In the year 1938 you could say that George Formby had reached the pinnacle of his career. His best known songs,
Blackpool Rock, Windows, Lamp Post, Chinese Blues and My Ukulele were already on disc and in people’s record
collections, although some classics like Auntie Maggie and Wigan Boat Express were still to come.
He had just completed his eighth film, It’s In the Air. I See Ice in the same year and his recordings numbered over twenty
in the year as well.
He would have been appearing regularly in concerts throughout the UK and also featured on radio. Obviously he would
feature on BBC at this time but he was also popular on Radio Normandy and Radio Luxembourg - the wonderful
Feenamint recordings discovered and restored by GFS member Chris Webster are the best example of George and Beryl
and are available in the GFS Shop.
radio in 1938
George stars in radio
`
A LANCASHIRE LAD IN LONDON
The other BBC radio series was A Lancashire Lad In London.
This was a six-episode one-off series and first broadcast
on 07 January 1938 on the National Programme, Daventry.
The all the six episodes were named, in order of
transmission here were:
The Honeymooners Arrive
Written by Howard Thomas
(From Stagshaw)
This is the first of six sketches by Howard Thomas that are to
give listeners the opportunity of hearing George Formby in a
series of adventures.
Listeners should read Max Kester 's article on page 12.
The Lancashire lad is a local boy from Posselthwaite - an
imaginary place which Thomas made familiar to listeners
in his radio play Beauty Queen broadcast in March.
Contributors assisted by Beryl Formby - Written by Howard
Thomas
With Howard Thomas and Max Kester
The series followed on with the same cast and the episodes
being named,
Friday 14th January 1938 - On A Thames pleasure Steamer
Friday 21st January 1938 - The Night Club
Friday 28th January 1938 - The Tower of London
Friday 4th February 1938 - In Hyde Park
Friday 14th February 1938 - At The Waxworks
George Formby by Max Kestor
The popular Lancashire comedian will be heard in a new weekly series of radio sketches starting next Friday.
Starting next Friday, January 7, listeners will be introduced to a new weekly radio feature written by Howard Thomas. This will be
called, ‘A Lancashire Lad in London’. The choice of George Formby as the Lancashire Lad is inevitable. No one is more thoroughly
Lancashire, either on or off stage, than George, and the adventures of the Lancashire Lad and his wife who come to London on their
honeymoon should be packed with laughs.
And yet if George Formby had been a couple of stones lighter we should never have seen that amiable, rather shambling, wide-
mouthed figure on stage, or heard him on the air.
When he was seven he was apprenticed to a racing stable. Up at the crack of dawn, taking the string out across the moors, cleaning
his horse down, and preparing the second string – it was hard work. And even harder when he was transferred to Johnny Burns’s
stable in Ireland. He ran away once or twice but never managed to get back to England until 1919. it was then that the scales were
literally turned in his favour. He put on weight and by 1921 was too heavy to ride.
Now his father, the immortal George Formby (Coughing better tonight aren’t I?), had always set his face against young George going
on the stage. In fact, George tells me that he never saw his father’s performance in his life. Whenever he went to the stage door, he
was politely but firmly pushed out. ‘One fool in the family’s enough’, said his dad.
But the same year (1921) his father died. Although the family was comfortably off, young George came to London to look for work. On
stage at the Victoria Palace he saw a comedian working his father’s material.
‘Nay, dash it all, if he can get away with that, so can I’, thought George. So he went to Birkenhead with a few songs and some patter of
his father’s, carefully studied from gramophone records. But though he used his father’s type of material, he took his mother’s maiden
name and he appeared as George hoy. ‘If I’m going to be a flop, I won’t be a flop under the name of Formby’, he said. But eighteen
months later he topped the bill, and the week following there was another George Formby on the stage.
From then on it was a steady climb to success. A contract for five years in touring revue, hos own road show, in 1936 his first film (with
Basil Dean), and every year, pantomime, generally Idle Jack in Dick Whittington.
The height of his fame was reached when on November 15, 1937, he stood on the stage of the Palladium where his father had stood
twice before for a Command Performance before his Majesties the King and Queen – the only instance of a father and son achieving
the same feat.
