The White Box of Great Bardfield
| "The White Box of Great Bardfield" | |
|---|---|
| The Goon Show episode | |
| Episode: no. | Series: 5 Episode: 25 |
| Written by | |
| Announcer | Wallace Greenslade |
| Produced by | Peter Eton |
| Music |
|
| Recording Number | TLO 74145 |
| First broadcast | 15 March 1955 |
| Running time | 30:48 |
The White Box of Great Bardfield is an episode from The Goon Show. It is the twenty-fifth show in the fifth series. The show was recorded at 9.15pm on Sunday 13 March 1955. The recording took place at the King's Theatre, on the corner of Hammersmith Road and Rowan Road, Hammersmith, London W14
The first British public broadcast was on the Home Service on Tuesday 15 March 1955 at 8.30pm (not in Wales). It reached a peak listenership of 3.4m.
The show's first repeat was the following Friday at 12.25pm/12.30pm (depending on area), 18 March 1955, on the Home Service. It was listened to by 1.9 million. The next repeat was 14 years later on Friday 18 July 1969 at 7pm (except Wales) attracting half a million listeners.
Synopsis
In the little Essex hamlet of Great Bardfield, a tiger with influenza is mounting guard over a mysterious white box. Why are Major Grytpype-Thynne and Counsellor Moriarty so anxious for a young Neddie to transport the box to Khartoum where Major Bloodnok is holding an exhibition of British snow? And why has the gallant Major arranged a secret exhibition of British water to the tribesmen of the Sahara? What is the secret of the Box of Bardfield — does it contain the dreaded International Christmas Pudding or is it really full of priceless Essex snow?
Music
- The BBC Radio Orchestra was conducted by Wally Stott
- Max Geldray plays Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom White (Louiguy)
- The Ray Ellington Quartet plays Sally (Leo Towers / Harry Leon / Will E Haines)
Technical
Originally recorded on TLO 74145 (15 ips ¼" tape recorded at Broadcasting House). This tape survived in TS and was used as the source of the PotG release. The cuts made in the PotG version were restored in 1986 and that tape was used for the version of the show included on The Goon Show Compendium Vol 2.[1]
References
- ^ Kendall, Ted (2009). The Goon Show Compendium Vol 2 (Booklet 2). BBC Worldwide. p. 11. ISBN 978-1-4056-8774-4.
