Cutting - Jack Hylton Dies (1965)

29th January 1965

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Jack Hylton was a very popular band leader in England and on the Continent (even playing for Herman Goering in Berlin) throughout the 1920’s and 1930’s. In 1936 he took America by storm and toured Canada. He also dabbled in entrepreneurship, having brought Duke Ellington over the Britain for the first time in 1933. In 1940 he stopped performing and concentrated on theatrical and TV production, having London West End hits with shows like ‘Kiss Me Kate’, ‘Kismet’ and ‘Salad Days’. At the age of 70 in 1963 he married 29 year-old Beverley Prowse and, as detailed above, died in 1965.

Cutting - Doctor in the House (1969)

3rd July 1969

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The 'Doctor in the House' TV series ran to 26 episodes and was originally aired in 1969/70 starting on the 12 July. As well as Barry Evans, it starred Robin Nedwell and George Layton with Martin Shaw popping up in 10 episodes and the beautiful Yutte Stengaard in 5. The writers included Graeme Garden, Bill Oddie, Graham Chapman and John Cleese. Evans also starred in 'Doctor at Large' with Nedwell and Layton, who went on to 'Doctor in Charge', 'Doctor at Sea', 'Doctor on the Go', 'Doctor Down Under' and 'Doctor At The Top'. Barry Evans is probably best remembered by my generation as the star of the film 'Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush'.

Cutting - Backing for Britain to Join Common Market (1969)

3rd July 1969

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On March 25, 1957, France, West Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg sign a treaty in Rome establishing the European Economic Community (EEC), better known as the Common Market. At first Britain decided not to join the Common Market and established the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) in 1960 as an alternative. 

By the early 1960s, however, the Common Market nations showed signs of significant economic growth, and Britain changed its mind. Because of its close ties to the United States, however, French President Charles de Gaulle twice vetoed British admission; consequently Britain did not join until January 1973.

Cutting - Birching (1961)

April 1961

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Courts had not been able to sentence anyone to be birched since 1948 although the birch could still be used in prisons. On 11th April 1961 67 Conservative MPs voted in the Commons to bring back the birch but it wasn't. I wonder what UKIP's stand is?

Cutting - Obituary for Charles Bickford (1967)

10th November 1967

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Charles Bickford had a career that went from burlesque to Broadway theatre to films to TV over a period of 63 years. As a child he was the black sheep of his family and was even tried (but acquited) of murder at the age of 9 (that is not a misprint - nine). As well as the films mentioned in the article his CV aso included 'Duel in the Sun' with Gregory Peck, 'Of Mice and Men' with Burgess Meredith and 'The Plainsman' with Gary Cooper.He was nominated 3 times for best Supporting Actor Oscars but never won.

Advert - Welbeck Mini Cabs (1960's)

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Mini Cabs appeared on London streets in 1961 as the result of a loophole in the 1869 Carriage Act which allowed for taxis other then the official 'black cabs' if they were not hailed in the street but called via a control office.

Cutting - Atlantic Rower (1969)

20th July 1969

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John Fairfax was the first person to row the Atlantic solo. He set off on January 20th 1969 and arrived in Florida 180 days later on July 19th. In 1971/2 he rowed, along with Sylvia Cook, the Pacific taking 361 days. He died in Nevada in 2012 at the age of 74.

Random Ad - Norman Vaughan (1960's)

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Norman Vaughan replaced Bruce Forsyth (whatever happened to him) as host of  the TV show 'Sunday Night at the London Palladium' in 1962. He also devised the TV gameshow 'Bullseye' and appeared in a series of adverts for Roses Chocolates with the catchphrase "Roses grow on you". He died in 2002 following a road accident.

Random Cutting - Kennedy on crutches (1961)

June 9th 1961

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It is now common knowledge that John F Kennedy had suffered from back pain since 1938 and normally wore a corset or back brace, but this and other information about his health issues had been kept secret throughout his campaign and election to the White House. JFK also had Addison's disease and hypothyroidism.

