Sunday 28 July 1963
A meeting of the British Academy of Forensic Sciences heard yesterday that praising a wife’s well-cooked dinners could help save a marriage. Conversely, husbands should not condemn a burned pudding. The meeting also heard that there was evidence to suggest that many wives were now clandestinely using the “birth pill”.
The machines are coming. Six “auto-tutors” have been sent around the country. A dozen or so pupils will use them for maths lessons. The manufacturers claim that their machines will produce a rise from 15% to 50% success at “O” level maths. This might sound like science fiction, but it could soon become science fact.
According to the British Footwear Manufacturer’s Federation, this autumn men will be wearing olive-green suede shoes and rugged tiger-striped bootlets.
When it comes to fashion, the most colour-conscious men in Britain are trawlermen. Away from their boats they like wearing wild colours – like Kingfisher blue, lime green, and Dutch cheese yellow.
Disctime – this week’s hot spins: Why Should We Not? – Manfred Mann, I’m Telling You – Freddie and The Dreamers, Moonstrike TV Theme – Ron Goodwin, I Can’t Stop Loving You – Count Basie.
Cricket: set 453 to by the West Indies, England are 113 – 4. With the pitch taking spin, this will be an almost impossible task. When the West Indies batted, Sobers, Butcher and Kanhai treated the England attack with distain. There were not enough fielders to cover the all-round variety of shots the West Indies made.
Television highlights: Robin Hood – The Reluctant Rebel. Film – The White Unicorn starring Margaret Lockwood. Chess Masterpieces.
Radio highlights: Painting of the Month. Famous Organs.
Weather: dry, warm, sunny.
Monday 29 July 1963
There was no rain anywhere in Britain yesterday and some resorts enjoyed 14 hours of sunshine. Brighton was the hottest spot with a temperature of 73f. There was a 50 mph speed limit in place, but traffic jams reduced that limit to a joke. Over 13,000 cars passed through Dover on their way to the Continent on the weekend – a record.
The success story of the twentieth century is marriage, a conference of doctors and social experts heard yesterday. In the romantic lottery a high proportion of people draw winning tickets. Overall, the divorce rate is up, but that’s mainly because people couldn’t afford divorces in the early part of the century.
A tethered hydrogen-filled RAF balloon exploded yesterday. The balloon, at Abingdon, Berkshire, was used for training parachutists. Housewives at nearby Honeybottom Lane were cooking Sunday lunch when the balloon blew up. The blast buckled roofs, shattered windows and cracked walls, but no one was hurt.
The average person in Britain consumes 15 lbs of tomatoes a year.
Mrs Edith McLaren carried four meat pies from Manchester to New York, but when she arrived in America customs officials seized them. The officials explained, “We don’t allow imports of cooked meats. They will have to be burned.”
Classified advertisements: Appear in TV commercials. No experience needed. Send SAE to TV Casting, 6a Archer Street, W1. Mr JH Dominy hereby states that he will not be held responsible for any debts or bills incurred by his wife, Pamela Dominy.
Television highlights: Carting from Hoddesdon. The Welsh in Patagonia. Panorama – the kiss of life.
Radio highlights: In a Sentimental Mood. Melody on the Move.
Weather: sunny and rather warm. Outlook – little change. 22c, 72f.
Tuesday 30 July 1963
Was Stephen Ward just a rake, a lady-killer, a filthy fellow? Or was he a pimp and a ponce, a man guilty of the loathsome crime of living off immoral earnings? These are the questions put to the jury as the Stephen Ward trial reaches its close.
What caused the crater in Roy Blanchard’s field? The initial theory – the crater was caused by a meteorite – has been ruled out because the object found was made of local rock. Was it a hoax? Or was the crater created by a flying saucer? Whatever the answer, there is a growing demand that the government should do more to explore the possibility of UFOs.
Return trips to the Moon are being considered by America’s National Space Agency. The cost for spaceship passengers – £18,000 each.
All-out war has been declared on Britain’s horse dopers. The Jockey Club is looking for informers and will offer £2,000 for information that leads to a conviction.
A queen bee hitched a lift under a car yesterday and hundreds of other bees followed her. The bees travelled to Bethnal Green where help was called. The bees were eventually taken away – in a chauffeur-driven limousine.
West Indies duly won the Fourth Test at Headingley, by 221 runs. Changes need to be made for the Fifth Test at the Oval. England’s batting needs a stiff dose of character, and the bowling must match the West Indies with real speed at both ends.
Television highlights: Rubovia – puppet film. All Sorts to Make a World – the LSD of Farming. The World of the Wasp.
Radio highlights: Farming Today. Pop Go the Beatles.
Weather: sunny. Outlook – dry and very warm. 27c, 81f.
Wednesday 31 July 1963
Most of Britain’s 13,500,000 television sets will be out of date next April when the BBC switches over to the 625 line transmission system. It means that we should swap our sets if we want the best picture and the new programmes.
Television sets: to rent or buy? Over the first three years, it’s cheaper to rent. Three families in every five plump for renting. Also, bear in mind that the average life of a television set is seven years. The cost of renting over three years – £67 16s. The cost of buying on higher purchase – £71 5s.
Mr Justice Marshall, summing up in the Stephen Ward trial, said, “We have not been told the full truth.” He added that members of the “high estate” could have come forward and testified in support of the evidence. The judge said the jury had to consider if Christine Keeler and Marilyn Rice-Davies were prostitutes within the legal definition, and if so did Ward know about this and receive money from their clients. A verdict is expected tomorrow.
One baby in eight born in London is illegitimate. The national figure is one in sixteen. One bride in six is pregnant. The trend in the national statistics suggests that these figures will increase in future.