This Lancashire Lad, (he was even born in Wigan, that gift to the comics) lives a modest, simple life. He works like a Trojan and keeps
remarkably fit by riding when ever he can. Last year on his holidays he went to Matt Peacock’s stables at Middleham and returned to
his apprentice days.
He has two hobbies - cars and radio. Starting with a motor-bike, on which he used to tour from town to town, he has had forty eight
cars in the last ten years. Don’t think he smashes them up. He just likes a change. And for radio, guests at his house in Scorton, near
Blackpool, don’t get much sleep. George is ether-searching, chiefly for dance music, till five o’clock in the morning. But he still appears
as fresh as a daisy on the stage and audiences roar with delight when they hear ‘Chinese Laundry Blues’ and the stumming of his
ukulele, which by the way, he first played on stage as a result of a shilling bet.
He is so busy that ‘Lancashire Lad in London’ will be on at 6.25 every Friday, and after the first one he will rush off to delight the
children if Newcastle as Idle Jack. If you’ve ever heard the roar of ‘O.K. Jack’ that goes up from the little voices when he comes on
stage with his ‘How are you, kids?’ you’d have no doubt about the popularity of this Lancashire Lad, both in London and out.
Max Kestor - Radio Times - January 1938
A FORMBY DO!
A Formby Do! - Come and muck in! George Formby will positively preside (by permission of George Black) Beryl will probably interrupt Harry Leader and his Band will definitely be in attendance Don't miss A Formby Do!
GEORGE FEATURES IN THE RADIO
TIMES - JANUARY 1938
THE RADIO TIMES COVER FOR 02 JANUARY 1938
GEORGE BIDS FAREWELL AT THE END OF A FORMBY DO EPISODE
BROADCAST MAY - JUNE 1938
Grateful thanks to Chris Webster for this recording.
These recordings are from an early wartime broadcast.
GEORGE FEATURES IN THE RADIO TIMES - A RIGHT GOOD DO! - 23 DECEMBER 1938
In the year 1938 you could say that George Formby
had reached the pinnacle of his career. His best
known songs, Blackpool Rock, Windows, Lamp Post,
Chinese Blues and My Ukulele were already on disc and in
people’s record collections, although some classics like
Auntie Maggie and Wigan Boat Express were still to come.
He had just completed his eighth film, It’s In the Air. I See
Ice in the same year and his recordings numbered over
twenty in the year as well.
He would have been appearing regularly in concerts
throughout the UK and also featured on radio. Obviously he
would feature on BBC at this time but he was also popular
on Radio Normandy and Radio Luxembourg - the wonderful
Feenamint recordings discovered and restored by GFS
member Chris Webster are the best example of George and
Beryl and are available in the GFS Shop.
`
A LANCASHIRE LAD IN LONDON
The other BBC radio series was A Lancashire Lad In
London.
This was a six-episode one-off series and first
broadcast
on 07 January 1938 on the National Programme,
Daventry.
The all the six episodes were named, in order of
transmission here were:
The Honeymooners Arrive
Written by Howard Thomas
(From Stagshaw)
This is the first of six sketches by Howard Thomas that
are to give listeners the opportunity of hearing George
Formby in a series of adventures.
Listeners should read Max Kester 's article on page 12.
The Lancashire lad is a local boy from Posselthwaite -
an
imaginary place which Thomas made familiar to
listeners
in his radio play Beauty Queen broadcast in March.
Contributors assisted by Beryl Formby - Written by
Howard Thomas
With Howard Thomas and Max Kester
The series followed on with the same cast and the
episodes being named,
Friday 14th January 1938 - On A Thames pleasure
Steamer
Friday 21st January 1938 - The Night Club
Friday 28th January 1938 - The Tower of London
Friday 4th February 1938 - In Hyde Park
Friday 14th February 1938 - At The Waxworks
A FORMBY DO!
A Formby Do! - Come and muck in! George Formby will positively preside (by permission of George Black) Beryl will probably interrupt Harry Leader and his Band will definitely be in attendance Don't miss A Formby Do!