Random Cutting - Death of Ernie Kovaks (1962)

14th January 1962

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I'm not sure today's newspapers would print such a graphic picture of a dead celebrity. Ernie Kovaks an American radio and TV star, comic, scriptwriter, film actor, novelist and during the early 1950's the first TV innovator who, by stretching the existing video technology to its limits, won a posthumous  Emmy in 1962. As shown above he died in car accident in Los Angeles on the 13rh January 1962. 

Random Ad - Wimpey Homes (1960's)

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George Wimpey built their first residential estate in 1928 and by the 1960's and 70s were a household name. They merged with another well known brand, Taylor Woodrow, to become Taylor Wimpey in 2007.

Random Ad - Dish Washer (1950's)

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The height of sophisticated living in the 1950's - a Colston Automatic Dishwasher. By 1965 the ownership of a dishwasher in British homes had risen to a staggering 1.5%.

Random Cutting - A E Mathews in Hospital (1960)

27th February 1960

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I couldn't resist this picture of the irascible 90 year old character actor A E Matthews smoking his pipe in a hospital bed just 5 months before he died on the 25th July 1960. Matthews was already an established stage actor when he started a film career than lasted from 1914 until 1960.

Random Ad - Film Ads (1964)

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'The Scarlet Blade' was made by Hammer who didn't just do Horror and the young Oliver Reed is there swashing his buckle. 'The Son of Captain Blood' starred Sean Flynn the son of Erroll Flynn who made 'Captain Blood' in 1935. Someone must have thought long and hard about that title.

Random Cutting - Nelson Mandela (1962)

23rd October 1962

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Although Mandela was initially committed to non-violent protest, he co-founded the militant Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK) party in 1961, in association with the SACP, to carry out a sabotage campaign against the white apartheid government. In 1962 he was serving a five-year sentence for inciting workers to strike and leaving the country illegally, when he was charged with - recruiting persons for training in the preparation and use of explosives and in guerrilla warfare for the purpose of violent revolution and committing acts of sabotage; conspiring to commit the aforementioned acts and to aid foreign military units when they invaded the Republic; acting in these ways to further the objects of communism; and soliciting and receiving money for these purposes from foreign sympathizers. He was convicted of conspiracy to overthrow the state, and sentenced to life imprisonment. He served 27 years.

Random Cutting - Death of Stan Laurel (1965)

23rd February 1965

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Stan Laurel (Arthur Stanley Jefferson) was born in 1890 in Ulverston when it was in Lancashire, England and became the internationally recognisable thin half  of the comedy duo Laurel and Hardy. Stan and Oliver 'Babe' Hardy appeared in 106 films together. Stan also wrote, produced and directed. 

Duke and Duchess of Kent Wedding (1961)

Daily Sketch dated Friday 9th June 1961

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Another Royal wedding. Edward, Duke of Kent was born in 1935, his father was George, Duke of Kent who was a son of George V and killed on active service in 1942. Edward's bride was Katharine Worsley, a descendant of Oliver Cromwell, and they married at York Minster on 8 June 1961. 

Random Ad - Minstrel Show (1963)

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This advert from 1963 is for one of those 'Fun-Packed' entertainments in which white singers and dancers 'black up' and pretend to be those oh so funny black people. The 'Black and White Minstrel Show' was a huge hit on BBC TV from 1958 until 1978. The fact that this show does not use the title of the TV show probably means it was an unofficial rip-off, but they made sure to use the tag line 'They're Black and White'.

Random Cutting - Myra Hindley O-Level (1969)

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Hindley went on to get a Humanities Degree from the Open University. She died in 2002 while still in prison.

Randon Ad - Smiths Clocks (1960's)

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A blonde in trendy sunglasses getting her life-force from a torch battery. A 1960's advert for battery powered Sectronic clocks marketed by Smiths. Smiths introduced the battery powered Sectronic range in 1962.