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BBC Homepage Wales Home Live from BBC Bangor Last updated: 31 March 2006 The BBC's connections with North West Wales stretch back more from this section to the 1930s, when people from all walks of life took part BBC Local History in programme-making. Maritime memories North West Wales Meredydd Evans recalls his Broadcasting Things to do Family history involvement during the 1940s. Celtic heritage People & Places Castles Nature & Outdoors The BBC first came to Bangor in 1936, under the leadership People in History History Industrial heritage of Sam Jones, who had previously produced the Welsh Religion & Ethics Telford's legacy language news bulletin from London. During WWII the The Romans Arts & Culture majority of the programmes broadcast from BBC Bangor were Black History Music in English for the Home Service. But by the 1940s there was World War II TV & Radio Abolition of slavery an increase in Welsh language output. Restoration Local BBC Sites More treasures News I was a student at Bangor at the time, and a member of a Useful links Sport trio of singers knows as Triawd y Coleg (The College Weather Threesome). We used to perform new material each month related www links Travel on a show created by Sam Jones, called Noson Lawen. This Air World show was great to work on. It was a gathering of amateurs Neighbouring Sites Mid Wales from the college and surrounding area who came together to more from North West North East Wales perform on the variety show. Wales

Related BBC Sites There was Bob Roberts, a farmer, who sang ballads, Richard Wales Your Say Co Bach Huws, a shopkeeper who gave recitations, all led by Talking points Cymru presenter Charles Williams, a farmer's son from Anglesey, Share your views, gripes Gogledd Orllewin who also performed in a comedy double act with postman T C and passions and make your voice heard. Simpson. Traffic and Travel A group of lads from Bethesda called Cutgan came over to Getting around sing, under the leadership of Ffrancon Tomos, who also Take the train, boat or played one of the two pianos, alongside Mamy Noel Jones. plane, or hit the region's They were later replaced by the Penygroes male voice choir, roads. conducted by C H Leonard. Activities Head for adventure In those days, the whole show Your guide to pursuits on was broadcast live. Thankfully, mountains, rivers and at everything was kept under sea. control by Sam Jones and his right arm, Myfanwy Howell, even though Sam was somewhat hard of hearing, and began each show by shouting Tai Hanesyddol 'Stand By!' " O blastai crand i ffermydd gwledig, camwch dros More BBC memories. drothwy rhai o dai mwyaf hanesyddol yr ardal

your comments

Nigel Blundell from Sutton Coldfield Was Phil Holland in successful at finding a recording of the Triawd y Coleg? Wed Jul 8 12:35:53 2009

Ellen Magnuson from USA I was in Repertory in Bangor 1945-46 season. (Ellen Underwood, Elizabeth Night, and Cara Night were my stage names while there). The Theatre was on lease from the BBC to the company with director Ronald Greirson (English). Leo McKern (Astralian) of 'Rumpole of the Bailey' fame was also a character actor.

Anne Cullen was an actress at the same time and went on to be with BBC in London. I would like to know if the BBC ever owned the theatre and how long for? (the lease for the company ran out in 1946 I believe) It became a Bingo Hall in later years. Wed Jun 24 12:18:56 2009

Jane Handley NJ USA My Taid, Ffowc Williams had a BBC Radio show called "Byd Natur" (The World of Nature) for many years. People would send in questions or comments and a panel would discuss them. Mon Apr 28 10:15:14 2008

Tony Munn Larkfield Kent My mother who is 92 worked in the canteen at the Bangor studios during the war and remembers fondly many of the artists who worked there, particularly the ITMA cast. Mon Feb 18 10:34:40 2008

Phil Holland, Bristol Do you know if there is any recording of Triawd y Coleg available? Mon Sep 24 12:07:37 2007

Nora Jones Does anyone remember the Caetop Choir? As a child we would go to Penrhyn Hall and record for loads of programmes. It was such a thrill in those days to listen to people like Sam Jones etc showing us how the programmes were made. Dafydd, Sam Jones's son, was in Caetop with us. Daddy Evans of course was in charge of us and I as a child would be thrilled just watching him playing the piano and wishing I could play like him. In school he became a completely different person. Mon Jul 16 09:30:30 2007

Andrew Hinchliff, Llanfairfechan There are six large houses on the beach in Llanfairfechan, all quite isolated, and lots of the BBC stars lived there during the war. stayed in the house that’s now mine, Tommy Handley from ITMA was next door, Kay Cavendish, the pianist and entertainer, was next and then the Sears family. Fri Jan 26 13:14:48 2007

