OTD in early British television: 13 June 1938
John Wyver writes: For the best part of an hour on the afternoon of Monday 13 June 1938, Alexandra Palace offered an OB from Northolt, just over a dozen miles away. The occasion was the running of the Northolt Pony Derby, one of the few horse races not under the control of the Jockey Club and as a consequence available to television. Only for the Epsom Derby were rights otherwise granted to television.
The story of the Northolt race course and of interwar pony racing is laid out in a fascinating and beautifully illustrated online history written in 2017 with, as far as I can see, no byline. As the writer explains,
Pony racing had been in existence for centuries in various parts of the country, but was not well regulated and had a serious reputation for cheating and corruption. In an attempt to organize and gain respect for the sport, the Pony Turf Club (PTC) was formed in 1923 and was subsequently recognized by various bodies as a legitimate regulated sport.
The intent of the PTC was not only to provide venues for smaller horses to race, but also to satisfy the racing and betting needs of those with more ‘limited means’. This meant admission fees that were significantly less than those at established horse racing venues, but with facilities of a much higher standard, in an attempt to attract more female supporters.
The purpose-built Northolt race course was opened in 1929 with, as the essay illustrates, extensive stands. Some 56 race meetings were held each year, twice the number at any other course, and by 1935 Northolt Park was the highest grossing legal betting venue in Britain, surpassing even Ascot. The annual Pony Derby attracted crowds of over 20,000, although the average attendance around 4,000.
1937 was the peak year for the course, after which the finances failed to add up, the number of meetings were reduced, and in 1939 the season was curtailed because of the war. Some races were run in 1940, but despite attempts at revival at the end of hostilities, the land was sold off in 1946 for council housing.
In addition to covering another race as well as the Derby itself, the television broadcast featured a number of personalities including George Robey and Adèle Dixon, who had sung the specially composed ‘Television’ at the opening of AP the previous November. Freddie Grisewood and Jasmine Bligh were on hand as the hosts.
A strong sense of the course and the Pony Derby is given in a Pathé Gazette newsreel from 1939, from which the header screenshot is taken.
[OTD post no. 178; part of a long-running series leading up to the publication of my book Magic Rays of Light: The Early Years of Television in Britain in January 2026.]
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