INTRODUCTION
I’ve completely re-written this page [December 2024] as I had some assistance identifying covers and annual dates – see below for further information. In re-writing this page I took the opportunity to list contents pages separately from this page, and in more detail for each annual. It’s ongoing work but keep an eye out for further articles.
Firstly, let’s get out of the way the fact that there was a Children’s Hour in America (“The Children’s Hour With Uncle Arthur” #1-5, published between 1947-1955,) and in Australia – both saw Annuals published; the latter saw four annuals that I can find for the Australian Broadcasting Commission’s programme – 1956-1959 (#1-4).
This article is about the BBC production which started on radio and transitioned to TV. I have trawled the Internet and used details – only after checking and double checking facts about contents and dates – but please forgive me if I have erred and do get in contact so I can make corrections – as I’m sure there will be mistakes! I have included these details because, just like with Blackie and Son story books from this era it can be hard to date them and they have a wealth of lovely illustrations – many of whose artists are not remembered these days so I’m doing my bit to help keep their work and memory alive!
The first annual I have found with the name of the BBC radio programme was published in 1928 – The Children’s Hour Annual: A Book of Stories and Poems for Boys and Girls (above) contained work by E. F. Benson, Desmond MacCarthy, C. Fox Smith, L. Du Garde Peach, Madeleine Nightingale J. C. Stobart, Christine Chaundler, Hugh Chesterman, Eric Parker, C. E. Hodges, C. A. Dawson Scott, Ralph De Rohan, Antonia White, Philip Carmichael and others, published by Partridge, London. This earliest Children’s Hour Annual had 127 pages and the artists include C. T. Nightingale, A. H. Watson, Ernest Aris, H. J. Ford, Marian Allen, Hugh Chesterman, Joyce Dennys, John Dixon, Eleanor Lambert, A. E. Horn and simply “Johns”. Glenn Reuben confirms the cover is by Stanislaus Soutten Longley (1894-1966) and the British Library copy has an accession date of “February 1929” so I have gone for 1928/1929 as the date.
Glenn also mentioned to me a reference to a 1933 “The Children’s Story Book (Children’s Hour Series)” on the Enid Blyton website, published by Thomas Nelson and I managed to find the above..
Then we have the 1944 Lilian Rowles (1893-1953) book (Rowles is famous for her softly lit portraits of sleeping babies) and the book is indeed about the radio programme.
Published by Juvenile Productions Ltd.
“The Children’s Hour; Picture and Story Book” book published in London by Juvenile Productions has 61 pages and significantly its first story is “The little whiner” by Enid Blyton, as later we have evidence that Blyton was not welcome on “Children’s Hour”. The other stories include:
- Little Whiner
- High House
- The farmer’s Little Pigs
- The Little Spotty Pup
- The Best Easter Egg
- Dumpty had a big fall!
- The Absent-minded Aunt
There are also verses, Puzzles, “How-to-makes”, Fun and games, and Picture Strips (Peter the Panda, The Bunny and the Bung, Tommy and the Apples, Bertie Bear’s Balloon) – all of which are 4 panels on one page. I can’t find any identifying signatures for any of the art, but the bulk is by one artist.
There are many older books with “Children’s Hour” in the title, (ironic as apparently the programme never reached a full 60 minutes!) after all it comes from Longfellow. Here the poem as published in from The Children’s Golden Treasure Book 1939 by Odhams
I can’t find any evidence of another ‘annual’ before ‘Uncle Mac’s’ time. He joined the BBC in 1926 and Children’s Hour in 1930. So let’s get started, trying to map out when these titles were published and check their titles- and I should say this is not a list of all Uncle Mac’s / Derek McCulloch’s output, only the ones related to the Children’s Hour and BBC Annuals.
- The Children’s Hour Annual [1936] – Edited by Uncle Mac of the B. B.C. [© 1935] with a photographic cover
- The Children’s Hour Annual [1937] – Edited by Uncle Mac of the B.B.C. [© 1936] with a clock face cover by Keith McKay Edmunds, or Kay Edmunds
- The Children’s Hour Annual [1938] – Edited by Uncle Mac of the B.B.C. [© 1937] with cover art by Raymond Sheppard
DEREK MCCULLOCH – “UNCLE MAC”
The 13 October 1940 broadcast by Derek McCulloch (which is no longer archived) stated “the 14-year-old Princess Elizabeth sends her best wishes to the children who have been evacuated from Britain to America, Canada and elsewhere. Princess Margaret joins her to wish all children goodnight. This is the earliest recording of the future Queen in the BBC archives.” Duration 4 minutes 18 seconds. This was one of ‘Uncle Mac’s’ proudest moments apparently.
