craze as Sid James, Laura Crowhurst as Hattie Jacques, Tom Capper as Bill Kerr & Colin Elmer as Kenneth Williams with Clive Greenwood on the sound effects, etc.

All very authentic and great impersonations of the respective voices. Touring until 7 April. If it's coming to a theatre near you ( http://www.apollotheatrecompany.com/hancocks-half-hour.html ) I thoroughly recommend it. Even the nostalgic TV & radio themes they played before the show began are worth going for!

"People have been wearing clothes for thousands of years," said my fashion professor at this morning's lecture. No one interjected with a flawed smart-arse semantic riposte.

Back on topic, this reviewer is slightly more critical of the lead performance: https://www.londontheatre1.com/reviews/hancocks-half-hour-at-richmond-theatre-review/

Five cracking episodes on Radio 4 + in the last month, with one of my all-time favourites on next week - "The Childhood Sweetheart" Monday at 8am then a midday repeat at 12 and then another repeat at 7pm.
Olive was her name "once you've given her your Scout's woggle it was a good as being engaged" (or something like that - long time since I listened to it)

The Smugglers
Series 6
1/14 Returning from a holiday abroad, Sid tricks the lad and Bill into smuggling watches.

The Sleepless Night
Series 5
20/20 The lad tries to get a good night's sleep, but everybody else keeps him awake.

The Threatening Letters
Series 5
19/20 The lad is full of the joys of Spring until the postman arrives.

The Prize Money
Series 5
18/20 The lad gets more than he bargained for when he wins a TV quiz show.

Hancock's War
Series 5
The lad impresses the vicar with tales of his heroic exploits in Military Intelligence. Stars Tony Hancock. From May 1958.
** One hilarious exploit is loosely based on the film "Albert RN", which was based on a true WWII story. When they are in the POW camp Bill suggests they make a dummy POW, which Hancock originally thinks is a good idea until he realises that for the third person to escape, they would have to have three dummies all helping each other out of the prison camp. Hilarious!
All are still available on BBC online :-

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b009t2ld/episodes/player

Yes, been listening to them all over my wheaty bangs of a morning. Also have them on series record in case I oversleep.

Mind you, I've got them all on a set of CDs anyway. So maybe there' a touch of overkill there.

No more Griselda in series 6, though, and no more Kenneth Williams after next week's episode.

You know that could be me speaking there, and NEVER! You can never have overkill with The Lad, and anyone who says different will either get a punch up the bracket or I'll send Sid around with his cosh, mush.

Had forgotten in "The Smugglers" the conversations Tony and Bill had about Sid wondering if his friend who couldn't swim could swim the rest of the way if they jumped over the side of the ferry. I was in hysterics! It was so underplayed but brilliant. Genius comedy acting from all three of them!! They could have done it in one skit but gently kept coming back to it, which is what made it so funny.

Interesting to hear the first mention of "Oil Drum Lane" in this morning's episode.

SPOILER ALERT! I don't have a chance to listen to it until this evening's 7pm slot.