Saturday 7 December 1963
Christine Keeler was taken last night to Holloway Prison to serve a nine-month jail sentence. She was found guilty of perjury and of conspiring to obstruct the course of justice. Defence counsel, Mr Jeremy Hutchinson QC, said that Christine Keeler had been led astray by unscrupulous men. He added, “With everybody who has met her, it is perfectly clear that her straightforward and curiously naive outlook contrasts very, very strongly with the public image she seems to have created. In the words of Lord Denning, ‘let no one judge her too harshly’.” If Miss Keeler behaves well, she will serve six months of her nine-month sentence.
Police have been protecting Labour Party leader Harold Wilson for the past two days because of a letter threatening to kill him. The letter was sent, anonymously, from Lancashire. Special Branch are taking the letter seriously because of the assassination of President Kennedy.
A mass march is being planned in protest against the forthcoming hangings of Russell Pascoe and Dennis Whitty, two young men who murdered farmer William Rowe in Cornwall. A spokesman for Bristol’s Abolition of Capital Punishment said, “Christmas – what a time of the year for a twin hanging! We are against hanging at any time of the year, but this is just making things brutal.”
Sharp-shooter Terry English spends his time in Epping cemetery blasting rabbits with his twelve-bore shotgun. So far, he has shot thirty-seven rabbits. “I have to do this,” Terry said, “because the rabbits keep eating the flowers.”
Three masked men in a Jaguar rammed a car carrying wages, and used another car to get away with their £2,000 haul.
Police warned last night that forged tickets are circulating for the Beatles’ show at the Wimbledon Palais.
Britain’s biggest chocolate firm, Cadbury’s, has banned its chocolate from the giant Tesco chain of supermarkets. The ban is over Green Shield stamps. Tesco wants to give stamps with the chocolate, but Cadbury’s have objected to this plan.
Television highlights: Dr Who – The Forest of Fear. Juke Box Jury with the Beatles. It’s the Beatles! from the Empire Theatre, Liverpool.
Radio highlights: Play – The Woman in the Woods. Variety Playhouse.
Weather: mainly cloudy, some sunny spells. Rather cold. Outlook – brighter. 4c, 39f.
Sunday 8 December 1963
A special squad of detectives is trying to track down who sent a threatening letter to Labour Party leader Harold Wilson. The letter writer stated that he would kill Mr Wilson. The letter was posted in Bolton. Threats have also been made to blow up cinemas, schools and the town hall.
Political viewpoint: rather than address the various crises, Prime Minister Alec Douglas-Home is prepared to leave Office and leave it to Harold Wilson to clear up the mess.
A van loaded with £1,800 worth of radiograms was stolen in Marylebone, London, yesterday.
Thought: the hand that gives, gathers – John Ray 1628 – 1705.
There is something rather nasty in the national woodshed – a colour bar affecting the brightest West Indian children leaving school. Many of these children are denied a career simply because of the colour of their skin. Immigrants are frowned upon. But the fact remains that our hospitals and transport systems could not run without immigrant labour.
Experts have psychoanalysed dolls. According to the experts, if you choose the wrong sort of doll for your child it might ruin his or her life. Golliwogs, they say, are for three year olds. Eight year olds need dolls that walk, talk and sleep. Boys need dolls too. They should resemble heroic characters, and will make the boys grow into brave gentlemen.
Football Results: First Division – Arsenal 1 Liverpool 1, Bolton 1 Spurs 3, Fulham 4 Wolves 1, Ipswich 0 Blackburn 0, Manchester United 5 Stoke 2. Top three – Liverpool, Blackburn, Spurs.
Television highlights: Auto-Mechanics – the hydraulic system and drum brakes. Home Dressmaking. Tempo – more jazz unlimited.
Radio highlights: Fifteen 45s in Thirty. Family Favourites.
Weather: mainly dry, rather cold.
Monday 9 December 1963
Colonel Henry Smith shot a pheasant and placed it over his shoulder. The feet of the pheasant triggered the shotgun and shot the colonel’s wife, Mrs Helen Smith, in the back and arm. Mrs Smith is in hospital and is “as well as can be expected“.
Recently, Dr Robert Mortimer, the Bishop of Exeter, conducted an exorcism service to remove a ghost from a flat. However, now the ghost, Albert, has appeared in a flat next door. Dr Mortimer said he would not try to remove Albert again. Instead, he will ask the Metaphysical Society to send someone else.
