Radio Brockley will soon be celebrating its landmark 60th birthday with a special weekend of live shows and broadcasts. On Friday 2nd October, it will be exactly 60 years since six volunteers, who had broken away from Radio Edgware, went on air for the first time at the RNOH. Radio Brockley owes much to Mr Jack Upton, the hospital’s engineer, who helped the original team set up the station. Tape recorders, a mixer, amplifiers and other equipment were built by and provided by members.
The first ‘studio’ was just off the “slope”, near “Intensive Care”. It was a disused air-raid shelter, and its leaky roof affected the sound-quality as the crystal record deck cartridges dissolved in the damp. A second shelter, half-way along the slope, became RB’s next home for a few years.
The first programme was a request show. Most of RB’s broadcasts took place on Sunday evenings and, although Bedside Bingo became popular, the request shows proved to be the station’s main strength, as they are today.
When RB was not on air, the BBC ‘Light Programme’ (later ‘Radio 2’) was re-broadcast via the hospital’s internal hard-wire system as the sustaining service for patients. All this was before BBC Radio 1, 2, 3 or 4 had been launched (1967), pirate radio ruled the pop airwaves, and commercial radio in the UK was still illegal for another 7-years!
But what else happened in 1966?
The UK was still using pre-decimal currency. There were 12 pennies (displayed as a
d) in a shilling (displayed as /-), and twenty shillings to a pound (£).
There was no “first class” stamp in October 1966. The UK did not introduce the two-tier (first and second class) postal system until September 16, 1968.
The cost of a Gallon of Petrol was approximately 5/- to 6/- (five to six shillings), which is
roughly 25p to 30p in modern decimal currency.
The average weekly wage for a full-time adult male manual worker in 1966 was around £20 (about £1,040 annually). The overall national average annual income for all workers was closer to £750 to £1,000, with female workers earning significantly less than their male counterparts at the time.
Prices
The cost of a Flight Between London and New York – air travel was strictly regulated by IATA at fixed international pricing. In late 1966, an Economy Class ticket would have cost £107 to £142 return ($300 to $399 USD) depending on seasonal/excursion fares whilst a first class return flight would put you back around £254 return ($712.50 USD).
The average UK house price in late 1966 was approximately £3,558 to £3,840 (less than
four times the typical male worker’s annual income at the time).
In 1966, a loaf of bread would cost around 1/- 3d (one shilling and thrupence, which is about 6 pence in decimal) a pint of milk was about 10d (ten pence, equivalent to 4.5 new pence), a box of 6 eggs was 1/- 6d (one shilling and sixpence, which is 7.5p) whilst a pint of beer would set you back almost 2/- (two shillings, often referred to as a tanner, which is 10p in decimal currency).
Fashion
In 1966, the Mary Quant mini skirt and go-go boots were popular, as were geometric and op-art prints and heavy black liquid eye liner. Men wore velvet suits, floral shirts, wide ties and psychedelic prints while kids proudly wore their T shirts with the “World Cup Willie” lion who was the emblem of the 1966 World Cup in England.
Motoring
The best-selling car in the UK in 1966 was the BMC 1100/1300 series (predominantly sold
under the Austin and Morris brands). Designed by Alec Issigonis (who also designed the Mini), it dominated the British sales charts for most of the 1960s, moving over 151,000 units in 1966 alone.
Top 5 Best-Selling Cars in the UK (1966):
1. Austin/Morris 1100 – £625 (equivalent to £10,500 in today’s money)
2. Ford Cortina – £680
3. Austin/Morris Mini – £550
4. Ford Anglia – £504-528
5. Vauxhall Viva – £580 – £625
Meanwhile, a new Rolls Royce Phantom V would have cost around £11,500
Sport
Yorkshire County Cricket Club won the 1966 County Championship, led by captain Brian
Close. They clinched the title by winning 15 of their 28 matches, finishing comfortably ahead of second-placed Worcestershire.
In 1966, Everton were the FA cup holders, having beaten Sheffield Wednesday 3-2, whilst
Bill Shankley’s Liverpool were the 1965/66 football league champions, 6 points clear of
second place Leeds United.
The 1966 Grand National was won by jockey Tim Norman riding Anglo, a 50:1 outsider
whilst the England football captain Bobby Moore became the first football player to win the
BBC sports personality of the year.
Film
Box office tracking in October 1966 was dominated by big-budget roadshow epics and adult
dramas:
1. The Bible: In the Beginning… (Released in late September 1966, this was the top-grossing picture at the box office that autumn).
2. Who’ s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
3. Hawaii
4. The Sound of Music (Still holding massive theatrical runs from its 1965 release).
5. Alfie
At the Oscar’s, the best actor went to Lee Marvin whilst Julie Christie was awarded best
actress.
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