Introductory minstrel song: “Mildred flees Sir William’s trope, ’tis Harold she would rather wed; she seeks the aid of Friar Tuck, and vows are safely said!”
Regular Cast
Sir Robin of Locksley – Richard Greene
Maid Marian – Bernadette O’Farrell
The Sheriff of Nottingham – Alan Wheatley
Little John – Archie Duncan
Friar Tuck – Alexander Gauge
Joan of the Blue Bull Inn – Simone Lovell
Original air date: 16 October 1955
Screenplay: Eric Heath (a pseudonym for Ring Lardner Jr.)
Director: Ralph Smart
Plot: Robin Hood and Friar Tuck play Cupid, assisting in the marriage of a young couple, Harold the Smith and Mildred, foiling Sir William of Malmesbury’s plans in the process. This story introduced Friar Tuck to the series.
Guest Actors
Harold the Smith – John Drake
Mildred – Faith Bailey
Lord Germaine – Douglas Wilmer
Sir William of Malmesbury – Leslie Phillips
Leslie Phillips will feature in future episodes, and I will profile him then.
Observation: even the peasants read messages – the literacy level was clearly high in medieval Nottingham.
Standout scene: another evergreen scene – Friar Tuck carrying Robin Hood across a river.
Alexander Gauge played Friar Tuck from 1955 until 1959. A fine character actor, he is best remembered for his role as the mischievous friar. In my dream cast list he would probably get the role.
Born in China, educated in California and a British soldier in India during the Second World War, Alexander Gauge took to the stage in 1945 and appeared in a number of Shakespearian roles. Along with his stage work, he also featured in over forty film and television productions. One of his roles was Brigadier Wellington-Bull in the series The Adventures of Brigadier Wellington-Bull, alongside Valerie Singleton.
Tragically, Alexander Gauge died aged 46 in 1960 from an overdose.
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Friar Tuck – Fact or Fiction?
Along with Maid Marian, Friar Tuck was associated in medieval ballads and plays with the May Games. In some of the legends he was a monk at Fountains Abbey and St Mary’s Abbey, York.
In many versions of the legends, Friar Tuck first encounters Robin Hood on a riverbank. There, a battle of wits ensues as first one then the other is forced to carry his tormentor across the river.
🖼️ Robin Hood and Friar Tuck by Louis Rhead
The common depiction of Friar Tuck is a man of cheerful character, obsessed with food and drink. In many of the tales he offers comic relief. However, in some he is a physically fit swordsman who is also adept with the longbow.
It’s possible that Tuck was a Franciscan Friar. Other scholars have argued that he belonged to an Augustinian, Benedictine or Carmelite order. Alternatively, and more likely in my opinion, he could have been a renegade monk or a hermit.
Two hundred years later than Marian and Robin’s time, in 1417, two royal writs referred to Robert Stafford, a Sussex chaplain who had assumed the alias of Frere Tuk. This Friar Tuck was still at large in 1429. It’s possible that this friar was incorporated into the legends by medieval playwrights and balladeers.
Numerous actors have portrayed Friar Tuck in films and on television. This list is far from exhaustive – it merely offers my personal highlights.
James Hayter in The Story of Robin Hood and His Merrie Men, 1952
Alexander Gauge in the television series The Adventures of Robin Hood, 1955-59
Niall MacGinnis in Sword of Sherwood Forest, 1960
James Hayter (again) in A Challenge for Robin Hood, 1967
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Available for order and pre-order, my Swinging Sixties Mystery Series
Screaming Lord Sutch, pictured, says he is to stand as an independent candidate in the forthcoming Stratford-on-Avon by-election. Screaming Lord Sutch, who often wears horns and a leopard skin, said, “It’s time the young people of this country had a say in the government.” Mr Sutch is single.
Put some zip into your sausages! A sausage manufacturer is experimenting with a new type of banger. He explained, “Some people like to eat sausages with the skin on, some don’t, so we are experimenting with a sausage skin with a thin gut zip on the side.”
A Paris fashion designer is working on “hostess gowns for the capsule.” This means that when your turn comes to be shot into space, and find yourself upside down, you’ll still be impeccably dressed.