Ken Jones from Coventry. Two well-known musicians of their day who were based at Bangor in the war - Wilfred Parry and Arthur Fear - pianist and baritone were, I think, having a winter break at Tynycornel Royal Hotel, Talyllyn, where my sister was working at the time. They kindly gave a little concert in the hotel and I was quite proud of the fact that they signed my autograph book, which I still have, with a few scales of Men of Harlech. You would often see their names in Radio Times in later years, I think with the BBC Orchestra and Chorus. I guess they were quite well up in music circles - celebs of their times. Wed Dec 20 10:54:35 2006

Chris Owen, Northwich, Cheshire Back in the late 1970s and through the 1980s I worked at the BBC in Bangor as a sound Engineer. I also worked in the famous Wartime Penrhyn Hall Studio prior to the lease ending and it being converted back into a Town Hall. I am currently trying to gather as much old BBC equipment and BBC related items and information on the period as I can so that one day (when I come home), I can open a small museum in the Bangor area in memory of the work done there during the war. Does anyone have any information on, or photographs of the Penrhyn Hall or other studios in use by the BBC? If you do an internet search for "Old BBC equipment wanted" you'll find my web page. Please do get in touch. Mon Mar 27 09:48:24 2006

Eric Jones, Caernarfon. Brought up in Portmadoc from 1935 I remember well the Triawd y Coleg referred to by Meredydd Evans. The whole family would crowd 'round the wireless and listen intently to the songs and sketches. This was my introduction to 'entertainment'! Last summer, believe it or not, I was working in the garden when I heard a child's voice singing 'hen feic penny-farthing fy nhaid....'I was quite taken aback after all these years - it's still going! Sun Mar 12 19:33:55 2006

John Bangor I was born and brought up in Bangor, we were Baptists, I remember Sam Jones coming to our chapel, Penuel, this would be the new one on Garth Road, Sam Jones would always wear the same old raincoat! I seemed to remember also, him buying a car for his son, now known as Dafydd Sam, and the number of the car was MCC11, I believe Dafydd still carries the same number. I also remember our preacher by the name of Cefni Jones, and the punching of the pulpit as he made his point! I think we were all in awe of him! Fri Dec 30 17:20:27 2005

R. Alun Evans, Cardiff 'Stand By!' was my thesis in Welsh for a Doctorate by the University of Wales, Bangor. The book is a version of the thesis. There is no English translation. But I often lecture in English about Sam. Are there Welsh Societies in Australia who might be interested? Mon Oct 17 20:19:34 2005

Diana Davies, Australia I would like to know if Sam Jones' "Standy By", was ever published in English. He was a great uncle of mine, my grandmother's brother. Mon Sep 19 09:46:36 2005

Diana Davies from Australia Sam Jones was my grandmother's brother. I don't remember much about him, but I did meet him many years ago while he was visiting Clydach, where my grandmother lived. I have his book "Stand By", but having lived in Australia for 37 years, unfortunately most of my Welsh language has disappeared. I would give my *eye teeth* to have an English version of this book. I recognise names and places but it saddens me I cannot follow the story. Is it published in English? Sun Sep 18 04:45:38 2005 27 February 2012 Accessibility help Text only

BBC Homepage Wales Home Wartime BBC Bangor Last updated: 31 March 2006 As bombs dropped on London during World War II, BBC light more from this section entertainment relocated, beginning the history of BBC Local History programme-making from Maritime memories North West Wales Bangor. Vernon Jones of Broadcasting Things to do Family history Llangefni shares his Celtic heritage People & Places recollections. Castles Nature & Outdoors People in History History Industrial heritage Broadcasting from Bangor during WWII was a very exciting Religion & Ethics Telford's legacy time. Due to the heavy bombing of London and Bristol, the The Romans Arts & Culture light entertainment department was relocated to North Wales. Black History Music This included popular programmes such as ITMA and Ray's a World War II TV & Radio Abolition of slavery Laugh broadcast live from the County Theatre. Restoration Local BBC Sites More treasures News The County Theatre also played host to the BBC Theatre Useful links Sport Organ, and its well-known organist, Sandy MacPhearson. He Weather lived in Llandudno, and used to travel to Bangor each day by related .co.uk links Travel bus, which is how I got the opportunity to get to know him BBC Wales On Air: ITMA in Bangor well. Neighbouring Sites Mid Wales more from North West North East Wales As well as the famous names of English light entertainment, Wales choirs and artists from North Wales were busy making Related BBC Sites programmes in both English and Welsh, mainly for the armed Wales Activities forces. Head for adventure Cymru Your guide to pursuits on Gogledd Orllewin I was a (very young!) member of Penmaenmawr's Cymric mountains, rivers and at sea. Gleeman male voice choir. We got the opportunity to take part in dozens of BBC programmes, including Strike a Home Traffic and Travel Note and Noson Lawen. We had to learn at least three new Getting around pieces a week and record them in the County Theatre each Take the train, boat or Sunday. Some of the chapel regulars were rather annoyed by plane, or hit the region's this, as it robbed the congregation of most of its best voices! roads.

