“Have a Go”
Those of a certain age will remember Wilfred Pickles
and his wife Mabel, and the "Have a Go" programmes,
broadcast between 1946 and 1967 weekly from towns
and villages all over the UK. Described as "a spot of
homely fun", it was one of the most popular shows ever
broadcast; at its peak in the 1950s it attracted an audience
of 20 million (yes, 20). "Ordinary folk" were encouraged to
tell moving stories of their own and their family's lives, and
then answer very simple questions for money prizes, which
they always got - £2 at most.
The programme from Walsingham was broadcast on
Tuesday 12 January 1954. The pianist was Harry Hudson,
who not long before had taken over from the programme's
previous pianist, Violet Carson (later to become a star in her
own right as Ena Sharples of Coronation Street).
Below are two reports from local papers. Apparently not
everyone was caught up in the fun, as the letter on the right
reveals: below it is Fr Lingwood's swift reply.
Walsingham is “on the air”
Mr Pickles’ “Have a Go” pays a visit
Freda Pogmore has only been to Little Walsingham twice in her life - but
had she not paid those visits Little Walsingham might never have gone
on the air. Perhaps she was listening at her Scarborough home on
Tuesday when Wilfred Pickles brought his “Have a Go” programme to the
Odd Fellows Hall. Freda’s name may have been forgotten now, but it was
headline news last April when she made an amazing recovery from a life-
long paralysis after visiting the Shrine at Walsingham. Since then she has
paid another visit to make the mile walk to the Slipper Chapel with some
of her school-fellows.
Mr Pickles mentioned her case in his Sunday newspaper column and
there and then determined to take his “spot of homely fun” to “Britain’s
Holy Land”. Originally the broadcast was planned for December, but the
Odd Fellows Hall had already been booked by the Youth for Christ
movement, and as there was no other hall in the village the BBC had to
postpone their plans for a month. But on Tuesday, after a fortnight’s
work by the engineers, laying lines to Fakenham Post Office, a weekend
of interviews by Mr Pickles and his producer, Mr Stephen Williams, and a
30-mile journey from Norwich by an impressive grand piano, to replace
the long-suffering original at the hall, Little Walsingham was able to
“Have a Go”.
And what a “go” it was! For an hour before
the show the audience joined in
uproariously with pianist Harry Hudson,
learning the “Have a Go” chorus and
“warming up” as thoroughly as any
producer could wish. There was
entertainment by a guitarist, a singer and
a conjuror to start the ball rolling. Ten
minutes before the show started the 40
candidates learned which of their number
were to take part. Previously they had had
tea with Mr Pickles at the Guildshop
Restaurant, opposite the ancient Priory ruins, while he had run through
his final interviews. Up on the stage went seven villagers of Walsingham
and one old lady from Cley. The “locals” may have wondered at her
presence - until they heard her moving story. Then Mr Williams made the
opening announcement, Harry Hudson thundered out the familiar
“dumpetty dumpetty dum” on the piano, and 300 sturdy Norfolk voices
burst into the opening chorus. Little Walsingham was on the air.
Appropriately enough, two priests opened the programme. The Rev A H
Patten told of his 33 years’ work in Walsingham to revive the pilgrimages
to the Anglican Shrine, and the Rev G Hulme, deputising for his twin
brother, Anthony, who was ill, spoke of the prayers that were offered by
the Catholic pilgrims who came there from all parts of the world. As they
stood together before the microphone, they bore out Mr Pickles’ opening
remark that in Walsingham the Anglican and Catholic churches worked
side by side in harmony. They did not go through the usual quiz, but
after the programme was over - “so that we did not sound patronising”
as Mr Pickles explained - they each received their “winnings” for their
church funds.
Mrs Edna Lingwood - “Pip” to her friends - at whose house Freda
Pogmore stayed at the time of her recovery, told of her life as a district
nurse and later as a baker’s wife. Mr Eric Seaman, local correspondent of
the “Dereham and Fakenham Times” revealed his ambition to be a
journalist - and probably gave the producer an unnerving moment with
his cry of “Well I’m damned” after discovering that he had lost a bet over
the first place that “Have a Go” was presented! Miss Molly Bartholomew’s
sincere story of her dedication to the work of matron at a children’s
home struck a more serious note, and she gave this formula for
happiness - “Be cheerful and have a life of prayer; forget oneself in
working for others; and count one’s blessings with thankfulness”.
David Wood, a 17-year old carpenter, raised a cheer with his comments
on people with “goat trouble” - “they keep butting in on conversations”.
Then came the old lady from Cley, Mrs Lizzie Gibson, aged 81, and there
could have been few people among the millions of listeners who were not
moved at her simple story of how the flood waters approached her home
last year - how she prayed as the water covered her doorstep - and how
the water stopped rising. She did not want to live to be 100, she said;
she was very happy, she had saved two little children’s lives, and she
was ready to go to “The Other Side”. One of the eight was unlucky: time
did not permit Neville Woodbine to reach the microphone. But he was
“given the money” too after the show was over, and also an offer of a
BBC audition in London. Aged 27, he is a baritone singer.