Rev Vernon Mitchell of St Philip’s Church, Norbury, Surrey has created “Project X”, a battle for men’s minds. His sermon last night dealt with “girlie” advertising and Communist brainwashing methods. He was assisted by shapely Mrs Claire Shewring, 27, who wore a black leotard and black tights. Rev Mitchell insisted that “Project X” was not a gimmick, and pointed out that the Lord Himself illustrated the parables in many ways.
Raiders stole £6,000 worth of cosmetics from a depot in Cable Street, Stepney, London.
“How dare a Swansea reader suggest that Harry Secombe is no more than a music hall turn. Harry’s singing never fails to bring tears of pleasure to my eyes and I am sure there are plenty of “serious” music lovers who feel the same.” (Miss) S Cheal, Bromley, Kent.
Dick James is the name. He is the uncredited singer of the Robin Hood theme song. He is also the publisher of all the songs written by the two Beatles, Paul McCartney and John Lennon. His songs have been in the top ten since January, and Tin Pan Alley says he’s coining at least £1,000 a week.
Television highlights: Thinking Relativity Through. Whose Neighbour? – the story of a tramp. Discs a GoGo.
Radio highlights: Desert Island Discs – Millicent Martin. Melody Mixture.
Weather: fog early and late, dry, cold. Outlook – rain, milder. 3c, 37f.
Tuesday 10 December 1963
Six hundred and seventeen people were killed on Britain’s roads during September. This is an increase of three percent on the figure last year. If current trends continue, 1963 will be the worst year for accidents in recent memory.
Last year, about thirty people in Britain were killed by dirty saucepans. One place where germs are likely to multiply is in the milk film of a badly cleaned saucepan. Wooden utensils are difficult to keep germ free. Stainless steel, glass and vitreous enamel are healthier options. Dishes should be washed in water as hot as hands can stand then be left to drain dry.
“Most women drivers crawl along as if they are still on their test, slowly, all tensed up. They make male drivers impatient. I would suggest that, whenever possible, women drivers should be allowed to use the roadside cycle track.” – Beastly Male Driver, Coventry.
More than 1,000 people in the British film industry will be redundant by the end of the year, and that figure could rise to 2,000. The unions want a third cinema circuit set up to compete with Rank and ABC. They also want the quota of British films shown in cinemas to increase from thirty percent to fifty percent.
Britain’s miners have set up new records for coal digging. Stocks of household coal and boiler fuel now total well over 2,750,000 tons. This is 350,000 tons more than at this time last year.
“Tory MP Mr Henry Price insists that the Beatles must be beaten. Rubbish. The Beatles are the best thing to happen to the British pop scene in many years. Mr Price should spend his time on more serious things – like solving the unemployment problem in Liverpool.” – Two Girl Fans, London, EC2.
Television highlights: Rugby Union – Oxford v Cambridge, in full from Twickenham. Gala Performance with Geraint Evans. Miss TV Times, London regional final, judges include Roger Moore.
Radio highlights: Pop Inn. Piano Records.
Weather: fog and frost. Outlook – similar. 3c, 37f.
FA Cup Draw
Wednesday 11 December 1963
Drama of train raid swoop. CID grab “The Weasel” in rooftop chase. Racing driver Roy “The Weasel” James, wanted for questioning in connection with the Great Train Robbery, was caught in St John’s Wood after a tip-off. “The Weasel” climbed through a skylight and the chase began. He leapt fifteen feet into a garden – and into a trap, because the garden was ringed with Flying Squad officers.
In a special effort to reduce Christmas accidents, there will be a 50 mph speed limit on Britain’s roads. The speed limit will be in place from 23 December until 27 December, but it will not apply to motorways.
America is to build a manned space warship that will orbit the Earth by 1967. The project is codenamed MOL – Manned Orbiting Laboratory. The MOL space warship will be attached to a two-man Gemini space capsule.
Every housewife in Britain is being asked to entertain an “invisible” Christmas guest by sending the cost of an extra dinner to the Freedom From Hunger campaign. Supporters of the campaign include Millicent Martin, Jessie Matthews and Mrs Harry Secombe.
In Broadmoor Prison, three hacksaw blades were discovered in the back of a book of Shakespeare’s works.
Football Results: European Cup Winners’ Cup, Second Round Second Leg – Manchester United 4 Spurs 1 (aggregate 4 – 3). First Division – Arsenal 6 Everton 0.
