Life during wartime

4th November 2025

John Wyver writes: One of the wall-size blow-ups in the NPG's current Cecil Beaton's Fashionable World exhibition is one a well-dressed young woman, seen from behind, looking into the wartime ruins of Middle Temple (above). Nearby is a silver more

OTD in early British television – and more

3rd November 2025

John Wyver writes: Apologies for the blog's month-long hiatus and the interruption of the daily 'OTD in early British television' posts. The last such post was on 25 September, and since then I have been immersed in a month-long process more

OTD in early British television: 26 September 1938

26th September 2025

John Wyver writes: The later part of the evening of Monday 26 September 1938 was occupied by a feature programme titled Lambeth Walks Out. This was a kind of history of of the dance known as the 'Lambeth Walk', presented more

OTD in early British television: 22 September 1938

22nd September 2025

John Wyver writes: From time to time it's worth checking in on the guest list for the magazine series Picture Page, in this case on the evening of Thursday 22 September 1938. The magazine show comprising brief interviews by Leslie more

OTD in early British television: 19 September 1938

19th September 2025

John Wyver writes: Today, a short original post about an outside broadcast from Euston station on Monday 19 September 1938, along with links to two earlier columns about railway-related broadcasts. The OB was a half-hour mid-morning presentation with Leslie Mitchell to more

OTD in early British television: 18 September 1934

18th September 2025

John Wyver writes: The ambition of producer Eustace Robb's 30-line television broadcasts is again witnessed by the 50-minute broadcast in the late evening of Tuesday 18 September 1934. In what was in fact a reprise of a broadcast from July, more

OTD in early British television: 17 September 1937

17th September 2025

John Wyver writes: I hope you'll forgive me over the next three weeks if on certain days I simply reprise via a link or links one or more earlier posts. Mostly this is because I have just received, and need more

OTD in early British television: 13 September 1938

13th September 2025

John Wyver writes: Running at 56 minutes when it was first transmitted on Tuesday 13 September 1938, Felicity’s First Season by Charles Terrot has a claim to being the first full-length play written for television. The script, however, preserved on more

OTD in early British television: 12 September 1939

12th September 2025

John Wyver writes: It's Tuesday 12 September 1939, and we are a week and two days into the war. Television came off the air on the Friday before Neville Chamberlain's declaration, but thanks to the excellent work of Andrew S. more