Entertainment I remember that it was the Cymric Gleeman choir and a Days and nights out group of boys from Bethesda that first performed the songs Find events for all ages, We'll Keep a Welcome in the Hillside and Nos Da, by Mai indoors and out, all year Jones. She, of course, was the producer of many round. programmes for the BBC in Bangor. Mai was a storm of a lady, and used to control us with the whip of her tongue as she strived to get a perfect performance out of us."

Click here for more early memories of the BBC in Bangor

Meirion Lloyd Owen from Betws y Coed recalls: "I remember performing as a boy singer in programmes such as A Village Passes and Wil Six etc in the late 40s and early 50s, from the Penrhyn Hall, Bangor."

Graham Vine's memories of growing up among the stars in wartime Bangor... your comments

Graham Vine, Woking Re the photograph at the head of your Broadcasting index. On the right is the great comedian, Tommy Handley, and on the left his principal ITMA support character actor, Jack Train, who created the parts of Colonel Chinstrap, the retired officer, and Funf, the incompetent German spy. I cannot imagine why the studio clock says 3.45 unless this was a studio script run-through, as the show always went out before a live audience in a prime-time evening slot every week. Another of Tommy's support acts was played by Fred Yule, an enormously fat actor who always played the part of Sophie Tuckshop, a little girl who was always eating far too much and feeling sick. His daughter, coincidentally, was a fellow pupil at St Gerard's Convent School. Although so many BBC shows were performed before a live audience at the County Theatre, right throughout the 39-45 War the illusion was kept up that they were actually being broadcast from the Paris Cinema in Lower Regent Street, London. Whether this was done to maintain British morale by pretending the stars hadn't evacuated to a place of comparative safety to avoid the London blitz or simply to deceive the Germans, I have often wondered. One Christmas season the ITMA team put on a pantomime with the title "Tom and the Beanstalk" which I attended with my parents. Dad had treated Mum and me to seats right at the front of the circle at the County Theatre. After the show had been going on for quite a while and I had been as tickled by it as much as everyone else, the audience was surprised when Tommy Handley stopped, advanced to the footlights and asked us all if we were enjoying the show - to which there were shouts of approval. "Well", said Tommy, "there's someone up there who hasn't laughed at all". He then pointed and, to my horror, I found he was pointing at me! Even worse, everyone else was staring at me as well. All my own fault as, at that age, I had a demeanour like a poker player and had sat with a poker-face all along. Tommy obviously knew how to work a live audience and was rather put out that he thought he wasn't getting through to me. This was certainly not true as he was one of my heroes and I thought him to be very funny. Every week I read my copy of a children's comic called "Radio Fun" and the Tommy Handley page was always my first read. I had never before felt so embarrassed as I was then and my face went a very deep red until Tommy resumed playing his part and everyone else stopped staring at me. Wed Jun 10 15:26:20 2009

John Leeming from Walthamstow In reply to David Morris, the original BBC Theatre Organ in St George's Hall was destroyed in 1941. The BBC then acquired Reginald Foort's touring organ, and that was the instrument installed in Bangor. After the war it was re- installed in Hoxton, London, and served as the BBC Theatre Organ until about 1963, when it was sold and shipped to Holland. It has since moved a few more times, but is currently in Pasadena Civic Auditorium, California. The BBC later acquired its third theatre organ, installed in Manchester, which lasted from about 1971 to 1990. For more theatre organ information, search for the Cinema Organs UK website. Fri Jan 2 09:21:29 2009

