The Six Ingots of Leadenhall Street

"The Six Ingots of Leadenhall Street"
The Goon Show episode
Episode: no.	Series: 5 Episode: 23
Written by	Spike Milligan Eric Sykes
Announcer	Wallace Greenslade
Produced by	Peter Eton
Music	Orchestra: Wally Stott Geldray: The Cat From Goose Bay Ellington: Mr. Sandman / I Ain't Got Nobody
Recording Number	TLO 73044
First broadcast	1 March 1955 (1955-03-01)
Running time	26:41

The Six Ingots of Leadenhall Street is an episode from The Goon Show. It is the twenty-third show in the fifth series. Although it was originally intended to be episode 21, but was replaced by The Sinking of Westminster Pier due to its topicality. Additionally, its title was not officially The Six Ingots of Leadenhall Street. The script, the Radio Times, Programme Index, and the 'Programme as Broadcast' files all list it as "The Terrible Blasting of Moreton's Bank". Roger Wilmut, in his book says that

…the show, in fact, The Six Ingots of Leadenhall Street, the script postponed from 15 February 1955, is announced as such and titled as such by TS. Strictly speaking, the title ought to match the official files; but since the 'Six Ingots' title makes more sense, and would have, in fact, been the official title of the sccript had not the last-minute change of plan happened, I have decided to adopt it.

— Roger Wilmut, The Goon Show Companion

Such is the power of the The Goon Show Companion in the world of the Goons that this became the official episode title to everyone, including the BBC.

The show was recorded at 9pm on Sunday 27 February 1955. The recording took place at the Camden Theatre, Camden Town, London.

The first British public broadcast was on the Home Service on Tuesday 1 March 1955 at 8.30pm. It reached a peak listenership of 3.4m.

The show's first repeat was the following Friday at 12.25pm / 12.30pm (depending on region), 4 March 1955, on the Home Service. It was listened to by 1.5 million.

Synopsis

Once again the vaults of a West End bank are broken open by the dreaded Gelignite Gang. This time a newly bored tunnel, running from the bank's strong room to a mysterious string refinery on the Wanstead Flats, leads Detective Inspector Seagoon into a maze of tangled clues. How can Fabian of the Yard be in two places at once? Why is Count Moriarty watching TV at midnight in his chicken-run? And what is Admiral Grytpype-Thynne doing disguised as an Ilford dustman?

Music

• The BBC Radio Orchestra was conducted by Wally Stott
• Max Geldray plays The Cat From Goose Bay (Kavanagh)
• The Ray Ellington Quartet plays Mr. Sandman (Pat Ballard) / I Ain't Got Nobody (Roger A. Graham (lyrics) / Spencer Williams (music))

Transcription

• The Six Ingots of Leadenhall Street (Transcription)

Notes

This episode was based on a realife news event. The Seige of Sydney Street was a real siege that took place in London, in January 1911.

A gang of Latvian immigrant jewel thieves killed three policemen during the robbery of a jewellery shop.

Two weeks later a Mrs. Gershwin of 100 Sidney Street reported to the police that three men matching the description of those wanted had hired a room at her house. The men, sensing they had been betrayed, deprived the landlady of her skirt and boots on the assumption that no religious Jewess would attempt to escape not properly attired. She did. The next day, 3rd January, the police surrounded the house. A gun battle ensued and the men refused to surrender. Because the police had inferior gun power they called in the troops from the Tower of London. The Home Secretary (Winston Churchill) summoned the Scots Guards in full battle regalia. After six hours the house was alight. One of the gang in the building was shot before the fire spread. While the London Fire Brigade were damping down the ruins—in which they found the two bodies—the building collapsed, killing a fireman.

The siege marked the first time the police had requested military assistance in London to deal with an armed stand-off. It was also the first siege in Britain to be caught on camera, as the events were filmed by Pathé News.

Technical

Originally recorded on TLO 73044 (15 ips ¼" tape recorded at Broadcasting House).

Ted Kendall's Restoration

The original TLO 73044 tape no longer exists, so the version of the show found on the Compendium Vol 2 collection was compiled from the TGS 95 disc and a domestic recording.