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February 3rd, 2023

2/3/2023

The Birth of the British Nation

Collection of Robert Welk

Recently, I discovered that the 1935, 26 Episode Series written by Maurice Francis for the George Edwards Players, was sponsored by Vacuum Oil. Vacuum Oil as part of their advertising, held competitions with book prizes. All entrants also received two trading cards. There are 26 Cards in the set and 26 episodes in the series.

I have logged the series as follows:

2GB Thursdays 9.15 pm

1935-04-18 ep01 The Arrival of Julius Caesar
1935-04-25 ep02 Caractacus
1935-05-02 ep03 Boadicea
1935-05-09 ep04 Agricola - The Roman Friend
1935-05-16 ep05 Augustine, the First Archbishop
1935-05-23 ep06 Oswin of Northumbria
1935-05-30 ep07 Sexburgia - The First ruling Queen
1935-06-06 ep08 Dunstan - The First Great Statesman
1935-06-13 ep09 Ine of Wessex
1935-06-20 ep10 Offa, King of Mercia
1935-06-27 ep11 Alfred the Great
1935-07-04 ep12 Athelstan the Son of Alfred
1935-07-11 ep13 The Sons of Ethelwulf
1935-07-18 ep14 Eadgar the Boy King
1935-07-25 ep15 The Assissination of Eadward
1935-08-01 ep16 Ethelred the Unready
1935-08-08 ep17 Canute
1935-08-15 ep18 Harold - The Last of the Danish Kings
1935-08-22 ep19 Edward, the Confessor
1935-08-29 ep20 The Coming of William the Conqueror
1935-09-05 ep21 The Martyrdom of Thomas a'Beckett
1935-09-12 ep22 Richard Couer de Lion
1935-09-19 ep23 John and the Signing of the Magna Carta
1935-09-26 ep24 Robert Bruce of Scotland
1935-10-03 ep25 Simon de Montfort
1935-10-10 ep26 The First Prince of Wales

As the National Advertiser pointed out "These plays should prove most popular, especially as the visit of the Duke of York, the marriage of the Duke of Kent and the forthcoming Jubilee of King George V, have focused world wide interest in Great Britain's ruling House."

Sadly, it doesn't appear that any of the episodes have survived. I am however searching for more cards to make a set. I currently have 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 20. The card numbering matches the radio episodes.

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Charity of Choice - Prostate Cancer Federation of Australia (PCFA)

9/15/2022

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Folks, I fund this site myself. I fund the purchases, the research, the travel etc, 100%

I don't ask for financial assistance and I don't have any ads on the site.

But one Charity close to my heart is the Prostate Cancer Federation of Australia (PCFA)

I belong to my local support group and we raise money for our group, rattling the container at Bunnings or giving talks at breakfasts, trying to educate blokes in their late 30s and early 40s that Prostate Cancer is no longer an 'Old Man's Disease' that 'you will die from something else because Prostate Cancer is so slow" and other old wives tales.

I was in hospital having my Prostate removed when Bud Tingwell passed away from Prostate Cancer.

September is thelongrun where survivors and family members sign up to raise money by running, walking and wheeling to collect sponsorship. I have of course signed up. I am no greyhound, so walking is fine.

Currently I have walked over 100km and have agreed to walk 200km whilst donations continue to come in.

Please support me by clicking on the link below and also sharing it with your friends. Donations over $2.00 are tax deductible. Please help us find a cure and end this insidious disease.

Any Donations made on Friday 16th September 2022 will be matched dollar for dollar by Telix. I am sure you know someone who has suffered or is suffering this disease. Let us find a cure.

https://www.thelongrun.org.au/fundraisers/iangrieve

Thank you.

Update: I walked over 250km and raised over $1800 thanks to supporters.

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4BK-AK Ranch Club

8/7/2022

3 Comments

4BK-AK (4BK Brisbane - 4AK Oakey) broadcast an early morning Country & Western Show called Ranch Club. It commenced in 1947 and was still going in 1952 at 5.30am daily. On its 3rd Birthday, compere Allen Brandt confirmed they had played requests for 12,232 Ranch Club members and that he had called 66,160 members by Name and Address during the morning sessions.

I picked up a badge about 20 years ago, it was home made. I wasn't sure if it was made by a fan. It remains the only hand made badge in my collection. Over the years I picked up more, in fact I now have 4, all hand painted. Collector Jamie Kelly said he had 2 as well.

Another collector recently told me a story of how he also picked one up many years ago at a gun show in Brisbane. The fellow who sold it to him said they were made by his sister. Sadly we don't know his name or that of his sister.

A couple of months ago John & Phyllis from North Queensland who are fans of this website, contacted me about the club and John said he had a 4BK-AK Ranch Club Guitar, would I be interested. He sent me photos. Apparently he picked it up many years ago in a garage sale at Jackson QLD sold by a guy originally from Toowoomba QLD where I live. John bought it because he had been a listener of the Ranch Club on 4BK-AK.

Was it a prize? Was it a one-off? Did the same woman do the artwork or was it the work of a fan?

Sadly I may never get the answers, but I will write it up here on my blog in case one of you out there knows the answers.

Fortunately I was heading north for a reunion and not only did I enjoying 26c warm days, but I stopped in to see John & Phyllis and I now have a guitar. Thank you John and Phyllis.

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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.

February 3rd, 2023

The Birth of the British Nation

Charity of Choice - Prostate Cancer Federation of Australia (PCFA)

4BK-AK Ranch Club

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