TheMISSING PAGE THE QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER OF THE TONY HANCOCK APPRECIATION SOCIETY FOUNDED IN 1976 Volume 6 Number 8 - October 2015 Tony Hancock performed in Exeter, both at the Theatre Royal and the Savoy/ABC. Above he poses for a photo with the manager of the ABC, Robert 'Bob' Parker,THE NEWSLETTER and OFa THEyoung TONY HANCOCK woman. APPRECIATION SOCIETY TFOUNDEDMISSI IN 1976 Special Believed to be in 1958. The above photo of Tony Hancok was taken for the TV Times and has lain unseen with photos of other stars for over 50 years. Tony Hancock's ATV Series This photo of a youngish Tony Hancock appear in a BBC 4 Television programme BBC: the Secret Files, presented by Penelope Keith as she delved into the corporation's written Coming soon, The Missing Page archives, Included in the show was a handwritten letter from Tony Download special on the 1963 ATV about his first BBC audition. You might find it on BBC iplayer. Complied series - 50+ jampacked pages of Hancock. BID FOR THIS POSTER and A message from the Editor Tom Dommett Dear Reader, I sometimes wonder how I am going to fill up 12 empty pages each 3 months and then I have to wonder which bits I am going to have to leave out or edit down due to lack of space. I hope that while your Missing Page continues in the 12 page format, we will be able to make even more stuff available online and as special and supplementary issues. The first of these is about the series Tony made for ATV. I think we have put together the most comprehensive (50 + pages) collection of information about this series ever. Mick Dawson has kindly donated an A3 Poster (poor copy left) that has been signed by Ray Galton and Alan Simpson (thanks to Tessa LeBars) to raise fund for the society. It depicts the front cover of the Time Out magazine and is printed on high quality art pper suitable for framing. It is offered exclusively to THAS members for the highest bid received (minimum £50.00) Bidding will close on 31st December 2015. Members should make their bid direct to Mick (for contact details see Audio Liberian on this page) the successful bidder will be announced in our January issue. Thank you to Henry Bull for letting me know the Radio 4 programme with recollections of someone who worked at the BBC Hancock recordings was Feedback on 14th Nov Contacts - The Tony Hancock Appreciation Society 2014. It’s about 22 minutes in. You can find it on BBC PRESIDENT - Andrew Clayden iplayer http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b04p204g. There are several Roydon Road, The Maltings Business Centre Stanstead Abbotts, Hertfordshire SG12 8HQ very exciting Hancock projects underway I am not yet at liberty to T: 01920 870355 E:[email protected] divulge. Keep an eye on our website for all the latest news www.tonyhancock.org.uk. Your editor, Tom Dommett. MEMBERSHIP SECRETARY - Steve King 76 Eversley Road, Benfleet, Essex SS7 4JH E: [email protected] More scripts for you to enjoy Editor of THE MISSING PAGE - Tom Dommett 24 Woodlands Road, Chippenham, Wiltshire SN14 Martin Gibbons has added some more scripts to the members only section 0HF E:[email protected] of the website. Pride of place goes to the film script for the unmade “The WEBSITE ADMINISTRATOR - Martin Gibbons Day Off” as adapted for radio. The Narrator introduces it with: “It's 1962, 9 Shelley Road, Maidstone, Kent ME16 8NS ladies and gentlemen. The Queen is on the throne. An Old Etonian Prime E: [email protected] Minister is having a scrap with the French. There's Bruce Forsyth and AUDIO & VIDEO LIBRARIAN - Mick Dawson Come Dancing on the telly, the Rolling Stones are playing live in London, 84 Meadway, Barnet, Hertfordshire EN5 5LB E: [email protected] and there's a new James Bond film in the autumn. How things change.” OFFICIAL RESEARCHER - Lyn Phillips Check out our website and you will also find a very rare special Hancock’s 10 Whitley Grange, Old Road, Liskeard, Cornwall (limit to 2 items per person) Half Hour Christmas script, Christmas at Aldershot - series 1 epsiode 8 PL14 6DQ (which originally appeared in Saga Magazine in December 2002) ARCHIVIST - Tristan Brittain-Dissont There are also many other scripts from Tony’s early career: Happy Go 31 Corcreeny Road, Hillsborough, County Down, Northern Ireland BT26 6EH E: Lucky, Calling All Forces, Forces All Star Bill and Star Bill. [email protected] LOCAL EVENTS ORGANIZER & BACK Hancock’s Half Hour Series 5 - 978-1785292651 ISSUES