Because of freak weather conditions, television pictures from Czechoslovakia and Hungary were available in Whitby, Yorkshire yesterday.
The Drop Dead Company of Montebello, California has changed its name to the Paramount Chemical Co.
Latest on the football match-fixing scandal. Three players have been accused of receiving inducements to play badly. The summonses concern players from Mansfield Town and Bristol Rovers.
A new 45 – the theme music to Sid James’ new TV series Taxi! This disc could go places.
Television highlights: Circus from Great Yarmouth. Land of Song with Ivor Emmanuel. The Scarlet Pimpernel.
Radio highlights: How to Like Americans. Top Twenty.
Weather: dry, mostly sunny and warm, some showers.
Monday 22 July 1963
Haircuts are to increase in price. The National Hairdressers’ Association announced that men’s 3s 6d haircuts will go up by 6d and women’s 6s 6d hairdos by one shilling.
Clearer labelling is being urged for aerosols to avoid the confusion of fly spray being used for hair lacquer.
Ieda Vargas from Brazil won the Miss Universe contest. Miss England, Susan Pratt, withdrew from the contest after a car accident. She was cheered as she was pushed on to the stage in a wheelchair.
Loose false teeth? Poli-Grip is a cream fixative, three-ways better than any powder. It’s so firm, you can eat foods you haven’t tried for years. It’s so firm, you can laugh and sneeze without fear of any embarrassing accidents.
Another horse has been named in the doping scandal. At 5 – 1, Parnear won the Swafftham Handicap at Newmarket in April.
Personal advertisements: Lil, please come home. The children and I miss you – Teddy.
Music: look out Liverpool, the Brummies are on your tail. EMI have signed seven groups from Birmingham. No discs are available yet. Decca have also signed The Redcaps from Birmingham. Their first record, Shout, will enter Discville soon.
Television highlights: Panorama – London’s nightlife. Tennis – Inter-County week. University Challenge.
Radio highlights: The Archers. Meet Yourself.
Weather: dry, sunny and warm. Outlook – similar. 20c, 68f.
Tuesday 23 July 1963
Tory and Labour MPs clashed in the House of Commons last night over the Labour claim that South Paddington is Europe’s “biggest brothel” run by racketeers and “slum emperors”. Thugs were on the rampage, extorting money from renters who had already paid, and beating up people, including elderly women. The Tories questioned Labour’s sources and insisted that only they could rectify the problem.
Princess Alexandra’s husband, Angus Ogilvy, was elected a director of the Guardian Assurance Company. Mr Ogilvy now has over fifty directorships. Meanwhile, London’s bus drivers have been offered a pay rise of 6s a week.
Christine Keeler gave evidence at the Stephen Ward trial today and spoke of the occasion when Ward introduced her to “reefers”. Miss Keeler was asked about numerous men and payment for her favours. She admitted that, under Mr Ward’s arrangement, such events took place, but she said angrily, “I am not a prostitute. I never have been.” Mr Ward is accused of living off immoral earnings. The case continues.
Swiss beauty expert Micheline Lugeon, 26, was arrested by Flying Squad officers in connection with the horse doping scandal. She will appear before Brighton Magistrates in the morning.
A vulture escaped from Belle Vue Zoo and spent three hours perched on a Manchester chimney pot. The bird tried to settle on a television aerial, but the aerial would not support its weight. Last night, the vulture was still free.
Television highlights: Watch With Mother. On Safari – frogs and lizards. Royal International Horse Show.
Radio highlights: Listen With Mother. Pop Go The Beatles.
Weather: dry and particularly warm. Outlook – cooler with rain likely. 25c, 77f.
Wednesday 24 July 1963
ITV was flooded with complaints last night after the broadcast of End of Conflict, a play about soldiering set in the Far East. The play contained such expletives as “bloody”, “bleeding” and “bastard”. Mr George More O’Ferrall, who directed the play, said, ‘The words were used in context. I did, however, cut out a great number of “bloodies”.’
Ninety thousand teenagers a year are now fitted with false teeth. Only 29,000,000 toothbrushes, out of a population of 52,000,000, were sold in 1962. Toothbrushes only last three months, so the conclusion reached is that not many people in Britain use a toothbrush.
