Parsley Sidings - New Episodes Discovered!

Brilliant news from the world of the "Missing Presumed Wiped" sitcoms. A whole bunch of episodes from the radio sitcom Parsley Sidings have been discovered, including the pilot, bring the total archive from 6 to 19 out of 21!

For those not aware of the series, which is listed on the BCG here, Parsley Sidings was a sitcom starring Authur Lowe and Ian Lavender in roles not to disimilar to Mainwaring and Pike in Dad's Army, and it was made at the time Dad's Army was being made in the early 1970s. It is set in Parsley Sidings, a small railway station which gets very little trains and is therefore always under the threat of closure.

The station is managed by Horace Hepplewhite (Lowe), whose family have been running the station for generations. He is trying to get is stupid son Bertrand (Lavender) to takes over once he goes, but he would rather be an actor. The other staff include Gloria Simpkins (Liz Fraser) the secretary who is in love with Bertrand, not that he notices; crafty cockney porter Percy Valentine and elderly signalman Mr Bradshaw (both played by Kenneth Connor).

Parsley Sidings ran for a pilot and two series before it was axed by BBC Radio 2 after it was decided to remove just about all scripted comedy from the station. As a result, most of the episodes got lost, but some have been rediscovered and have been played on BBC Radio 7.

You can listen to the episodes here and here.

Blimey, I had no idea that so many were officially 'missing'. I've had all 19 for ages!

(If my records are correct, the two missing episodes are S02E08 & 9.)

Really? Or are you just taking the piss?

No, genuinely! I don't joke about comedy!

Shame I didn't hear about it earlier. I know that the discovery was at least three weeks ago, according to the BBC Radio 7 messageboard, but I presume it has been around for some considerable time then. I knew that six were still in existence, and the last time the show was repeated they played just six episodes, with some rumours of the others existing in private hands, but that was all.

Yeah, quite a while. I must have had them for a good 6 months at very least, and when I obtained them there was no hint of it being new discoveries or anything! Gawd knows what else is around.

Well, I do know that they found the soundtrack to one of the missing Dad's Army episodes, but that's about it. Odd how news travels so slowly sometimes.

Just discovered this radio sitcom cortesy of this website- http://www.archive.org/details/ParsleySidings

Will look forward to listening to.

Quote: Ian Wolf @ March 8 2009, 1:19 PM BST

Brilliant news from the world of the "Missing Presumed Wiped" sitcoms. A whole bunch of episodes from the radio sitcom Parsley Sidings have been discovered, including the pilot, bring the total archive from 6 to 19 out of 21!

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Co-incidentally my copy of 'Permission to Speak, Sir!' (the magazine of the Dad's Army Appreciation Society) arrived today and one of the articles mentions that they are in contact with someone who can take their collection from 14 to 19 !

That was what was discussed as the basis of this thread!

The missing episodes are S2E8 and 9, according to my archive.

Oh. I said that previously. Well ... yeah, anyway. The 19 was what the thread was about in the first place, and what I've had for quite a while.

Yeah, Know that.

I was just saying it's a co-incidence that DAAS should mention it as well !

Are you the mystery fellow then Aaron ?

Ahhh, ok. I get you.

And alas, I am not. Can't even remember where I got the bloody things from anymore!

And I didn't receive a copy so I must need to renew my membership. Damn.

I have only recently discovered Parsley Sidings on R4 Extra. I have no recollection of it in 1971/2 at all, and I am certainly in the right age group! Arthur Lowe & Ian Lavender play similar characters to the ones they play in Dad's Army (which was current at the time), but it has a lovely traditional British radio comedy feel to it. I am really enjoying hearing, and bravo to the good folks who found the missing episodes.