Sydney George Hulme Beaman (1887 – 4 February 1932), was a British author, actor and illustrator. He was best known as the creator of the ''

Toytown ''Toytown'' was a BBC radio series for children, broadcast for '' Children's Hour'' on the Home Service. The plays were based on a set of puppets created by S. G. Hulme Beaman, who also wrote the stories for the series. The first ''Toytown' ...

'' stories and their characters, including

Larry the Lamb ''Toytown'' was a BBC radio series for children, broadcast for '' Children's Hour'' on the Home Service. The plays were based on a set of puppets created by S. G. Hulme Beaman, who also wrote the stories for the series. The first ''Toytown' ...

. General Register Office; United Kingdom; Volume: ''3a''; Page: ''584''. ''England & Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1916-2007'' atabase on-line He also illustrated the 1930s John Lane edition of a '' Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde''.

Early life

Beaman was born in Tottenham, Middlesex, as the oldest of three children to George Hulme Robert Beaman, a surveyor, and his wife Eleanor. London Metropolitan Archives; London, England; ''London Church of England Parish Registers''; Reference Number: ''P77/ALL/033.'' ''London, England, Church of England Marriages and Banns, 1754-1936'' atabase on-line Prior to his career in radio, Sydney worked as an insurance clerk.

Artistic career

''Toytown'' was first broadcast by the BBC on 19 July 1929 in the ''

Children's Hour ''Children's Hour'', initially ''The Children's Hour'', was the BBC's principal recreational service for children (as distinct from "Broadcasts to Schools") which began during the period when radio was the only medium of broadcasting. ''Childre ...

'' BBC Radio programme. Beaman would work out his ideas for the show in a miniature theatre at his home. The characters were cut out in wood and painted by him: Beamon made them perform as marionettes on the stage, and also provided the musical accompaniment. He was often in the studio when his work was being broadcast, occasionally taking part in the programme. This continued until the last Tuesday before his death.

Personal life and death

Beaman married Maud Mary Poltock on 19 April 1913 at

All Saints Church All Saints Church, or All Saints' Church or variations on the name may refer to: Albania *All Saints' Church, Himarë Australia * All Saints Church, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory * All Saints Anglican Church, Henley Brook, Western Aust ...

Fulham Fulham () is an area of the London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham in West London, England, southwest of Charing Cross. It lies on the north bank of the River Thames, bordering Hammersmith, Kensington and Chelsea. The area faces Wandsworth ...

, west London. They had a son, Geoffrey, the following year. Sydney Beaman died from pneumonia at home in Golders Green, Middlesex, aged 44. He was survived by his wife.''England & Wales,

National Probate Calendar The National Probate Calendar is a register of proved wills and administrations in England and Wales since 1858. History The probate calendar was created by the Probate Registry, which was responsible for proving wills and administrations from 1 ...

(Index of Wills and Administrations), 1858-1995'' atabase on-line Principal Probate Registry. '' Calendar of the Grants of Probate and Letters of Administration made in the Probate Registries of the High Court of Justice in England''. London, England.

References

External links

Wally the Kangaroo, National Library of Australia
{{DEFAULTSORT:Beaman, Sydney George Hulme 1887 births 1932 deaths English children's writers English illustrators People from Middlesex (before 1965) People from Golders Green People from Tottenham English actors