It’s 22 June 1955, the longest day of the year. If you believe some newspapers, the five-week old dock strike has ended. They’re more consistent with other news: Ruth Ellis has been sentenced to death for killing David Blakely, and a schoolboy has run off with a games mistress. But we’re not here for this kind of thing, oh no. The only news we’ll be looking at here relates to what’s happening in the word of television: 1950s style. So let’s go…
On television, young William Simons stars as Bobby in Bobby in France, Bruce Seton plays Robert Fabian in what was perhaps an inappropriate edition of Fabian of Scotland Yard (entitled “April Fool”) and in the evening, J. B. Priestley and his Players – Frances Rowe, Clive Morton, Natasha Parry and John Stratton – star in the fourth programme in the series You Know What People Are.
On stage, at the Embassy Theatre, there’s a play called The Lion in the Lighthouse which is set behind the scenes at a TV panel game. The cast includes Patricia Dainton and Gerald Harper.
If you’re stuck for a snack, the Daily Mirror carries an advertisement for Brand’s Pastes which come in 21 different varieties. The ad recommends ‘Liver & Bacon’ and any fish pastes for “television parties”.