Avis was born in 1918, with the surname Scutt. Many people tried to persuade her to alter her name but it was Noel Coward who finally succeeded when he said “my dear, the name Scutt sounds like a great piece of rabbit!”.
…Tooth, Pauline
Pauline was an actress and a BBC TV in-vision network announcer (1955 – 1961). She also appeared in a one-off show called Afternoon Hostesses Tea-Party (20th December 1955), hosted by McDonald Hobley, with Vera McKechnie and Nan Winton amongst the contributors.
…Chalmers, Judith
Judith was born in Stockport, Cheshire. Her sister Sandra (Sandy) Chalmers also performed on Children’s Hour for BBC Manchester and later worked in London as editor of BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour. Judith began broadcasting for the BBC when she was only 13, after being selected for BBC Northern Children’s Hour by producer Trevor Hill. She presented many programmes from Manchester, including Children’s Television Club (1956) and Mainly for Women (1957).
…Edwardes, Olga
Olga was a South African-born British actress and artist. She appeared in several films and plays from the mid-1930s to the mid-1950s, including Contraband (1940), The Angel with the Trumpet (1950) and Scrooge (1951), where she played the unnamed wife of Scrooge’s nephew Fred. She was also a major character in Black Orchid (1953).
…Peters, Sylvia
Born Sylvia Lucia Petronzio, she was a former musical actress who appeared in revues including one at The Coliseum marking VE Day.
…Hobley, McDonald
McDonald was born in Stanley, Falkland Islands. He began his acting career in repertory theatre, under the stage names Val Blanchard and Robert Blanchard, using his mother’s maiden name.
…Malcolm, Mary
Mary was bought up in Poltalloch, Argyll and was the granddaughter of Victorian socialite Lillie Langley, mistress of King Edward VII.
…Snagge, John
John was born in Chelsea and educated at Winchester College and Pembroke College, Oxford where he obtained a law degree. Having applied to join the British Broadcasting Company Limited in 1924 – and in the absence of a reply from the BBC – Snagge’s father, the redoubtable judge Sir Mordaunt Snagge, called on Reith’s deputy, Admiral Charles Car-Pendale, at Savoy Hill to ask what was happening. The admiral explained that a great number of people had written to the BBC, and he was having to go through 1,500 applications. “I am not interested in the other 1,499,” said Sir Mordaunt loftily. Snagge was engaged and in 1924 sent to be the assistant director of the newly opened local radio station at Stoke-on-Trent. He broadcast his first sports commentary in January 1927 (Hull City v Stoke City football match). In 1928, he moved to Savoy Hill in London to work as one of BBC Radio’s announcers, alongside Stuart Hibberd. Listeners heard his distinctive resonant voice on the Home Service (1928 – 1933, 1940 and 1944).
…Trace, Christopher
Chris – a former actor – was born in Hambledon, Surrey. After working as a farm labourer, he joined the British Army and trained at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst and in 1953 received a commission in the Royal Regiment of Artillery of the British Army. He was promoted to lieutenant in February 1955, but resigned his commission in September 1956. He had a relatively undistinguished acting career – his greatest screen role being Charlton Heston’s body double in Ben-Hur (1959). He later appeared as an interviewer in Ask Mr Pastry (1961) and as himself in Mr Pastry’s Pet Shop (1962).
…Singleton, Valerie
Valerie trained as a dancer at the Arts Education School. She studied for two years at RADA (winning a one-term scholarship) and spent a year at Bromley Repertory as an assistant stage manager, playing small parts.
…Winton, Nan
Born Nancy Wigginton, Nan was co-presenter on BBC TV’s Information Desk (1955 – 1956) and Mainly for Women (1957).
…Pitts, Valerie
Valerie was an actress. She was RADA-trained (1955 – 1957) and worked in the theatre initially.
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