Swiss beauty expert Micheline Lugeon, 26, arrested in connection with the horse doping scandal, said yesterday, “I’m innocent.” Her father is a cemetery keeper in Switzerland. Six men have been sent for trial in connection with the scandal.
If Christine Keeler’s entrance into the Stephen Ward trial yesterday had been dramatic, Mandy Rice-Davies’ entrance today was atomic. Mandy was asked about having sexual relations with Lord Astor while Stephen Ward looked on. There were gasps from the public gallery when she replied, “Oh yes, it is quite normal, isn’t it. There is nothing wrong with it.” The case continues.
Gadzooks, “The Provok’d Wife” is a lusty and high-speed romp at the Vaudeville Theatre. This Vanbrugh play, 266 years old, is well worth its present-day airing in the West End. Many of the lines are a joy, well delivered by an excellent cast. Slap me vitals, I enjoyed it.
Television highlights: Talking Sport – Cricket with Brian Rix, Charlie Drake and Ian Carmichael. Take a Letter – crossword game with Robert Holness. Professional Wrestling from Bradford.
Radio highlights: Honour Your Partners. Protest USA – a report on the race riots.
Weather: cloudy with rain or drizzle. Outlook – changeable. 20c, 68f.
Thursday 25 July 1963
In the Stephen Ward trial, Mr Ward’s solicitors are looking for model Sylvia Parker whom they believe could be a vital defence witness. Meanwhile, hundreds of people are queuing for a seat in the public gallery every day. One of the people queuing, singer Julie Gulliver, a friend of Mr Ward, fainted. The trial continues. (The trial was receiving four to six pages of newspaper coverage daily).
Shock news that Dumbarton shipbuilding and hovercraft firm William Denny and Sons is to go into voluntary liquidation. Over the past three years the company invested £300,000 in developing a passenger hovercraft. Its hoverbus is now in service on the Thames in London. However, last night a spokesman said, “It did not reach the commercial stage soon enough.”
A plan to standardise the size markings on women’s clothes was agreed yesterday. Size 14, for instance, will mean a 37 1/2 to 39 inch hip size, with a bust size of 35 1/2 to 37 inches. The letter S will indicate garments for short women, and the letter T for tall.
Mr Brian Epstein said, “This time last year, I was trying to get the Beatles off the ground.” He succeeded. They are now one of the biggest disc properties in Britain. This week, their extended-play record Twist and Shout entered the top thirty at number 14, after an advance order of 100,000 copies.
Television highlights: The Good Old Days – old time music hall. Promenade Concert with the BBC Symphony Orchestra. Here and Now – home brew.
Radio highlights: D-Day With the Stars. Ballads.
Weather: sunny spells and showers. Outlook – dry, sunny at times. 22c, 72f.
Friday 26 July 1963
The strange crater in Roy Blanchard’s potato and barley patch was caused by a Thing From Outer Space. The Thing was as big as a cricket ball and weighed half a pound. The Thing was a meteorite, and it was discovered buried eight feet in the ground. (Update on the “meteorite” tomorrow).
Anti-smoking films will be shown on television. However, there is a big fear that tobacco revenue will decline if the smoking habit falls off sharply. Therefore, cigarette advertisements will continue.
Agony Aunt: H.T. and M.T. from Guildford write, “How can I stop my wife from painting her nails in bed?” “How can I stop my husband from smoking his pipe in bed?” Jane Adams’ reply, “Are you two husband and wife? Let me know before his pipe sets fire to your inflammable nail varnish and you both go up in flames.”
The House of Dior has spoken – hemlines will remain as they are this season. Skirts will still be worn short. Legs will be displayed. Common sense has won the day.
Cricket: despite a septic finger, Gary Sobers scored 102 for the West Indies against England in the Fourth Test Match at Headingley, yesterday. Sobers was well supported by Rohan Kanhai, who scored 92. The West Indies closed on 294 – 5. England entered the match as favourites, but now they have their work cut out.
Television highlights: Giants of Steam. Miss Universe 1963. Dad, You’re a Square.
Radio highlights: Round Europe in Song. The Lost Letter – satirical comedy.
