It was one those foggy late afternoons in the winter of early 1959 as I made my way to the BBC Television Theatre at Shepherds Bush. As my school was one of the closest to the theatre, it used to receive tickets for children to make up the audience for "Crackerjack". And as Shepherds Bush was on my way home (it was where I used to change from a trolley bus to a Number 49), I often managed to obtain a seat. These had always been in the circle, but on this particular occasion, I found myself for the first time in the middle of the stalls.
The programme always went out live about 5pm, so we had to be in our seats well before the start. It was then that one of the production staff made his way to the front of the stage to address the audience. Apparently the school, that was providing two of the contestants, had phoned to say that the fog was too bad and their bus had been delayed. So if any child would like to appear on the show would they please raise their hands, but they had to be over fourteen. I had reached that age in December, so my hand went up. The next thing I knew was being beckoned onto the stage.
So here I was, suddenly a contestant on a live TV show, and none of my family or friends would know. We were briefed on the format of the games, and in no time the presenter, Eamon Andrews, was making introducing us to the cameras. The next half hour was a bit of a blur. I know I did OK in the knockout stages, as I reached the last four for the final "double or drop" (it isn't me in the photo above). This was the climatic quiz stage of the competition, and quizzes are just not my thing. I know I got two answers wrong. The main constituents of air are nitrogen and oxygen, not hydrogen and oxygen, and the place that Greek gods go to when they die is Valhalla.
That meant I came a creditable second, although runners up still only qualify for a "Crackerjack" propelling pencil. When I arrived home, Mum said she saw me on the TV, but the fact that she was not excited meant that she probably missed it. Oh that mobile phones had been invented earlier. Although I'm not sure we had a phone at home in those days. At school the next day, a couple of friends told me they had seen the show. The propelling pencil was eventually lost, but my memories of that day linger on.
The programme always went out live about 5pm, so we had to be in our seats well before the start. It was then that one of the production staff made his way to the front of the stage to address the audience. Apparently the school, that was providing two of the contestants, had phoned to say that the fog was too bad and their bus had been delayed. So if any child would like to appear on the show would they please raise their hands, but they had to be over fourteen. I had reached that age in December, so my hand went up. The next thing I knew was being beckoned onto the stage.
So here I was, suddenly a contestant on a live TV show, and none of my family or friends would know. We were briefed on the format of the games, and in no time the presenter, Eamon Andrews, was making introducing us to the cameras. The next half hour was a bit of a blur. I know I did OK in the knockout stages, as I reached the last four for the final "double or drop" (it isn't me in the photo above). This was the climatic quiz stage of the competition, and quizzes are just not my thing. I know I got two answers wrong. The main constituents of air are nitrogen and oxygen, not hydrogen and oxygen, and the place that Greek gods go to when they die is Valhalla.
That meant I came a creditable second, although runners up still only qualify for a "Crackerjack" propelling pencil. When I arrived home, Mum said she saw me on the TV, but the fact that she was not excited meant that she probably missed it. Oh that mobile phones had been invented earlier. Although I'm not sure we had a phone at home in those days. At school the next day, a couple of friends told me they had seen the show. The propelling pencil was eventually lost, but my memories of that day linger on.
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