A marathon discussion programme called Open End – linking-up speakers in London, Paris, Bonn and New York – will begin on the BBC’s Third Programme at 10.15 pm on Sunday. The programme will run until either the topic or the speakers are exhausted.
Television highlights: What’s Next in Toys? – discussion programme. Coronation Street – excitement for Florrie and Miss Nugent. The Face of Fraud – infamous confidence tricksters.
Radio highlights: Mrs Mills. Unread Classics.
Weather: occasional rain, rather cold. Outlook – similar, but with frost in places. 5c, 41f.
Thursday 12 December 1963
Labour leader Harold Wilson has received another death threat. This threat arrived by telephone and the caller said he intended to shoot Mr Wilson. Scotland Yard traced the call to Great George Street, Westminster. Later, police detained a man from that area.
Britain’s steel output was up last month for the fourth month in succession, 20,000 tons above the October figure.
Impresario Harold Fielding claims that he started the “Beatle Scream”. He said, “This type of ‘pop’ concert really started with Tommy Steele in 1956. I was responsible for the staging of his concerts. It seems to be that screaming is a great part of the enjoyment for the youngsters. It’s a psychological problem. To a great extent they are willing to pay their money to be allowed to scream. The biggest screams occur when the performers whirl their bodies around in a peculiar manner. Pop concerts have no lasting merit as music. Do I regret my involvement? Very much, yes.”
Views on marriage: Lord Boothby – “I wouldn’t marry anyone. They are all as bad as each other. I am not married and never will be.” Alan Whicker – “Some American women are as feminine as a boxing glove. They are loud, brash and strident, and not excited by the fact that they are women.” The Marquess of Hertford – “I’d turn down any woman like Elizabeth Taylor. Too bosomy. Having breakfast with her would be unbearable.”
More on marriage. Men reject the following because…
Athletes – too muscular
Models – too boney
Actresses – too vain
Doctors – too clinical
Clippies – too tired
Waitresses – ditto
Pop singers – too noisy
Lawyers – too argumentative
Accountants – too clever
Traffic in Trafalgar Square came to a standstill last night as thousands of people gathered to watch the first lighting of London’s Christmas tree. As the Mayor of Oslo switched on the 500 lights, Norwegian carols echoed around the square, sung by Norwegian girls in national dress.
Television highlights: Amateur Boxing – Scotland v Ireland from Glasgow. This Week – Britain’s rising population. Gallery – council housing.
Radio highlights: Music for Dancing. In Search of a Mutiny.
Weather: dull and cold with sleet and drizzle. Outlook – dry and cold. 3c, 37f.
Friday 13 December 1963
The gay but elusive little berry only appears on female holly. And it is necessary to plant one male tree for every three females. The leaf on the male holly is prickly, but the female is smooth. Meteorologists dismiss the folk custom that says plentiful berries mean that the winter will be harsh.
Vicars in Kent have been warned that a dark-haired housewife is going around the county telling hard luck stories so convincingly that vicars are giving her money. So far, it is believed that she has collected £800 from clergymen.
“I wish something could be done to stop half-crazed girls from shrieking when they go to see pop singers. I am in my sixties and think that the Beatles are a nice bunch of lads, but I worry that all this hysteria will destroy their act. Please don’t print my name because a mad mob of girls might go for me.” E.H., Southend, Essex.
The BBC claimed that two shows by the Beatles last weekend set a record for a Saturday night viewing audience. Mr Tom Sloan, Head of BBC TV Light Entertainment, said, “22,000,000 viewers watched Juke Box Jury, on which the Beatles formed the panel, and 21,500,000 watched the Beatles’ own show, It’s the Beatles.”
Figs are good value at the moment, but strikes on the Continent have pushed up the price of dates. Mixed nuts are a good buy, but expect to pay more for walnuts, almonds, chestnuts and Brazils. The cost of kissing is cheap – 6d for mistletoe, but holly is expensive at 7s 6d for one good spray.
“I posted a local letter at 6pm the other night and received a reply – by post – at 11am the following morning.” – R. Ayres, Beavers Lane, Hounslow.
Snow fell for about ten minutes in Amersham, Buckinghamshire, last night.
Television highlights: Ready, Steady, Go! with the Dave Clark Five. Look – a forest diary. The Sky at Night.
Radio highlights: What’s the Idea? Victorian Album.
Weather: cold, mainly dry. Outlook – no change. 5c, 41f.
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Hannah Howe 