Sounds Historical for Sunday 24 May 2015

8:09 Today in New Zealand History 4'34”

The First Parliament meets on 24 May 1854.  

8:16 Artist: National Band of New Zealand 2’39”

Song: Buglers’ Holiday
Composer: Leroy Anderson
Album: The Virtuoso Brass in Concert
Label: Kiwi LC 47                                 

From National Band of New Zealand concert in Wellington Town Hall 19 January 1967.

8:21 Ida Gaskin 5’19”

Maggie Barry interviews Ida Gaskin in November 1987. Ida Gaskin was president of the Workers Education Association and a Member of the Advisory Committee Group that is considering alternative funding for community based education. She speaks about the groups that are covered by community education and her hopes to raise the profile of those working outside of tertiary institutions. She explains their request for a share of tertiary funding should be recognised as equal to that of any tertiary adult education institution and stresses the importance of supporting instruction in rural areas and for women in general.                                  

Ida Gaskin is one of this country’s most inspiring teachers. Her knowledge of Shakespeare led to her to winning Mastermind in 1983.

8:28 Artist: Pat Rogers 3’10”

Song: Sheep Cocky
Composer: Rogers
Album: 45
Label: Kiwi SA 25 (1960)                              

Pat Rogers was a Wellington tram diver who wrote a number of songs and was the singer in the “hit” version of Peter Cape’s “Taumarunui”.

8:32 Tales from the Brewery  8’32”   

Extracts from a 1980s 4ZB series “My Kind of Town” in which Jim Sullivan asked old-timers about the early days at Dunedin’s Speight’s brewery. Interviews with Bob Greenslade; ex-Speight’s manager, Jack Longford; Speight’s employee, Godfrey Monk; cooper Norrie Lewis; Bob McSkimming.       

8:41 Artist: Eddie Howell 2’37”

Song: Tell Laura I Love Her
Composer: Barry/Raleigh
Album: Polite Company
Label: Zodiac                                    

A 1960 No 1 hit for Ricky Valance.

8:45 Jack Denvir – war hero 6’53”

In this BBC Radio Newsreel of 14 March 1944 BBC Cairo correspondent Kenneth Matthews tells of the experiences of Jack Denvir - a New Zealand soldier who fought with the Slovenian partisan forces during World War Two. The shortwave broadcast opens with greetings to Jack Denvir's wife at Maori Point, Karamea. Broadcast by the BBC shortwave service to the Pacific. Devnir was later a taxi driver in Temuka and died in Blenheim in March 1973.  

9:52 War Report 37 6’45”

From The Press

To-day it is our sad duty to report a large number of names of New Zealanders killed in action in the operations about the Dardanelles. For various reasons connected with the nature of the operations, it has apparently been impossible until now to secure exact information concerning those gallant men who gave their lives in the first desperate fighting on the Gallipoli Peninsula. We have all of us felt very sincerely for those of our people who, not reading the names of their boys in the lists hitherto published, have been racked by anxiety as to whether I they were well or whether they were amongst the unrecorded slain. The country is full of sorrow and of sympathy for those who are stricken.

From Bay of Plenty Times 

General Hamilton's report shows that two thousand Turks were killed out of seven thousand casualties inflicted by the Australasians on the 19th inst.

On May 24 1915 an armistice was declared to allow both sides to bury their dead. Recollections from three New Zealanders who took part in the armistice.    

9:07 As I Remember 3’28”

When Tax Was Paid in Stamps by Viv Hansen of Ashburton. Read by Rob Webb.                   

9:11 Artist: The Kini Quartet 3’19”

Song: I Only Have Eyes For You
Composer: Dubbin/Warren
Album: Polite Company
Label: Zodiac                                     
Song from 1934 film Dames and a big hit again in 1959.

9:15 HMS (HMNZS) Achilles War Hero 15’07”

Lt Thomas Luckman of the Achilles recalls serving on the ship. Recordings made in Wellington at the welcome to the crew in April 1940 after the Battle of the River Plate. A part of Captain Parry's speech in which he acknowledges their sister ships Ajax and Exeter, pays tribute to those killed in battle, mentions funds raised by the ship's company for families left behind and visits made by crew to those relations. Three cheers are given for all members of the Achilles crew.                         

9:32 Artist: Johnny Hamblyn 2’31"

Song: That’s a Sad Affair
Composer: n/s
Album: Kiwi Nostalgia                              
Label: Platinum

Originally a Jim Reeves hit. Hamblyn, a farmer from Northland who won a talent quest and toured with a country show in 1955 and released several 78s.

9:35 Anthony Wilding, tennis champion. (Recorded 1960) Part Two 16’58”

Asquith Thomson (the first archivist for the NZBS) and another unidentified narrator introduce the programme, outlining the career of 'the greatest tennis player New Zealand has ever produced'. He won the singles championship at Wimbledon four times and from 1907-1914 he dominated the doubles at Wimbledon with his partner Sir Norman Brooks.  

His Wimbledon career is recalled, with details of various victories and defeats. It is believed his career was probably at an end when World War I broke out, as he was 30 and had been competing in world-class tennis for ten years. He lost his Wimbledon title in 1914 to Norman Brooks, who recalls the match. Together they went on to win the 1914 Davis Cup doubles in New York, but Wilding lost his singles match.

When the war broke out he hurried back from the United States and his friend Winston Churchill suggested he join the Royal Marines. In April 1915 he was promoted to captain and given command of a unit in the armoured car force, which consisted of armour-plated Rolls Royce vehicles mounted with machine guns and drawing Hotchkiss guns behind them.

During the second battle of Ypres on 9th of May, his unit went into action early in the morning on the front line at Neuve Chappelle and fired some 400 rounds. By afternoon his group had to take shelter in a dug-out after coming under heavy bombardment. They received a direct hit and Wilding was killed instantly.             

9:53 Artist: National Band of New Zealand 2’23”

Song: Tricky Trombones
Composer: Helyer
Album: The Virtuoso Brass in Concert
Label: Kiwi LC 47                                  

9:57 Pioneers in North Otago 2’23”

A 1965 talk in which Mr E. Burt recalls early North Otago and life in a small township.