Marie Evans - Charlie Chuckles
Marie has taken the time to give us a bit of background on her experience as a member of the Charlie Chuckles Club. For those of you who never experienced the club, I will give a bit of background and start this section with examples from my collection.
My comments and explanations will be in Italics to differentiate from Marie's story.
The Sunday Telegraph Newspaper contained a children's section with comic strips, stories, jokes, quizzes with the answer supplied upside down to check your answer against. Also, in particular Competitions for cash prizes and Competitions that rewarded effort with certificates.
First you had to join the Charlie Chuckles Club, receive your badge and become a Chuckler.
In the first section below, I have included examples of my rescues. First we have the Colour Magazine which included Chucklers' Corner with the newspaper comic strips. That example is from 1950.
This is followed by some 1955 examples of the separate Chucklers' Weekly A4 sized Liftout in a magazine style. You will see that winners were listed with name and address published (can't do that now) and what certificate they were awarded.
These will give you a better understanding of Marie's competition entries and the Certificates she won. You will see typed at the top of each certificate, what competition it was. I included all of them, so you would see the variety of competitions Marie entered.
What I didn't realise, was that when you were awarded your Silver Star (20 Silver Star Certificates needed) or Gold Star (10 Gold Star Certificates required), they actually returned your Cancelled certificates back to you, as you will see below.
Sadly, none of my magazines contained Marie's name as a winner. I will have to keep an eye out for one.
You will notice from the top of the Colour Magazine, they are advertising Charlie Chuckles on the air, 2UW, 2KO and 2GZ. This was a talented team of radio actors dramatising the comic strips while you read along. You can find more on this and an actual recording in a blog I did on Charlie Chuckles on this website. I will now have to update it.
My comments and explanations will be in Italics to differentiate from Marie's story.
The Sunday Telegraph Newspaper contained a children's section with comic strips, stories, jokes, quizzes with the answer supplied upside down to check your answer against. Also, in particular Competitions for cash prizes and Competitions that rewarded effort with certificates.
First you had to join the Charlie Chuckles Club, receive your badge and become a Chuckler.
In the first section below, I have included examples of my rescues. First we have the Colour Magazine which included Chucklers' Corner with the newspaper comic strips. That example is from 1950.
This is followed by some 1955 examples of the separate Chucklers' Weekly A4 sized Liftout in a magazine style. You will see that winners were listed with name and address published (can't do that now) and what certificate they were awarded.
These will give you a better understanding of Marie's competition entries and the Certificates she won. You will see typed at the top of each certificate, what competition it was. I included all of them, so you would see the variety of competitions Marie entered.
What I didn't realise, was that when you were awarded your Silver Star (20 Silver Star Certificates needed) or Gold Star (10 Gold Star Certificates required), they actually returned your Cancelled certificates back to you, as you will see below.
Sadly, none of my magazines contained Marie's name as a winner. I will have to keep an eye out for one.
You will notice from the top of the Colour Magazine, they are advertising Charlie Chuckles on the air, 2UW, 2KO and 2GZ. This was a talented team of radio actors dramatising the comic strips while you read along. You can find more on this and an actual recording in a blog I did on Charlie Chuckles on this website. I will now have to update it.
Marie's actual badge
When I was growing up, as an only child with not very many children my age living nearby, my world consisted of Radio broadcasts.
Sundays were Sunday School and Charlie Chuckles competitions to be completed. I am not sure when I joined Charlie Chuckles as the certificates (both Silver and Gold) are undated. I was awarded a Silver Star Badge and the letter from Charlie Chuckles was dated 8th June, 1956.
Sundays were Sunday School and Charlie Chuckles competitions to be completed. I am not sure when I joined Charlie Chuckles as the certificates (both Silver and Gold) are undated. I was awarded a Silver Star Badge and the letter from Charlie Chuckles was dated 8th June, 1956.
 Marie's actual Silver Star
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My favourite spot for getting engrossed in the pages in the Sunday Telegraph was sitting on the flat roof of our garage from where I could see if anyone was coming up or down the street. The completed entries would be posted off first thing on Monday morning, usually on my way to Wellington Primary School.
If I was successful with my entries, the certificate would be posted to Chuckler Marie Evans, General Store, 59 Arthur Street, Wellington. 4W., NSW postage 3d.
Sunday evening after a long soak in the bath, where the water was heated by a chip heater and later the dreaded kerosene dripper, clean sheets on my bed, freshly washed hair, I was squeaky clean and ready to settle into bed with my radio. Life was pretty good!
If I was successful with my entries, the certificate would be posted to Chuckler Marie Evans, General Store, 59 Arthur Street, Wellington. 4W., NSW postage 3d.
Sunday evening after a long soak in the bath, where the water was heated by a chip heater and later the dreaded kerosene dripper, clean sheets on my bed, freshly washed hair, I was squeaky clean and ready to settle into bed with my radio. Life was pretty good!
These are the 20 Silver Certificates that led to the Silver Star. I turned one over so you could see the CANCELLED stamp that was on each one. Also the envelope they arrived in.
These are the next certificates that Marie earned on the way to another Silver Star and a Gold Star.
Another “Club” I belonged to about the same time as I was a member of Charlie Chuckles, was “The Sun-Herald” Sunbeams. I was obviously not as keen on sunbeams as I can only find a Purple Certificate, First Class Honour Certificate and a Special Olympic Competition. The envelope which a certificate was posted shows the postage as 3 1/2d.
As you can see, Sunbeams ran on a points system like most of the Newspaper Clubs. Blue is 3 points, Purple is 4 points. The Olympics competition needed 30 points.
My aunt, Gwen Ford, lived in Orange, some 60 miles south of Wellington, and in August 1947, she enrolled me in the local Radio Station, 2GZ, “The 2GZ Junior country Service Club”. Each year a birthday call was announced on-air and it was a thrill to hear My name called.
One of my favourite Radio series was “Night Beat” starring Actor Alan White as the main character Randy Stone.
Alan White was the nephew of Mrs Gertrude Warton (originally one of the ‘Flying Wartons’ circus performers. Mrs Warton ran the local picture theatre and Alan White would visit regularly, sometimes to host the live midnight show on new Year’s Eve. The enclosed photograph shows Alan in the stage production of “Doctor in the House” in London c1950s.
Alan White was the nephew of Mrs Gertrude Warton (originally one of the ‘Flying Wartons’ circus performers. Mrs Warton ran the local picture theatre and Alan White would visit regularly, sometimes to host the live midnight show on new Year’s Eve. The enclosed photograph shows Alan in the stage production of “Doctor in the House” in London c1950s.
With permission from Grace Gibson Productions, here is a NIGHT BEAT episode starring Alan White as Randy Stone.
Night Beat is available for ‘home entertainment’ (not for broadcast or internet, etc.) through the Grace Gibson retail website GraceGibsonRadio.com or you can phone them during office hours on 02 9906 2244 to place an order.
Relive the memories of Radio from years gone by.
Night Beat is available for ‘home entertainment’ (not for broadcast or internet, etc.) through the Grace Gibson retail website GraceGibsonRadio.com or you can phone them during office hours on 02 9906 2244 to place an order.
Relive the memories of Radio from years gone by.