Weather: sunny and warm. Outlook – sunny and warm. 21c, 70f.
Saturday 27 July 1963
In an outburst during his evidence at the Old Bailey yesterday, Stephen Ward said, “If Vicky Barrett is telling the truth, then I am guilty.” However, he denied Miss Barrett’s claim that whipping and caning took place involving numerous men at his flat. He added that Christine Keeler had not told the truth and that Mandy Rice-Davies had also lied. Fashion model Sylvia Parker said that Miss Barrett’s evidence was “a complete load of rubbish.” The trial continues on Monday.
The mystery of the crater in Mr Roy Blanchard’s potato and barley patch deepened yesterday. The Thing recovered from the crater was not a meteorite, as initially thought. The Thing has trident markings on it, and is made of ironstone. Experts are investigating.
Mr Angus Ogilvy, husband of Princess Alexandra, has become a director of yet another company – Provincial and Suburban Investments. Mr Ogilvy now has well over fifty directorships.
Threepenny Lucky Bags are not so lucky these days. My friend’s son came home with a Lucky Bag that contained a balloon with a hole in it, a racing car with one wheel, a sweet and a card.
Cricket: the Fourth Test at Headingley and England are on the ropes. In reply to the West Indies’ 397 all out, England were teetering on 93 – 8. Charlie Griffith was the chief destroyer. In one spell he took four wickets for only six runs. A West Indies victory within three days now looks like the most likely result.
Television highlights: Summer Grandstand. Big Night Out with Gerry and the Pacemakers, and Vera Lynn. Supercar.
Radio highlights: Polish Music. It’s Latin.
Weather: sunny and warmer. Outlook – similar. 23c, 73f.
Available for order and pre-order, my Swinging Sixties Mystery Series
Introductory minstrel song: “Freedom is calling to Little John, the giant; Robin helps him understand, a serf can be defiant!”
Regular Cast
Sir Robin of Locksley – Richard Greene
Maid Marian – Bernadette O’Farrell
The Sheriff of Nottingham – Alan Wheatley
Little John – Archie Duncan
Original air date: 9 October 1955
Screenplay: Eric Heath (a pseudonym for Ring Lardner Jr.)
Director: Dan Birt
Plot: Little John escapes from his feudal lord – after lifting him off his feet and placing him on a window ledge. He’s then enticed by the Sheriff’s men to capture Robin Hood in exchange for his freedom.
The Bayeux Tapestry again features, this time in a lord’s hall.
Agnes Bernelle guests as a Countess from an unnamed European country. In equal measure, she is impressed with Little John’s strength and appalled by the cold British weather.
More regulars are introduced to the cast: Simone Lovell as Joan, a servant at the Blue Bull Inn, and Bernadette O’Farrell as Maid Marian in a brief scene with the Sheriff of Nottingham.
Marian’s scene is brief because this story serves as Little John’s introduction. Archie Duncan was well-cast in the role. He had the physical build for Little John and mannerisms that suggested, intellectually, he wasn’t the sharpest tool in the forest.
Simone Lovell was a regular in historical television series – The Adventures of the Scarlet Pimpernel (1956), The Count of Monte Cristo (1956), Ivanhoe (1958), and The Adventures of William Tell (1959). She also appeared in Emergency Ward 10 (1961), Z-Cars (1965) and Public Eye (1968).
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Archie Duncan appeared in over fifty television series and films including The Lavender Hill Mob (1951), Saint Joan (1957) and Lancelot and Guinevere (1963). He also appeared as Inspector Lestrade in the 1954 series Sherlock Holmes.
Archie’s association with Robin Hood was twofold: as well as his best remembered career role as Little John, he also played Red Gill in the 1952 film The Story of Robin Hood.
📷 Archie Duncan as Little John
Standout scene: an evergreen – the quarterstaff fight between Robin Hood and Little John as they try to cross a river.
Book One in my Maid Marian and Robin Hood series will be The Tourney. The Sheriff of Nottingham organises a May festival (1215) and the various characters arrive to display their skills. Chapter One opens with Marian practicing her archery skills. However, because she’s a woman, the sheriff will not allow her to participate in the tourney.
