2 May 1956 A Show Called Fred with Milligan, Sellers and friends first broadcast on ITV (which had only begun broadcasting programmes the previous September)

New episode! @chrisshaweditor.bsky.social of @eggpod.bsky.social joins Tim to explore Her Majesty – a tiny Beatles song with a big story, from happy accident to hidden track. Listen now: www.buzzsprout.com/1820033/epis... #beatles #thebeatles #beatlesforever

Proper meat-and-potatoes old school scandal. www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

I’ve signed this.

This week we've been examining The Case of the Mukkinese Battle-Horn. Its original working title was The Yard Has Three Feet and it was intended as the pilot for a television series which could be flogged to the US networks. They didn't bite so it ended up as a cinema short. pod.link/1569929507

What happens if you don't tax really rich people

This time around, our Spotlight On Springfield shines a sympathetic light on the perennially underappreciated Groundskeeper Willie, who is part of the fabric of Springfield yet rarely gets his due. open.spotify.com/episode/2jb6...

30 April 1956 Jim and Mary McCartney and their sons Paul (aged 13 years and 10 months) and Mike (aged 12 years and 3 months) moved into their new home 20 Forthlin Road, Allerton, Liverpool. The house was 4 years old at the time and their rent was £1 19s 10d a week (about £64.80 a week today!)

In 1974 the BBC released an album for children on the cover of which Peter Glaze seems to be wearing a tee shirt with the word "cock" printed on it (yes, I know it says something else if you could see the whole thing!)

THE CASE OF THE MUKKINESE BATTLE-HORN podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/t... Sellers & Milligan are on the case after a horn is stolen from a museum but is Nodule the curator (Dick Emery) all that he appears? Why no Harry? And what has it to do with The Adventures of Robin Hood? Chris Diamond returns!

Where else will you find chat about the likes of The Crimson Permanent Assurance, Mr Pastry, Orbital, Ray Langton, Young Frankenstein, Benny Hill, Big Bad Mouse, Kenneth Clarks Civilisation, Leslie Dwyer, Psychobitches, Edgar Lustgarten & Peter Jackson's Mukkinese Battle-Horn? 👉 pod.link/1569929507

Deryck Guyler born in Wallasey, Wirral in 1914 but lives forever as the impersonated voice for the Churchill insurance dog and because he's been in every performance of Agatha Christie's The Mousetrap since it opened in October 1952 (because he's the voice of the radio announcer heard in the play)

Great interview. Great questions and very interesting info and observations

A strong and important message from Gary. Watch or listen and pass the message on

Morning! If you want to hear me talk about my book on The Beatles first film 🎥 A Hard Day’s Night and how it changed the Beatles and pop music & way we saw ourselves I am in Liverpool on Thursday…

Harry Secombe reading his autobiography this week on Radio 4 Extra @goonpod.bsky.social www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b...

Just a few reminders …

Cryogenic reincarnation: the early years

Monday 13 April 1964 the title A Hard Day's Night is suggested for The Beatles' film which they were currently filming. The title is accepted but John Lennon is told he now has to go home that night and write a song to go with the title! He does so and the song is recorded Thursday 16 April.

New! CLIMB UP THE WALL (1960) pod.link/1569929507 An early Michael Winner film featuring the Goons? Well, sort of. Radio personality Jack Jackson and his son Malcolm have some very low-budget adventures and meet music stars including Craig Douglas & Cherry Wainer. With @retroramblings.bsky.social

Julian Lennon born 8 April 1963

Today at 1:40pm on @talkingpicturestv.bsky.social they're showing Jonathan Miller's Alice In Wonderland from 1966. After watching it why not listen to the edition of Goon Pod (with special guest Bob Fischer) in which we looked at its background and themes? podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/a...

4 April 1963 The Beatles played live for the pupils at Stowe School for a fee of £100. The Please Please Me album had been released two weeks earlier. Their third single From Me To You would be released on 11 April and go to number one on 4 May

Quite prepared for that eventuality: My BFI Classics book on the Beatles' film A Hard Day's Night is out tomorrow (June 11 in USA), and there's an audio book too, recorded by me. 10% discount if you order direct from the @bloomsburymedia.bsky.social website... www.bloomsbury.com/uk/hard-days...

