The Sinking of Westminster Pier
| "The Sinking of Westminster Pier" | |
|---|---|
| The Goon Show episode | |
 The sinking of Westminster Pier | |
| Episode: no. | Series: 5 Episode: 21 |
| Written by | |
| Announcer | Wallace Greenslade |
| Produced by | Peter Eton |
| Music |
|
| Recording Number | TLO 72450 |
| First broadcast | 15 February 1955 |
| Running time | 30:53 |
The Sinking of Westminster Pier is an episode from The Goon Show. It is the twenty-first show in the fifth series. It was originally billed in the Radio Times as The Six Ingots of Leadenhall Street but at short notice the show was changed based on a news story about the appearance of a photograph showing Westminster's floating pier not floating particularly well being under several feet of water. Further ignominy was added to the pier by an "Out of Order" sign being pinned to the entrance. Greenslade attempts to announce the show as The Six Ingots of Leadenhall Street (based on the assumption that the Radio Times is never wrong!). Eventually Peter Sellers announces the title as "The Port of London Authority's valuable hand-carved, oil-painted, valuable floating pier".[1]
The show was recorded at 9.15pm on Sunday 13 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 15 February 1955 at 8.30pm . It reached a peak listenership of 4.5m.
The show's first repeat was the following Friday at 12.25pm / 12.30pm (depending on the area), 18 February 1955, on the Home Service. It was listened to by 2.3 million. The next repeat was 15 years later on Sunday 22 August 1970 at 8pm in the evening, where it attracted 0.6m listeners.
Transcription Service Synopsis
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On the 7th February 1955, the Port of London's valuable Westminster Pier sank . Who was responsible
Music
- The BBC Radio Orchestra was conducted by Wally Stott
- Max Geldray plays My Blue Heaven (Walter Donaldson)
- The Ray Ellington Quartet plays Yes Sir, That's My Baby (Walter Donaldson (music) / Gus Khan (lyrics)) / Nagasaki (Harry Warren (music) / Mort Dixon (lyrics))
Technical
Originally recorded on TLO 42416 (15 ips ¼" tape recorded at Broadcasting House).[2]
References
- ^ Wilmut, Roger (1976). The Goon Show Companion. Robson Books. p. 123. ISBN 0860518361.
- ^ Kendall, Ted (2018). The Goon Show Compendium Vol 14 (Booklet 2). BBC Worldwide. p. 26. ISBN 978-1-7875-3266-3.