Marian has other matters to concern her – Sir Piers Longespèe arrives with a claim on Marian’s hall, Huntington Hall. Her problems are compounded when the deeds proving her ownership of the hall are stolen. Into this milieu strides Robert of Locksley, with an interest in all the above.
🖼️ Women Defending a Castle with Bows and Crossbows – Walter de Milemere, c1326, Christ Church, Oxford.
Medieval tournaments developed as a training ground for warfare. As time moved on, the tournaments became entertainments with music, dancing, various sporting events, betting and stalls.
In 1348, a shocked monastic chronicler recorded that forty “wonton” women dressed as men in multi-coloured garments and paraded through the lists on chargers and palfreys. They “forgot” their marriage vows and indulged in “lewd behaviour”.
🖼️ Artist unknown
Available for order and pre-order, my Swinging Sixties Mystery Series
A mystery woman holding a screwdriver has been caught trying to get into Buckingham Palace. The woman asked to sign the visitors’ book inside the Privy Purse Door. Three questions remain unanswered: Who was the woman? What did she really want? And where is she now?
Soon, there may be small telephones that we can carry about. Not only will you be able to ring from anywhere, you will also be able to see the person you are talking with. The big question is – will this new technology diminish loneliness or increase it?
The postman’s knock or ring is to finish. The Post Office plan to amend regulations so that the knock will only be used when mail cannot be pushed through the letterbox.
Ice cream vans in Gorleston, Norfolk will have quieter chimes in future. The residents have complained that the current chimes are too noisy.
Book of the Week: Sword at Sunset by Rosemary Sutcliff. It’s historical. It’s massive. It’s about King Arthur. It will supply your weekend reading until Christmas! And you won’t regret it.
Maureen Evans from Cardiff is one of the few singers who can convince the BBC that the classics can be put into pop form without offending long-haired music lovers. Check out Like I Do and Tomorrow is Another Day, classically influenced tunes that are sure to be hits in Discville.
Television highlights: Fireball XL5. The Roy Castle Show. This Nation Tomorrow.
Radio highlights: Your Hundred Best Tunes. In Search of the Truth.
Weather: bright, then cloudy with rain.
Monday 15 July 1963
A wife obtained a divorce on the grounds of cruelty after her husband insisted that she should tickle his feet for hour after hour. When the wife refused, the husband rigged up a machine with a milk bottle and an umbrella to tickle his feet, but it did not work. The judge said the tickling was harmless in itself, but because it was causing the wife distress he found in her favour.
Tattoos are back in favour, but they can be expensive, so Mr Ron Austin of Peterborough, Northants has started a service with a difference – tattoos on hire purchase. Any tattoo over five bob can be paid for at half-a-crown a week.
In Barnsley, Yorkshire a 41 year old coal miner put his false teeth on a conveyer belt and started to eat his sandwiches. The belt accidentally reversed – whisking his false teeth away. He’s been told that he must pay £5 for a replacement set.
A storm blew up last night after Dr Alex Comfort gave a talk about the Facts of Life on BBC television. After the programme, forty-four viewers phoned the BBC to complain that Sunday evening was the wrong time for such a programme. Four viewers phoned in to praise the programme.
Found in the foundations of an old building – a bottle embedded in the concrete containing a copy of the Daily Mirror dated 31 July 1908.
Personal advertisement: Elaine, you’re needed – JNW.
Television highlights: Hiss v Hi-Fi – a look at records and record machines. County Cricket – Lancashire v Sussex. Pit Your Wits – quiz with Kenneth Kendall.
Radio highlights: Concert Hour. Improve Your German.
Weather: cloudy, rain, bright spells. Outlook – unsettled. 19c, 67f.
15 July 1963 Postscript
Tuesday 16 July 1963
New York stripper Dior Angel (pictured) insists that she will marry British baronet Sir Charles Musgrave even if “she has to use her father’s shotgun”. Sir Charles advertised for a wife, Dior replied, but Sir Charles said she was not his type. However, Miss Angel is not taking no for an answer. She said, “Please refer to me as the future Lady Musgrave. The wedding will be no later than Christmas. I intend to take a plane to England and find Sir Charles.”