Chris Duff in Ontario, Canada A little bit off-topic, but my father Patrick Desmond went to the County Theatre, Bangor, in 1938 after directing plays for two seasons 1937-38 at Colwyn Bay. His friends Ayton Whitaker and his wife were running repertory at Bangor and he took with him Brian Brooke, Alan Bromly and my mother Ruita Dagmar. They all left Bangor in early 1939, I believe, for Crewe.Ayton Whitaker and Alan Bromly went on to have successful careers with the BBC and both were instrumental in producing the early Dr Who programmes.I would love to hear from Ellen Underwood in Sarasota and anyone else who may have knowledge of the County Theatre just prior to the War. Wed Nov 26 09:24:08 2008

John Poole from Glan Conwy I remember as a young teenager going to see a performance of Garrison Theatre at the Grand Theatre, Llandudno during the war years. Jack Warner (Mind my bike) was one of the principle artists, making his entrance by cycling through the theatre on his bike, also on the program was Elsie & Doris Waters. I did notice almost the whole audience were made up by the armed forces. Thu Jun 19 09:33:14 2008

Mr Hilary Young, Bakewell My parents, Kenway & Young, were among those entertainers based in Bangor. Their regular programme in the early 1940s would have been Howdy Folks, with a cast that included Eric Barker. I have only very slight memories - being about six at the time.I think that what you call the Light Entertainment Department was actually known as the Variety Department - reflecting how the BBC in the 1930s looked towards Variety () for its source of light entertainment. Certainly programmes were accompanied by the BBCVariety Orchestra.It had been in 1938/9 in anticipation of the War that the Government realised how important the BBC would be if conflict broke out. They had planned to move the Variety Department to Bristol, which city became a sort of entertainment capital - I remember being told that you bumped into stars on the street as they hastened from one church hall studio to another. Subsequently the heavy bombing of Bristol resulted in part of thedepartment being moved to Bangor. I assume that was in early 1941. Iguess that some of the programmes would have been recorded in Bangor on Sundays - with many of the entertainers who took part working on the Halls during the week.Is there any archive of that era held locally? Thu Apr 17 13:21:41 2008

Ellen Underwood from Sarasota FL. I was in Rep.in the County Theatre Bangor after the BBC left. Leo McKern of Rumpole of the Bailey (TV) fame was with the Co. 1945/46/47? Anne Cullen was an actress who went to London to work for the BBC in London. Ronald Grierson was the Director of the Rep. I live in Florida. Looking for any information, pictures or comments on people or theatre. TA! Tue Nov 13 10:00:02 2007

Ifan Jones from Caernarfon My great grandmother, Mrs. Ann Roberts of Talybont, was killed by a German bomb which was dropped on Maesgeirchen whilst the BBC were recording a programme at Bangor (Penrhyn Hall or the County Theatre) on 24 October 1941. She was caring for her daughter, Mrs Catherine Williams (Katie), who had just given birth to a baby daughter: Elizabeth. Mon Sep 3 10:28:17 2007

Colin Charnley. from Preston Lancs Is it true that the original BBC Theatre organ was destroyed by enemy action at its location in St Georges hall Portland Place? If so, what organ was in the Grand at Llandudno? Fri Feb 9 09:07:25 2007

Robert Hartle The BBC comandeered the Grand Theatre at Llandudno early in the war (I worked there as a projectionist and got the sack!) and the BBC Theatre Organ was installed there for use by Sandy Macpherson. He broadcasted to the troops overseas and called on members of the local area to include a message which they read out on air, my wife spoke to her brother in Egypt during one of his broadcasts. Happidrome and The Kentucky Minstrells were also broadcast from the Grand. Sat Dec 3 20:27:59 2005

David Morris, Saltash, Cornwall . Just had to get this to you folks. Our late father Harry Morris was a Studio Manager in Bangor on the ITMA team plus the otheR important shows during those turbulent times. I still have photos of Dad in the Control Room on the "desk". Dad and Mum (who spoke excellent Welsh)lived in Garth Road. Bangor. Dad after the war went on to be Senior Studio Manager at BH .London post war. He was responsible for the sound effects on the Goon Show as well back in the fifties. Wed Nov 2 11:39:40 2005

Peter Williams from Delaware Who can forget Tommy Handly and his cast of characters including Sam Fair fechen (which Tommy never could pronounce properly). Mon Feb 14 22:48:00 2005

Eleri Rowlands from Neath How lovely to read this piece. My mother, Katie Pugh was a secretary based at Bangor at this time. My father, Nimrod Pugh, who was a studio manager with the BBC was abroad with the army. My mother sat next to Sandy MacPhearson while he played Solemn Melody for Nimrod. Fri Dec 19 17:19:43 2003

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