GEORGE FEATURES IN THE RADIO TIMES - JANUARY 1938
THE RADIO TIMES COVER FOR 02 JANUARY 1938
GEORGE BIDS FAREWELL AT THE END OF A FORMBY DO EPISODE
BROADCAST MAY - JUNE 1938
Grateful thanks to Chris Webster for this recording.
These recordings are from an early wartime broadcast.
George Formby by Max Kestor
The popular Lancashire comedian will be heard in a new weekly
series of radio sketches starting next Friday.
Starting next Friday, January 7, listeners will be introduced to a
new weekly radio feature written by Howard Thomas. This will be
called, ‘A Lancashire Lad in London’. The choice of George
Formby as the Lancashire Lad is inevitable. No one is more
thoroughly Lancashire, either on or off stage, than George, and
the adventures of the Lancashire Lad and his wife who come to
London on their honeymoon should be packed with laughs.
And yet if George Formby had been a couple of stones lighter we
should never have seen that amiable, rather shambling, wide-
mouthed figure on stage, or heard him on the air.
When he was seven he was apprenticed to a racing stable. Up at
the crack of dawn, taking the string out across the moors,
cleaning his horse down, and preparing the second string – it
was hard work. And even harder when he was transferred to
Johnny Burns’s stable in Ireland. He ran away once or twice but
never managed to get back to England until 1919. it was then
that the scales were literally turned in his favour. He put on
weight and by 1921 was too heavy to ride.
Now his father, the immortal George Formby (Coughing better
tonight aren’t I?), had always set his face against young George
going on the stage. In fact, George tells me that he never saw his
father’s performance in his life. Whenever he went to the stage
door, he was politely but firmly pushed out. ‘One fool in the
family’s enough’, said his dad.
But the same year (1921) his father died. Although the family was
comfortably off, young George came to London to look for work.
On stage at the Victoria Palace he saw a comedian working his
father’s material.
‘Nay, dash it all, if he can get away with that, so can I’, thought
George. So he went to Birkenhead with a few songs and some
patter of his father’s, carefully studied from gramophone records.
But though he used his father’s type of material, he took his
mother’s maiden name and he appeared as George hoy. ‘If I’m
going to be a flop, I won’t be a flop under the name of Formby’,
he said. But eighteen months later he topped the bill, and the
week following there was another George Formby on the stage.
From then on it was a steady climb to success. A contract for five
years in touring revue, hos own road show, in 1936 his first film
(with Basil Dean), and every year, pantomime, generally Idle
Jack in Dick Whittington.
The height of his fame was reached when on November 15,
1937, he stood on the stage of the Palladium where his father
had stood twice before for a Command Performance before his
Majesties the King and Queen – the only instance of a father and
son achieving the same feat.
This Lancashire Lad, (he was even born in Wigan, that gift to the
comics) lives a modest, simple life. He works like a Trojan and
keeps remarkably fit by riding when ever he can. Last year on his
holidays he went to Matt Peacock’s stables at Middleham and
returned to his apprentice days.
He has two hobbies - cars and radio. Starting with a motor-bike,
on which he used to tour from town to town, he has had forty
eight cars in the last ten years. Don’t think he smashes them up.
He just likes a change. And for radio, guests at his house in
Scorton, near Blackpool, don’t get much sleep. George is ether-
searching, chiefly for dance music, till five o’clock in the morning.
But he still appears as fresh as a daisy on the stage and
audiences roar with delight when they hear ‘Chinese Laundry
Blues’ and the stumming of his ukulele, which by the way, he first
played on stage as a result of a shilling bet.
He is so busy that ‘Lancashire Lad in London’ will be on at 6.25
every Friday, and after the first one he will rush off to delight the
children if Newcastle as Idle Jack. If you’ve ever heard the roar of
‘O.K. Jack’ that goes up from the little voices when he comes on
stage with his ‘How are you, kids?’ you’d have no doubt about
the popularity of this Lancashire Lad, both in London and out.
Max Kestor - Radio Times - January 1938
George stars in radio
GEORGE FEATURES IN THE RADIO TIMES
A RIGHT GOOD DO! - 23 DECEMBER 1938