Advertisement: wonderful news for all those who may be going bald. The Apollo Internal Treatment contains essential vitamins and minerals without which hair cannot grow. This treatment has been successful in many apparently hopeless cases. Testimonials. “Thank you. I now have hair shoots all over my head.” – Mr A.H., Surrey. “The results are unbelievable. What you claim is true.” – Mr W.C.S., London.
Television highlights: The Royal Ballet. Unmarried Mothers – a special report. Pop Spot.
Radio highlights: Enchanted Evenings. Ancient Civilisations.
Weather: sunny and hot. Outlook – sunny and hot with a risk of thunder. 29c, 84f.
Thursday 1 August 1963
Guilty. Stephen Ward lived on Christine and Mandy. Jury clear him of other charges. Police at his bedside after drugs drama. Stephen Ward lay grievously ill in a coma last night, suffering from an overdose of drugs. Meanwhile, in the courtroom, the judge and jury delivered their verdicts. Sentencing was delayed. Mr Ward’s solicitor said that when Mr Ward had recovered he would appeal. On hearing the news, Christine Keeler, pictured, said, “Oh, dear. Poor Stephen! I am deeply shocked.”
The Queen should invite women from Brixton to her garden parties, psychiatrist Dr Richard Fox said. He thought the idea might ease racial tensions in Britain. Dr Fox added that racial prejudice was the biggest threat to human survival.
Cerebos Ltd has one hundred tons of fish paste, worth £40,000, that it is trying to give away for free. No one seems to want the paste, so the 800,000 jars might be dumped in the sea.
Hundreds of people were baffled last night by a “strange-looking” object in the sky. It was cone-shaped and remained stationary for three-quarters of an hour.
Opinion: we should follow Australia’s example and make it compulsory for people to vote in general elections.
Four out of the ten horses competing in the Sussex Stakes at Goodwood were possibly doped. Queen’s Hussar won the race.
Television highlights: A Swingin’ Time with Cleo Laine and Johnny Dankworth. It’s My Opinion – People of Yeovil Air Their Views. Riverbeat – the Welsh Conway.
Radio highlights: Masters of the Keyboard – gramophone records. County Cricket.
Weather: dry, sunny, rather warm. Outlook – sunny with thundery outbreaks. 24c, 75f.
Editorial note: A picture of Christine Keeler illustrates the main story. I selected this picture because it highlights how the media at the time were trying to work Christine and Mandy Rice-Davies into just about every story – the Stephen Ward case being a natural example. And because I consider that the pictures the media used of Stephen Ward on this date – him unconscious on a stretcher – are too graphic.
Friday 2 August 1963
Startling changes proposed for soccer – league matches to be played on Sundays and the introduction of a European super league. The pitches will change too with the introduction of undersoil heating systems and all-weather playing surfaces. These changes are inevitable, a report in the FA Yearbook says.
Stephen Ward remains gravely ill, suffering from a drugs overdose and bronchial-pneumonia. A hospital spokesman said, “He is only just alive.” While doctors fight to save Ward’s life, a Brixton prison warder stands guard at his bedside.
The police are looking for a woman wearing only one shoe. They followed a trail for three miles in Buckinghamshire and, at half-mile intervals, they found a white linen coat and a matching dress, a size eight shoe, red nylon briefs trimmed with black lace, a bra, a suspender belt, and a pair of nylons. The mysterious stripper is probably “tall and well-built”.
Conservative minister Sir Edward Boyle stated that a colleague who said that sex before marriage was acceptable was not speaking for the Government. Meanwhile, after a unanimous vote, Tory agent John Mallett – who punished a fellow Conservative by giving him six of the best with a fly-swat – is to keep his job.
Cerebos Ltd’s 800,000 jars of fish paste – destined to be dumped in the sea – might now be given to charity.
Television highlights: Roving Report – Trinidad. Show Jumping. Gardening Club.
Radio highlights: Non-Stop Pop. Record Express.
Weather: sunny with thunderstorms. Outlook – sunny with thunderstorms. 25c, 77f.
Saturday 3 August 1963
Holiday tv gets a bad case of hiccups over the weekend with twenty repeat shows. Corridor of Mirrors, which has already been seen on ITV, will be broadcast by the BBC.
Stephen Ward remains gravely ill. Doctors believe he may remain in a coma for three or four more days. Meanwhile, he has received over 500 telephone messages, mainly from women who have never met him.
For four shillings, you can record your own disc. Cliff Richard broke into the big time this way and more people, from all walks of life, are trying to follow him. The royalty on every record sold by an “unknown” artist is a penny in the pound. If the record is a hit and sells half a million that’s a cool £2,000.
Derek Turner swam the English Channel yesterday, in 15 hours 39 minutes. Three times lightning struck the sea near him. “I felt a tingling sensation,” he said. His channel success was the 149th.
Agony Aunt: “I am married to a man who forever keeps talking about his old girlfriends.” Jane Adams’ advice, “Try talking about your old boyfriends.”
In the first set of the Davis Cup match between Great Britain and Sweden, at 19 – 19 the scoreboard on the number one court at Wimbledon ran out of numbers and had to start again from scratch.
Glowing pebbles have been found on a beach in Bradwell, Essex. Technicians from the nearby nuclear power station are investigating to discover if they are radioactive.
Television highlights: Zizi – with French dancing star Zizi Jeanmaire. Summer Grandstand including cricket from Canterbury. Summer Sportstime including cricket from Manchester.
Radio highlights: Books. Hot Twenty.
Weather: thundery rain. Outlook – similar. 24c, 75f.
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