The Albert Memorial (VG)

"The Albert Memorial"
The Goon Show episode
Episode: no.	Series: Vintage Goons Episode: 14
Written by	Spike Milligan
Based on	The First Albert Memorial to the Moon
Announcer	Wallace Greenslade
Produced by	Charles Chilton
Music	Orchestra: Wally Stott Ellington: Lady Mac Geldray: You're Driving Me Crazy
Recording Number	T2/AG/4060 / TLO 65473
First broadcast	29 March 1954 (1954-03-29)
Running time	31:38

The Albert Memorial (aka Albert Memorial to the Moon) is an episode from The Goon Show, although it was announced as 'The First Albert Memorial to the Moon'. It is the fourteenth show in the Vintage Goons series and was based on the series 4 episode 7 show: 'The First Albert Memorial to the Moon'. There was a pre-recording rehearsal show at 2pm Sunday 9 March 1958, but the show was actually recorded later at 5.15pm. Both the pre-recording and recording was done at The Camden Theatre, London.

The first British public broadcast was on the Home Service on Monday 27 October 1958 at 8.30pm. It reached a peak listenership of 1.1m.

Story

Professor Seagoon has plans for a trip to the Sun in his space ship, B.2., but they are turned down by the British Interplanetary Society. Undaunted, he borrows London's Albert Memorial and prepares to take it to the moon instead.

Music

• The BBC Orchestra was conducted by Wally Stott
• The Ray Ellington Quartet plays Lady Mac (Duke Ellington)
• Max Geldray plays You're Driving Me Crazy (Walter Donaldson)

Technical

Originally recorded on T2/AG/4060 (Agfa FR tape stock at 15 ips ¼" tape recorded at St. Hilda's, Maida Vale).

Cuts made in the production of the simulated stereo PotG issue. Unfortunately the cuts were not kept, but these have been restored from the Vintage Goons disc (10" TS LP). As originally issued, the playout fades, but the original ending survived on the reel and has been used in the issue contained on Compendium Vol 9 and on CD Vol 27.

The tape labelled T2/AG/4060 is variously dated 23 March 1958 and 9 March 1958 depending on which paperwork is consulted. The rehearsal material for The Dreaded Piano Clubber was recorded on the same day as The Great Statue Debate (series 8 episode 26), which indicates that The Dreaded Piano Clubber was, in fact, recorded last, on 23 March 1958, and The Albert Memorial was recorded on 9 March 1958. The shows are, however, presented in the official order.