Excellent stuff including news of one of Prince Charles' longterm clandestine relationships and a Stack Waddy game based on 1975 comedy film releases

1 April 1961 The Beatles began their second stint in Hamburg this time playing at the Top Ten Club. Bass player Stuart Sutcliffe gradually withdrew from the band at this time leading Paul McCartney to buy his iconic Hofner violin bass later that month from the Steinway Musikhaus, Colonnaden 29

27 March 1960 Stuart Sutcliffe drafts a letter seeking bookings for the band he had recently joined as bass player. In the first paragraph however he doesn't finish writing the band's name The Quarrymen before crossing this out and replacing it with their new name "The Beatals" (sic!)

RIP Ringo's teddy boy coif 🥀

Today's important Beatle anniversary - 25 March 1963 the day Ringo finally gave in after 7 months in the band and got his Beatle moptop haircut which was done at Horne Brothers on the corner of Lord Street and Paradise Street in Liverpool (these days it's a McDonalds)

14 March 1960 Eddie Cochran and Gene Vincent began a run at the Liverpool Empire. John, Paul and George all came to see the show. On the bill was Billy Fury for whom they would audition in May plus Tony Sheridan, Joe Brown and Georgie Fame. Cochran would be killed in a car crash one month later.

Been talking about the joy of the first Beatles film 🎥 A Hard Day’s Night- subject of my new book on The Word… podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/h...

8 March 1958 Mike McCartney's pic of John (aged 17), Paul (aged 15) and George (aged 15) at Paul's cousin Ian Harris' wedding reception at 147 Dinas Lane, Huyton, Liverpool. Ian and his dad had built the original Cavern Club stage in 1957. Ian's mum was Auntie Gin - of Let 'Em In fame

Peter Sellers on lead ukulele with Steeleye Span in 1975 on the song New York Girls which I believe was played in during the course of their Christmas 1975 comedy special on Radio 1 - which surely qualifies the programme for inclusion on Goon Pod one day!

Always an interesting stage in the discovery process. Roughing out the landscape around Wapping station; Liverpool dock terminus of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway; c. 1830. So few sources here, so many questions.

This really is an excellent book! I can recommend it!!!

It's Daniel Craig's birthday (born 2 March 1968) and here he is at the end of the back row on the right in Class 10 at Hoylake C of E Primary School in the Wirral in 1979

Good morning! In our new episode out today we embark on the US Billboard 1960s Number 1s with a heady mix of Novelty, Death Discs and, of course, Elvis and bears feature occasionally... plinkhq.com/i/1531129636...

It’s being reported that Len Garry, tea-chest bassist (and guitarist for the later version) of the Quarrymen has died. He was there at the start, playing in some of the most significant early shows for the group and was there on the day of the significant John and Paul meeting. Bless you, Len. x

Shine silently... tonight's episode of Small Prophets is another enchanting surprise. It's at 10pm (11pm N Ireland) on BBC Two, and the whole series is on BBC iPlayer. @radiotimes.bsky.social

Goon Pod Film Club on Patreon is now just £1 a month - for that you get a new edition covering a classic British comedy film every month and access to the archive of over 20 shows and growing! The latest episode dropped this weekend - 'Carry On Camping'! Patreon.com/GoonPod

Delighted to say I will be discussing the mathematical formula (Beatles+Lester=Fab4) that gave us the film A Hard Day's Night, at the Oxford Lit Fest on Sunday March 29th 4pm oxfordliteraryfestival.org/literature-e...

Len Garry in the centre in the first picture of John and Paul on stage together in November 1957

Sad news about Len Garry - tea chest bass player who played alongside John Lennon, Paul McCartney and George Harrison in The Quarrymen www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpo...

The police investigate another instance of tramraiding

To celebrate a victory for #hopeoverhate, here's a @privateeyenews.bsky.social #cartoon published during the last #greenparty leadership #election ... #gortonanddenton #byelection #politics

Saturday Quiz Where on The Wirral are these four locations?

Around the 16:00 point in this interview, Mark Lewisohn seems to reveal when the next two volumes of his Beatles biography will have been published. And in the spirit of Paul announcing The Beatles had split up in November 1969, the presenters don't seem to notice! www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fuyv...

#FingerpostFriday Ashton Park, West Kirby.

RHLSTP Book Club with Ian Leslie and his brilliant book about John and Paul (from off of the Beatles, not the New Testament, though which was bigger?) shows.acast.com/rhlstp/episo... Buy the book here uk.bookshop.org/p/books/john...

⏲️ New episode out 🌆 @iandunt.bsky.social and @dorianlynskey.bsky.social are back with a bonus episode on 15-Minute Cities. How did such a sensible and benign approach to urban planning give birth to a wild conspiracy theory about authoritarianism? Listen / watch now ➡️ linktr.ee/originstoryp...