Father D Lingwood thanking Mr and Mrs Pickles for their visit, as
chairman of the Parish Council, mentioned the work done in preparation
for the show by Mr Arthur Bond, and Mr Pickles enthusiastically
supported him. Mr Bond was the man originally contacted by the BBC to
do the preliminary spadework, as a district and parish councillor, and the
riotous success of the show testified to the thoroughness of his work.
Little Walsingham Has a Go with Wilfred Pickles
For 30 crowded minutes last night Little Walsingham was on the air. Three hundred of the 500 villagers
packed the Odd Fellows’ Hall to join Wilfred Pickles in his programme “Have a Go”.
Over the weekend, from about 40 candidates, Mr Pickles and his producer, Mr Stephen Williams,
selected eight local people to tell their stories of life on “Britain’s Holy Land”, as he described it at the
opening of the programme. One of them, Mr Neville Woodbine, was unlucky; time did not permit him to
reach the microphone. But the other seven told Mr Pickles - and millions of listeners - of their work, of
their families, their hobbies and “What question I would ask the House of Commons”.
After referring to the good relations locally between the Anglican and Roman Catholic Churches, Mr
Pickles brought together to the microphone representatives of both denominations, Father A H Patten
and Father G Hulme. They spoke of the pilgrimages to Walsingham and the prayers of the pilgrims who
came there from all parts of the world. They were not put through the usual quiz, but after the
programme Mr Pickles presented them each with their “winnings” for the funds of their churches.
Mrs Edna Lingwood told of her life, first as a district nurse and later as a baker’s wife, and Mr Eric
Seaman, a local correspondent of the “Eastern Daily Press”, revealed his ambition to be a journalist.
Miss Molly Bartholomew told how she had dedicated herself to the work as matron in a children’s home,
and 17-year old David Wood raised a cheer with his condemnation of people with “goat trouble” - “they
keep butting in on conversations”.
But the most moving story of the evening was told by 81-year old Mrs Lizzie Gibson of Cley, who
described how she saw the flood waters approaching her home last year - how she prayed as the
waters covered her doorstep - and how the waters stopped rising.
After the broadcast Mrs Pickles was given a bouquet by Derek Edge, of Egmere, who has spent most of
his 13 years in a hospital and who was selected because of the work Mr and Mrs Pickles have done for
children’s hospitals. The Rev D A Lingwood, chairman of the Parish Council, made a speech of thanks.
Wilfred Pickles cracked a final joke and Walsingham's “Go” had gone.
top of page
Letters to the Editor
Sir - Little Walsingham was “on
the air” last week - at least a
very narrow section of its
community was - but came back
to terra firma the following
morning with much discussion,
dissatisfaction and
disillusionment.
Apart from the geographical
inaccuracies in the “Have a Go”
programme may I remind your
readers that there is also a Great
(or should I say “greater”)
Walsingham, and the simplicity of
some of the questions in that
programme should not be
accepted as indicative of the
average mentality.
It is to be expected that the
influx of pilgrims will continue.
Conversely, the regular
pilgrimages out of Walsingham
(for those parishioners who wish
to attend a Church of England
service) will also continue. I
understand too that, following the
broadcast, the membership of the
Methodists has increased
substantially.
Yours faithfully
A COUNTRY BUMPKIN
Sir - One of the questions which
Wilfred Pickles sometimes asks the
people who “Have a Go” is “What is
it which you dislike most in other
people?” and if I had to answer the
question my reply would be “those
people who write to the papers
giving incorrect information and
have not the courage to sign their
names”.
In a letter last week by “Country
Bumpkin” it is stated that there are
regular pilgrimages out of
Walsingham for those parishioners
who wish to attend a Church of
England service. Perhaps “Country
Bumpkin” does not know that the
central service of the Church of
England, as enshrined in her Prayer
Book, is the Holy Communion, and
any parishioners living in the
Walsinghams have opportunities of
attending both on Sundays and
during the week. It may be true
that there are a few parishioners
who go out of the parish to worship
God, but the majority love and use
their parish church.
To prove my point I give the
numbers of those attending the
Holy Communion (commonly called
the Mass) on Sunday January 3rd,
189 people; January 10th, 184;
January 17th, 201; and the 24th,
212 respectively. And during the
week commencing January 4th, 167
people; 11th, 117; and 18th, 238
respectively. I challenge “Country
Bumpkin” to produce any similar
figures for a parish of like size.
I give these figures for January
because few visitors, if any, are
about, and also unless the majority
of the parishioners of Walsingham
really loved their church and the
services provided they would not
bother to turn out in the depth of
winter.
Yours truly
DERRICK A LINGWOOD
The College, Walsingham
The 'conjuror' referred
to in the first cutting was
in fact a magician - and
no ordinary magician
either.
The late Gil Leaney was
Wilfred Pickles’s warm-up
act for a number of years
before he progressed and
became a Vice-President
of the Magic Circle, and
also magic tricks and
illusions designer and
manufacturer for various
magicians including
David Nixon, Tommy
Cooper and Paul Daniels.
And he wouldn’t have
known that his cousin,
Graham Howard, would
one day become very
well known here for his
years as the Shrine’s
Honorary Photographer!
