''Workers' Playtime'' was a British radio variety programme transmitted by the

BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...

between 1941 and 1964. Originally intended as a morale-booster for industrial workers in Britain during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, the programme was broadcast at lunchtime, three times a week, live from a factory canteen "somewhere in Britain". Presenter and former music hall artist Margery Manners used her experience of getting sailors to sing along with her choruses to cheer workers and listeners.Gifford, Dennis (30 April 1997)
OBITUARY: Margery Manners
". The Independent. Retrieved 16 December 2024. Initially, the show was broadcast simultaneously on both the

BBC Home Service The BBC Home Service was a national and regional radio station that broadcast from 1939 until 1967, when it was replaced by BBC Radio 4. History 1922–1939: Interwar period Between the early 1920s and the outbreak of World War II, the BBC ...

and Forces Programme, then from 1957 onwards solely on the Light Programme. For all its 23 years each show concluded with the words from the show's producer, Bill Gates: "Good luck, all workers!" The programme had the support of the government because the shows were seen as supporting the war effort on the

home front Home front is an English language term with analogues in other languages. It is commonly used to describe the civilian populace of the nation at war as an active support system for their military. Civilians are traditionally uninvolved in com ...

. ''Workers' Playtime'' was a touring show, with the Ministry of Labour choosing which factory canteens it would visit. Throughout World War II,

Ernest Bevin Ernest Bevin (9 March 1881 – 14 April 1951) was a British statesman, trade union leader and Labour Party politician. He co-founded and served as General Secretary of the powerful Transport and General Workers' Union from 1922 to 1940 and ...

, the Minister of Labour and National Service, would appear on these shows from time to time to congratulate the workers and exhort them to greater efforts. When the war ended it was realised that the show had worked, which meant that Ernest Bevin wanted ''Workers' Playtime'' to continue to raise the morale of the workers, whilst the government rebuilt Britain and the British economy. The BBC, for its part, was very happy to continue with a show which had proved a national success even if it did mean transporting crew, cable, microphones, two pianos, a producer, two pianists and a group of variety artists up and down the country three times a week.

Artists

Many famous variety, vocal and comedy artists appeared over the years, such as Charlie Chester, Bob and Alf Pearson,

Peter Sellers Peter Sellers (born Richard Henry Sellers; 8 September 1925 – 24 July 1980) was an English actor and comedian. He first came to prominence performing in the BBC Radio comedy series ''The Goon Show''. Sellers featured on a number of hit comi ...

, Tony Hancock,

Frankie Howerd Francis Alick Howard (6 March 1917 – 19 April 1992), better known by his stage-name Frankie Howerd, was an English actor and comedian. Early life Howerd was born the son of a soldier Francis Alfred William (1887–1934)England & Wales, Deat ...

Terry-Thomas Terry-Thomas (born Thomas Terry Hoar Stevens; 10 July 1911 – 8 January 1990) was an English character actor and comedian who became internationally known through his films during the 1950s and 1960s. He often portrayed disreputable members ...

, Anne Shelton, Betty Driver, Eve Boswell, Dorothy Squires, Arthur English,

Julie Andrews Dame Julie Andrews (born Julia Elizabeth Wells; 1 October 1935) is an English actress, singer, and author. She has garnered numerous accolades throughout her career spanning over eight decades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Fi ...

, Morecambe and Wise, Peter Cavanagh, comedian

George Martin Sir George Henry Martin (3 January 1926 – 8 March 2016) was an English record producer, arranger, composer, conductor, and musician. He was commonly referred to as the "fifth Beatle" because of his extensive involvement in each of the Beatle ...

, Janet Brown, Roy Hudd, comedian

Michael Howard Michael Howard, Baron Howard of Lympne (born Michael Hecht; 7 July 1941) is a British politician who was Leader of the Conservative Party (UK), Leader of the Conservative Party and Leader of the Opposition (United Kingdom), Leader of the Opposi ...

, harmonica player Paul Templar, The Stargazers, Bob Monkhouse, impressionist Peter Goodwright,

Percy Edwards Percy Edwards (1 June 1908 – 7 June 1996) was an English animal impersonator, entertainer and ornithologist. Biography When he was a child, bird impressions were often done with the assistance of hands on the mouth, however he was able to ...

Ken Dodd Sir Kenneth Arthur Dodd (8 November 1927 – 11 March 2018) was an English stand-up comedy, comedian, actor and singer. He was described as "the last great music hall entertainer" and was primarily known for his live stand-up comedy, stand-up pe ...

, Ken Platt, Gert and Daisy (Elsie and Doris Waters) and many more. Regular musicians included James Moody (piano),

Bert Weedon Herbert Maurice William Weedon, OBE (10 May 1920 – 20 April 2012) was an English guitarist whose style of playing was popular and influential during the 1950s and 1960s. He was the first British guitarist to have a hit record in the ...

(guitar) and

Max Abrams Max Abrams (original name Max Abramovitch, 11 August 1907 – 5 November 1995), was a British dance band and jazz drummer and an influential teacher of several generations of drummers. Early career Born in Glasgow, Abrams was largely self-taught ...

(drums). A selection of original recordings from the show can be heard on the audiobook CD ''Workers' Playtime'' published by CD41 in 2008.

References

External links

Whirligig-TV article on ''Workers' Playtime''

BBC Radio comedy programmes BBC Home Service programmes BBC Light Programme programmes British variety radio programmes 1941 radio programme debuts 1941 establishments in the United Kingdom 1964 radio programme endings 1964 disestablishments in the United Kingdom 1940s British radio programmes 1950s British radio programmes 1960s British radio programmes {{UK-radio-show-stub

Artists

See also

References

External links