A carpet racket has been smashed by the Good Housekeeping Institute. Door-to-door salesmen have been selling cheap, shoddy carpets marked with the Institute’s seal of guarantee. But the seals were forgeries. Now the Institute has withdrawn all its seals. A spokesman said, “Our problem now is to find a seal that is impossible to copy.”
A parcel containing equipment from a rocket fired at Woomera, Australia turned up at Stockport, Cheshire today. The parcel, missing for a month, was addressed to Jodrell Bank, Cheshire.
Three people are to be prosecuted for football league match fixing. Inquiries started two months ago after Bristol Rovers drew 2 – 2 at Bradford. It’s alleged that some of the players involved were bribed to “fix” the match.
Advertisement: women, get more out of life – become a catering manager.
Television highlights: Commander Cousteau – The House Under the Sea. The Sky at Night. Here and Now – an opera school.
Radio highlights: Marching and Waltzing. Pop Go the Beatles.
Weather: sunny spells, showers. Outlook – bright with scattered showers. 20c, 68f.
Wednesday 17 July 1963
Paul McCartney, a member of the Beatles singing group, was fined £17 for speeding and for failing to produce a driving licence. He explained that he put his foot down when he and the three other members of the band were chased by fans. Mr Brian Epstein, who manages the Beatles, said, “I will ask them to travel by coach on future tours.”
The number of known drug addicts in Britain has risen again. Last year’s total was 532. The previous year’s total was 470. The addicts listed do not include opium or hemp. The number of women listed – 270. The number of men – 262.
There is no longer any overcrowding in Slough, Buckinghamshire – the local council has abolished it. In future, crowded houses will be referred to as “multiple occupation”.
As soon as a woman becomes pregnant she should keep a daily diary of everything she does for three months. This advice comes from the British Medical Association. She should record any medicines taken, what she had for breakfast, and everything else, including whether she watched BBC or ITV.
Mr Ricardo Zzyzz has lost his position of last place in the Los Angeles telephone book. He has been replaced by the ZZZZZ Wake Up Service.
Letters: Listening to the cricket commentary, I heard the commentator say that one of our bowlers had two short legs. Are such personal remarks really called for?
Television highlights: Taxi! with Sid James. Cricket – MCC Australia XI v The Rest from Lord’s. The City – documentary about London.
Radio highlights: Enchanted Evenings. Date With a Disc.
Weather: rain at times. Outlook – changeable. 20c, 68f.
Thursday 18 July 1963
Action against the “Faceless Men” behind inhuman property rackets was demanded in Parliament last night. Intimidation of tenants, as practised by the dead “slum emperor” Peter Rachman, friend of Christine Keeler and Mandy Rice-Davies, is still going on. Tenants are being evicted and beaten up by these thugs. Labour has demanded immediate action. A spokesman for the Tory Government said they would look into the matter and see if “sharper teeth” were needed to strengthen the law.
Petula Clark’s performance on the ABC television programme Lucky Stars was wiped clean when an engineer pressed a wrong button. From Paris, where she is recording another programme, Miss Clark said, “I’m not upset. I think the whole thing is rather funny.”
Every morning, wise women do this – they drink a glass of hot water because it helps keep sluggishness at bay. And for an extra boost they add Juno Junipah Health Salts. Juno Junipah – specially recommended and formulated for women.
Agony Aunt: Alf writes, “My girlfriend’s mother is already going fat at forty. Will my girlfriend go the same way?” Jane Adams’ reply, “There is some truth in the saying that to look into a girlfriend’s future you should take a look at her mother, but your attitude towards your girlfriend will ultimately determine whether or not she goes to seed.”
A man in uniform walked into a Hammersmith post office and walked out with a bag of mail. Staff later discovered that he was bogus. The police are hunting him.
Music: “This is Merseybeat” is a throbbing long-player featuring nine different Liverpool groups. This week’s number one – Confessin’ by Frank Ifield. New entries – Walkin’ Tall by Adam Faith and I’ll Cut Your Tail Off by John Leyton.
Television highlights: The Gondoliers – Canadian production of the Gilbert and Sullivan classic. Try Out Your French. Glamour ‘63.
Radio highlights: Lunchtime Prom. Music From Scarborough.
