[BITList] Fwd: The Fifties

[John Feltham]

G'day hugh,

On 11/02/2010, at 11:31 PM, HUGH wrote:

<< Ceylon Radio - Binaca Hit Parade ?  They don't ring a bell with me.  
Does a
tale hang thereby? >>

On reflection it was Radio Ceylon, a commercial station broadcasting  
on shortwave in English.

While in school in Kurseong, West Bengal we used to listen to it.

The radio was presented by someone for the boys to listen to. It was  
placed in the School Hall and to stop us listening to it when we  
shouldn't it was fitted with a wooden box with holes in it for  
ventilation. There was a large hinged front.

Late on Sunday evenings when we didn't have homework (held in the  
hall), he seniors would troop downstairs from the dorms and having  
already 'fixed it' withdraw the hinge pins and so get access to the  
radio.

We would listen to the Binaca Hit Parade. Binaca was the sponser -  
toothpaste sold around India.

I do recall listening to the Cricket Tests and the Cambridge and  
Oxford boat race from the BBC, probably during 'legal' listening times!

There was a myth that if Cambridge won then the questions in the  
Senior Cambridge Final Exams all the questions would be easy!

ooroo