From The Nissen Hut

Many years ago whilst replacing sash windows with double glazing in our first house we came across this folded piece of paper encased in the hollow part of the sash window frame. It's a page from the Radio Times dated November 8th 1946 and came with the name of the sash window installers on a separate piece of paper. We were thrilled to find a piece of history dating part of the house so very carefully it was placed in an envelope and forgotten. Until now. Our recent car boot antics unearthed a lot of forgotten objects, this was found amongst other things so I thought I would try and piece it all together for the blog.

It took a bit of doing as most of the pieces were very delicate as one would expect for a piece of paper approaching sixty six but eventually I could read the page quite easily. The photos above and below are high resolution if you want to click on them to read it more clearly.

No television listings I'm afraid as televisions were a little thin on the ground even though BBC television after the war started broadcasting again on 7th June of this year with an announcement "Good afternoon everybody. How are you? Do you remember me, Jasmine Bligh?" and a Mickey Mouse cartoon.


Instead we are treated to a feast of radio with Charlie Chester in 'Stand Easy', Joe Loss and his Orchestra which still exists today minus Joe and of course Children's Hour with a story called 'Puffy Tam and the Tarboiler'. Sounds a classic. If you were listening at 7pm on 449.1m you would have heard 'Those Were The Days' of old time dance music, you know, real music, stuff you could hum to, not like today and all this wham bam boogaloo gingham style. I remember when down with the trumpets was listening to Harold Bishop and the Salvation Army Brass Band and not all about... Oh My! Ahem, let's move on...

This is the best bit though, early days of advertisements and naive persuasion to get you to invest in their brand. Some classic names that were destined to fail, Blondes stay blond, use Sta-Blonde, not very original is it although the product does guarantee to prevent darkening with age and miraculously to bring back the beauty of childhood. I particularly like the marmalade which classes itself as Chunky Special Standard. If its special its not really standard is it?

Even more miraculous is So-Taist-EE, see what they did there? Guaranteed using eighteen ingredients to make stews, pies and gravy delicious. It's that good it can turn its hand to anything, you can make great sandwiches with it and even stimulating beverages, although what it stimulates apart from your gag reflex is not explained although it promises to be highly concentrated and a little goes a long way. So it's the food equivelent of axle grease then? Yum!

Then we get something advertised thats really random for a radio listings magazine, Canary seed. Stuck for things to do? Then go to Hobbies British Fretwork Outfits, as they explain, and you must read this next part with a stuff upper lip, 'Any fellow enjoys using a box of tools'

I'm off to dig a bomb shelter in the garden and listen to Arthur Askey on the wireless, I might even take my Ukulele for a quick sing song as I hang up the black out curtains. Spam tonight but Jayne promises me that she has something So-Taist-EE to add that will make it taste like steak. Just hope I can keep my new blonde look until I finish my fretwork kit and complete the scale model of a galleon that I have built out of old shell casings and ration books.

Can you hear me, mother?

Ayethenkyou.

 

www.petersmithcollective.co.uk Home Of Everything Impossimal