“Children’s Hour ran on BBC Radio from 1922 to 1964, […] Derek McCulloch took charge of Children’s Hour in 1933, and as ‘Uncle Mac’ presided over the show on air, giving it its famous sign off ‘Goodnight children, everywhere’ – from a defunct BBC page
McCulloch’s full name was Derek Ivor Breashur [performing name “Uncle Mac”] (1897–1967). McCulloch lost his left eye at the Battle of the Somme and a leg as the result of an unfortunate coach accident near his home. He joined the BBC in 1926 (and wrote Nonsericks for Methuen, as “Uncle Mac” in 1928) and was second-in-command (1931) and took over Children’s Hour 1933. It was in 1950 that he gave up the Children’s Hour role to dedicate more time to writing and to become Children’s Editor for News Chronicle – a fact widely advertised at the time – and later he broadcast again on Children’s Favourites until 1964. Martin Parsons (on a now defunct website) spoke at the Winchester Archaeological Rescue Group after researching Children’s Hour. His special interest is the way in which war has affected the lives of children, with special reference to the evacuation process in World War II. He found, from his research, that the “curmudgeonly old geezer” was very autocratic in his role, but felt this might be due to the constant pain he was in from his wounds. The significance to children scattered far and wide during the war, of his sign-off (“Goodnight children…everywhere”) with that most important pause cannot be exaggerated. You’ll find a fascinating piece called “A Day in the life of the chief Radio “Uncle”- Radio Pictorial April 26, 1935″ here (Archived page). It would be remiss of me to not mention that ‘Uncle Mac’s’ name has now been besmirched. The least sensationalist article I’ve found on the matter is by Andrew O’Hagan in the London Review of Books and makes very depressing reading. You’ve been warned!
Back to the Annuals.
- Uncle Mac’s Children’s Hour Story Book [1948, 1947] with pirate cover, Art by Bruno Kay (1910-?), Published by Samspon Low at 7s 6d
- Uncle Mac’s Children’s Hour Book [1949, 1948] with balloons cover, Art by William Gale, Published by Sampson Low
- Uncle Mac’s Children’s Hour Book [1950, 1949] with orange cover, Published by Sampson Low [printed by Purnell]
- Uncle Mac’s Children’s Hour Book [1950, 1949] with yellow cover, Published by [No publisher within] at 7s 6d [printed by Purnell] – simplified shaded colours from the ‘orange’ cover above
- Uncle Mac’s Children’s Hour Story Book [1952, 1951] with red stage cover – Art by Douglas Lionel Mays (1900-1991), Published by Collins at 7s 6d
- Uncle Mac’s Children’s Hour Story Book [1953, 1952] with roller-coaster cover. Art by Reginald Cyril Webb / Reginald Heade (1901-1957), Published by Collins at 7s 6d
- Uncle Mac’s Fairy Tale Book [1948, 1947] Art by ‘Kay’ – i.e. Bruno Kay (1910-?), Published by Sampson Low at 7/6d
- Uncle Mac’s Own Story Book [1949, 1948] Art by Mary Kendal Lee, Published by Sampson Low at 7/6d
- BBC Children’s Hour Annual [1952] Edited by Peggy Bacon (; assisted by May E. Jenkin (London)) with an elephant leading a crowd on an ice slide, drawn by Sam Fair (1909-1985) Published by Burke, [© 1951]
- BBC Children’s Hour Annual [1953] Edited by May E. Jenkin (Elizabeth) (Head of the Children’s Hour assisted by Freda Lingstrom Head of Television Children’s Programmes) with a central point with radiating circles and various figures. Art by Gilbert Dunlop (1909-1984) Published by Burke, [© 1952]
- BBC Children’s Hour Annual [1954] Edited by Elizabeth (May E. Jenkin) with 5 character cameos on a red grid background with art by various artists.
- BBC Children’s Annual [1955] Edited by Freda Lingstrom, (Head of BBC Children’s Television) with children in the snow running home at 5pm. Art by Joanna Curzon
- BBC Children’s Annual [1956] Edited by Freda Lingstrom with children in the snow pushing a log on a sled. Art by Joanna Curzon
- BBC Children’s Annual [1957] Edited by Freda Lingstrom with a snow outside broadcast near Nelson’s Column(?)children in the snow playing with a sled. Art by Joanna Curzon
- BBC Children’s Annual [1958] Edited by Freda Lingstrom with a circle of characters around a Christmas tree (with black background). Art by Trefor Jones
- BBC Children’s Annual [1959] Edited by Ursula Eason (Assistant Head of Children’s Television) with a red background and various characters seating on a Chinese dragon. Art by Dick Hart (1920-1990)
- BBC Children’s Annual [1960] Edited by Ursula Eason with a photographic cover of a TV studio
FOOTNOTES
- I must say an especial thanks to Glenn Reuben who was also researching “the dust jackets of all the publications that come under the “Children’s Hour” umbrella, either including the BBC or their host “Uncle Mac” (Derek McCulloch) in the title” and he had help from Alison Bailey, Lead Curator, Printed Heritage Collections 1901-2000 at the British Library who made notes about accession date stamps which covers most of the above
- Jeff Walden, ‘McCulloch, Derek Ivor Breashur [Uncle Mac] (1897–1967)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004 [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/53647, accessed 23 Feb 2014].
Visual Rants 