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three...
"This article awakened
exciting memories for me also, of going to the
BBC in Ormeau Avenue in 1952 and 1954 to read
my poems on Children's Hour. I think the programme
was called 'Junior Magazine'." Hilary
McCahon (nee Atchison)
"I have a prize
book awarded to me for recognising bird songs
on Childrens Hour on 20th March 1925. The title
is BRITISH REPTILES, AMPHIBIANS AND FRESHWATER
FISHES by W. PERCIVAL WESTELL, F.L.S. who was
"Uncle Tadpole" the forerunner of
"Romany".
It is inscribed in ink as an award to myself
and signed by W. Percival Westell. I have just
been watching a program showing old radios,
but none like ours which had visible valves
and moving coils. Loud speakers were not around,
so we sat around a central block into which
we plugged our individual headphones. Happy
days." Edwin E. Rayner
"I am delighted and thrilled
to be included in the audio clips featured.
I had a wonderful time when taking part in these
recordings and have the fondest and warmest
memories of Cecily and Havelock Nelson. They
were terrific people who engendered in us the
love of music and the art of perfection. I owe
them so much.
I have gone on to become
a composer and at present am involved in writing
for the clarinettist Leslie Craven and for the
Vale of Glamorgan Ensemble who premiered my
Clarinet Concerto last August. Much of my work
is inspired by those who shaped my childhood
and gave us so much of their time and talents.
I am also grateful to Walter
Love who actually was kind enough to interview
me and gave me a tape of the clips. With best
wishes" Roma Cafolla
- (March 05)
_________________________
"I
first met Cicely Mathews at the age of 12.
What a fantastic person .. To
us young fry she was a combination of mother and favourite aunt, always jolly,
warm, considerate, approachable and full of encouragement for what we were doing." -Ian Sanderson
_________________________
"I read a poem that I had composed on Children's Hour in February 1952. Under
my mother's guidance I bought five books from Mullen's with the book token I
was given. I then asked Graeme Roberts, Cicely's husband, to ask Cicley to inscribe
the David Copperfield novel. I still have all five books!" - Marie McCullagh
_________________________
"I
did for some years, glue my
ear to the 'wireless' to hear
Children's Hour 'Happy
Days'. I was one of those stage struck kids, and I played in Cicely's "I Want
To Be An Actor" series. I have wonderful memories of those days, and some
of the people I met, like Alfred Arnold and Havelock Nelson." - Edward
Brown
_________________________
"For
me Children's Hour encapsulates
my warm, happy and secure 1950s
childhood, on which I look
back with a fond nostalgia.
I was an avid listener of Children's
Hour, and was delighted to participate in "I Want To Be An Actor". All
in all, Children's Hour was a most alive and enjoyable combination of education
and
entertainment in one programme, with audience participation, and for me
was
a wonderful 'building
brick' for life. Bring it back!" - June Jordan
_________________________
"On
Children's Hour I was narrator
for all the "Brogeen" stories, and read
a number of stories about "Gabbety Goose". I remember the studio managers
and technicians - Gerry McCrudden, Matt Carruth, Bill McClelland, Andrew
Crockart
and of course, Kathleen Mehaffey, Cicely's secretary, who was such a
big part of the team, for that was what Cicely's strength was, she made
us
all feel
part of something very special - Northern Ireland Children's Hour." -
Kathleen Bell
_________________________
"Was
there ever a person who had the warmth
and graciousness of Cicely Matthews?
Did she understand the mind of a child
or no? You
can say all you like about Harry Potter,
but in my book Cicely understood what
makes children tick. There was always
a hint of conspiracy between her and
her performers that somehow crossed the
barrier between adults and children.
It
was like she was one of us. Yet we looked
up to her as the wise one. And boy, could
she (and her sidekick Kathleen Mahaffy)
make it fun. Wonderful fun in an age
of innocence. -Scott Kelso. You can
listen here to
Scott singing on the show when he was
9.
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