Weather: sunny spells and showers. Outlook – continuing changeable. 20c, 68f.
Friday 19 July 1963
“There’s a cheetah on the prowl.” Or maybe it’s a leopard. More than 200 troops, police and dogs went on safari through four and a half miles of parkland at Shooters Hill, near Woolwich, SE18, yesterday. The jungle cat scare began when a long-distance lorry driver thought he saw a leopard leaping from the road into a park. Four policemen also spotted a “large golden animal” on the loose. The animal might have leapt from a boat on the Thames. Trackers are following footprints and large hams have been placed around the search area.
Is the bird you fancy suitable to be your wife? This clothing guide will help you decide. If she’s mad about frills and petticoats and nipped-in waists, she’s feminine, but potentially fussy. If she likes beatnik clothes – jeans and sloppy sweaters – she’s telling the world that she’s big, brave and non-conformist. If she’s neat and tailored, she’s self-reliant and practical, and maybe a little prudish. If she’s mad about tight pants and mannish shirts – surprise, surprise – she’s very feminine. If she wears tight, short skirts she’s saying, “Here are the goods – any offers?” As for the sexiest women of all, they choose dark and sombre colours.
Anthony Burcher flew with the RAF’s 617 Squadron on the famous Dambusters raid. His plane was shot down and he was the only member of the crew to survive. He was beaten up by the Gestapo, but told them nothing. But yesterday Burcher was sentenced to two years in prison for conspiring to defraud a hire purchase company. The fraud mainly involved juke boxes and vending machines.
A full scale inquiry is ongoing into the suspicion that Relko, winner of this year’s Derby, was doped-up to win. A 5 -1 favourite, Relko won the Derby by six lengths to collect £35,338 in prize money. However, a well-known bookmaker said there was nothing suspicious on the markets to suggest that Relko had been doped-up.
Television highlights: Adventure – Journey to Patagonia. International Film Season – The Knife, a Dutch film. Space Patrol.
Radio highlights: Non Stop Pop. As Others See Us.
Weather: cloudy with rain and drizzle. Outlook – unsettled. 19c, 66f.
Saturday 20 July 1963
The country’s Billy Bunters are being encouraged to change their diet. Out – cream buns and donuts. In – crisp breads, fruit locust beans, nuts and celery. The new diet will benefit the nation’s teeth too.
A new sensation shook the horse racing world last night. It was alleged that Tudor Treasure, 100 – 7 second favourite, was pepped up with dope to win the Victoria Cup at Ascot in May. Tests after the race indicated that he had received a stimulant.
London’s serious crime figures increased by nine percent last year. The number of serious offences reached a record 214,120, up from 196,854 in 1961. For the first time there were more than 1,000 hold-ups. A disturbing trend is that gang members, and not just their leaders, are carrying handguns.
Sylvia Willerton of Peterborough, Northants devised a love test between her husband and her lodger. She awarded points for kindness, good behaviour and cookery. The lodger won so Mrs Sylvia Willerton, mother of nine, is now Mrs Sylvia Watson.
Angry Motorist writes, “Car park charges are becoming preposterously high. Are all drivers considered to be millionaires?”
It seems as though the knee-revealing era might be nearing its end. Hemlines are creeping down in London. However, we will have to wait until the Paris fashion shows next month to see what skirt lengths will be this season.
Television highlights: Juke Box Jury with Joan Sims and Kenneth Williams. First Night of the Proms. Motor Racing from Silverstone.
Radio highlights: Recent Record Releases. Sports Service including sailing and rifle shooting.
Weather: sunny spells. Outlook – mainly dry and sunny. 21c, 70f.
Available for order and pre-order, my Swinging Sixties Mystery Series
Introductory minstrel song: “Trapped by the Sheriff, stands Robin like a mighty rock; and falls heir to the brave Will Scatlock!”
Regular Cast
Sir Robin of Locksley – Richard Greene
The Sheriff of Nottingham – Alan Wheatley
Edgar – Alfie Bass
Guest Stars
Herbert of Doncaster – Leo McKern
Original air date: 2 October 1955
Screenplay: Ian Larkin and Eric Heath (a pseudonym for Ring Lardner Jr.)
