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Ida Coffey - Penelope

12/29/2021

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Picture
Badge from Author's Collection
Ida Coffey became "Penelope" on Station 3UZ on the 7th March, 1932.

She almost didn't make it.  After a "Don't call us, we'll call you" interview, she received a telegram the next day, requesting her to return to 3UZ.

Governing Director O.J. Nilson was well aware of how popular Women's Sessions were, during a recent tour of the U.S.

"Penelope" then commenced a long career influencing Women listeners in a very structured morning session five days a week.

"Penelope" started broadcasting at 2 pounds per week.

Initially "Penelope" had to go chasing her own sponsors.  After about 7 years there was a 4 year waiting list for sponsors on her radio session.

Her sessions opened with the record "Look Up & Laugh" at 9.00am Wednesday and   in later years a Deanna Durbin record "Pull up a Chair" was introduced and for 15 minutes human interest talks and problems were discussed.  Listeners views were included via letters written to the session.

There were also Interviews with visiting or local personalities.

The "Look Up & Laugh Club".
Penelope says Good Morning.
American news from Penelope.
Dainties for Madame.
Penelope says Good Morning to the Boys and Girls.

As Ida Coffey developed new outside interests, these became reflected in her sessions.

Cooking session every Wednesday at 10.30am.

Around the shops with Penelope.

Gardening Session.  Theme music "Thank God for a Garden". "Penelope" once offered to send a cutting of a cacti to listeners who supplied the postage and anything above the cost would go to charity.  3 days later and almost 1,000 letters and 26 pounds to charity, Penelope knew she had the interest of gardeners.

Charities.  Personally raising 4,000 pounds for Merchant Navy over 2 years.  Lots of charity support from listeners over the years.

The session ended each day with "Sing as we go".

PictureFrom Author's Collection
In 1945 Ida Coffey "Penelope" wrote a book about her session, subtitled 13 years at the Mike.  The Forward was written by Oliver J. Nilson himself.  The book contains reminiscences as well as jokes and recipes and lets the reader know the hard work it was to build on that 2 pounds a week by gaining sponsors for the session.

Despite offers from other Radio Stations, "Penelope" stayed at 3UZ for almost 16 years, only moving to 3XY in December 1948.


PictureFrom Author's Collection
Late December 1948 "Penelope" commenced at 3XY and her session was named "Friends and Neighbors".

 Sadly 5 months after moving from 3UZ to 3XY, "Penelope", one of Melbourne's most beloved broadcasters passed away at the microphone.



Picture
Listener In 1949-05-21
The story of a Lady Broadcaster with determination and an interest in her loyal listeners.  Those listeners wanted a permanent reminder of "Penelope".  A statue was touted, but in the end, on October 2nd, 1949, one thousand bouguets of flowers were presented to the patients at the Women's Hospital when members of the Friends and Neighbors Club unveiled the "Penelope Memorial Sitting Room for Expectant Mothers, which is attached to the Women's Hospital.  A cheque for $600 pounds was also donated.

That was how two badges with nothing to identify them as Radio Listener Club badges or any affiliation to Radio, were linked.

If you mention "Penelope" to a woman of that era who lived in Melbourne, you might be lucky enough to hear more.

Ian Grieve

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2MO SMILERS CLUB

7/5/2021

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2MO Gunnedah had several different clubs over the years. But the one that really stood the test of time was the 2MO Smilers Club.

Commencing in 1937 with a segment of the daily breakfast show and later towards evening the 5.15pm time slot was the Smilers Club session.  We can see from the following Membership Certificates that it was still going strong in 1962.

I haven't yet got a full understanding of what the club members received for their membership, in terms of activities, if they were involved in fund raising or displaying talents.  All that shows up in newspapers of the day are listings in the Program guides and mentions by members writing into newspaper clubs and stating what a beaut club it was.

I have more research to do.

Why I have chosen to write about the club here today, is that recently five 2MO SMILERS' CLUB MEMBERSHIP CERTIFICATES came into my possession from a collector of community related items, Steven Capper. Steven normally collects community social items like football badges, cards and many other similar items.  He came across them and put them away safely in his collection.

What I think is special in this case, as did Steven, was that these 5 Membership Certificates were from the same family in the same year 1962.

It is interesting that the membership didn't run in order of age.

Were they renewals of membership, paid for all at the same time?  I haven't found any information on the club to indicate that renewals were necessary.  More radio clubs were single registration than those requiring renewal.  The envelope addressed to "The Styles Children" would seem to suggest the certificates were posted at the same time, or at least some were.

All in all, more research needed on my part.

At this stage, five Membership Certificates from the one family is a record.  Before this, two consecutive memberships from a brother and sister of the 7BU - 7DY Sunpolishers Club had held the spot.

I hope someone who was a member of the 2MO Smilers' Club will contact me and tell me more about the club.  If you are a member of The Styles family and know more about the story of these certificates, please contact me via the comments.

Ian Grieve

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    Author

    Ian Grieve has been Collecting, Researching and Documenting Australian Old Time Radio since about 1998.  He enjoys the thrill of finding and identifying shows thought to have been lost and then researching their history as well as the people involved in their production.

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