of The Missing Page, Piltdown Glory & Hancock’s Half Hour series 5 is scheduled for release on 3rd March 2016. The Railway Cuttings from Keith Fisher 26 French’s Well, Horsell, Woking, Surrey GU21 3AS synopsis states that the release contains all 20 episodes from the series but no MERCHANDISING OFFICER further details (including artwork) are yet available. Dryden Pennington The Old Chapel, Redbridge The basic aim of the Tony Hancock Appreciation Society are to promote the works of Tony Hancock for the continued aware- Road, Nr. Crossways, Dorset DT2 8DY ness of and enjoyment of the general public and to collect and classify the recorded works of Tony Hancock for the benefit of E: [email protected] members. No active individual receives payment for services to the society, which is a voluntary organisation. All members de- tails and information are covered under the data protection Act and cannot be used other than by the THAS. All rights reserved. THAS/FACEBOOK ADMINISTRATOR No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electron- ic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the prior permission in writing of the Tony Hancock Appreciation Lord Toby Jug 40 Landcliffe Close, St.Ives, Society. All views comments and letters reproduced in this publication are entirely those of the individual author concerned and Cambs. PE27 3JF W: https://www.facebook.com in no way reflect the views of the general membership of the THAS. 2 THE MISSING PAGE OCTOBER 2015 Volume 6 Number 8 The MISSING PAGE October 2015 It is not raining here also It’s obviously a sign of old age, that time seems to go quicker with each year! It doesn’t seem that long ago that I was writing my notes for our last issue back in July and now Anthony Aloysius St. John here we are, with our final Missing Page of Hancock 2015 and the first one from our new editor, The Lad Himself (1924 - 1968) “Stone Me, What A Life!” Tom Dommett. Let me start by wishing Tom all the best in his new position, he made an excellent job of the trial issue he compiled back in April and I’m sure he’ll steer the good ship Missing Page onward and upward in the future. He’s got some exciting plans up his sleeve for extra additional ‘download only' specials so keep an eye out for them over the coming months. The first of these is an ATV Special which I’ve been fortunate enough to have a look at and I can tell you that you’re in for a treat when it’s finally finished. It forms part of a new initiative to try to get all THAS members to opt for a download only copy of The Missing Page, as opposed to a printed copy being sent through the post. Full details will be included as part of your Sub-Renewal Form that goes out at the beginning of next year, but basically it introduces a slight rise in subs from £12.50 to £15.00 should you wish to continue receiving your printed copy through the post, or to remain at £12.50 if you’re happy not to have it posted each quarter, but have a full colour edition downloaded or emailed direct to your computer where you can print it off yourself. As you can imagine, this second option will save the Society money in printing and postage and enable us to carry out more research and investment in Archives. Along with Audio and Visual purchases and improve- ments, it will result in the THAS offering more value for money to you its’ members. Coupled with the fact that there will be additional ‘special’ editions from time to time (the first of which will be the ATV special referred to earlier). It has been the subject of much debate among the committee, but I think we’ve got it right, in giving you - our members - a chance to make a choice as to how you wish to receive your copy of The Missing Page in the future. Do let me know what you think. One thing I think we’re all agreed on is the excellent job that Kevin McNally and cast have done in bringing The Missing Hancocks back to our airwaves. I was fortunate enough to have been placed on the Production Guest List (by the series’ co-producer: Neil Pearson) and along with several other members of our Society enjoyed seeing the three recordings that took place at the BBC during the past few months. The last of these (The Marriage Bureau [Series 1-Episode 15]) only took place on the 15th of September and was attended by Ray Galton and Alan Simpson, along with Tessa LeBars and many other celebrities, including Paul Whitehouse (who I was fortunate enough to sit next to during the recording).