Director: Ralph Smart
Plot: Robin questions the outlaws’ methods and who they choose to rob. He offers suggestions and, as events unfold, is vindicated.
The opening scenes with Leo McKern’s character are played for laughs. Thereafter, the story settles into a solid adventure tale.
This was Leo McKern’s second appearance. Producer Hannah Weinstein assembled a stock company and the main supporting roles were played by about seven regular actors – full use made of false beards and wigs.
A strong point was made in this episode regarding the redistribution of wealth. The line, “The Sheriff protects those who steal from the poor” still resonates.
A note on the set design – a section of the Bayeux Tapestry can be seen in the Sheriff’s hall.
If you like flames, there’s a spectacular display of arson in this episode.
Alan Wheatley (pictured) was a regular in films, on television, the stage and radio. During the Second World War his voice became familiar to listeners on the Continent as he broadcast to occupied Europe.
In 1951 Wheatley played Sherlock Holmes in a series of six televised dramatisations. This was the first series to feature Conan Doyle’s famous character. He achieved another first in 1964 when his character was the first ever killed by a Dalek on screen.
Alan Wheatley’s most prominent role was the Sheriff of Nottingham. He played the sheriff in fifty-four episodes, offering the character a degree of gravitas, eschewing the cartoon-style approach often seen in Robin Hood films.
Standout scene: Robin breaking a sword at the end, offering respect – a genuinely moving scene.
Isabelle d’Angoulême (pictured) was the second wife of King John. In her own right, she was Countess of Angoulême and Countess of La Marche.
For noble ladies at that time, the fashion was for open necks and edging with a passement at the wrists and neck. In 1215 the girdle was worn at the waistline with the gown draping over it. As the decades rolled on, it became fashionable to highlight the waistline and fully reveal the girdle.
The common girdle image of the thirteenth century, with the girdle sloping down from the top of the hip bone to a point at the front, didn’t become fashionable until c1250.
The Sheriff of Nottingham – Fact or Fiction?
The Sheriff of Nottingham is one of the main antagonists in the Robin Hood legends. Usually, he is in league with Sir Guy of Gisborne or King John. Three villains trying to capture Robin Hood is viewed as overkill, so these antagonists rarely feature together.
🖼️ The Sheriff of Nottingham by Louis Rhead, 1912
In some stories, the Sheriff swaps places with Sir Guy in regard to a lecherous interest in Maid Marian. He’s often depicted as corrupt and cruel – think modern-day tyrants.
What of the medieval reality? The post of Sheriff of Nottingham came into existence in 1449. However, well before that date, from 1068, a High Sheriff of Nottingham, Derbyshire and the Royal Forests existed. This neatly dovetails with the Robin Hood legends.
Placing Maid Marian and Robin Hood during the reigns of King Richard and King John, we discover two possible contenders for the Sheriff of Nottingham in the Robin Hood legends
Contender number one – William de Wendenal. William was High Sheriff from
1191 to 1194, during King Richard’s absence. He is mentioned in the book Chronica magistri Rogeri de Hoveden by the twelfth century chronicler Roger of Howden. However, upon King Richard’s return, William de Wendenal simply disappeared from the historical record.
Contender number two – Philip Marc. In 1207, Marc “requested” 100 pounds from “three men of Newark”. The request was accompanied by a threat – pay up, or be burned to the ground. Sound familiar?
Unsurprisingly, Marc was not popular. Indeed, Item 50 in the Magna Carta specifically mentioned Marc. It insisted on Marc and his brothers’ removal, and that in the future they should “have no bailiwick in England”.
In the Robin Hood legends, the Sheriff of Nottingham is rarely mentioned by name, but in Philip Marc, I think we have a serious contender.
Numerous actors have portrayed the Sheriff of Nottingham in films and on television. This list is far from exhaustive – it merely offers my personal highlights.
Peter Finch in The Story of Robin Hood and His Merrie Men, 1952
Alan Wheatley in the television series The Adventures of Robin Hood, 1955-59
Peter Cushing in Sword of Sherwood Forest, 1960
John Arnatt in A Challenge for Robin Hood, 1967
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Hannah Howe 