I just want to take a moment to blog my praise for the wonderful BBC Radio 4 Extra. I started listening to this fantastic station a couple of years ago and it was my first proper introduction to the glorious Round The Horne.
It is brilliant to have a radio station devoted to airing classic comedy and drama from years gone by. As well as the familiar series, it also regularly turns up forgotten or rarely broadcast gems. Only recently I have discovered two programmes starring my heroine, the late great Joan Sims, that I had never heard of before. So many top, talent actors appear in radio plays and I think radio drama and comedy does bring out the best in them. The vocal talents of the likes of Joan Sims, Kenneth Williams, Liz Fraser and June Whitfield cannot be underestimated.
I adored the rest celebration of Kenneth Williams on the 90th anniversary of his birth. Not only did we get to glory in the likes of Just a Minute and Round The Horne, but 4 Extra also shared rarely heard gems such as Diary of A Mad Man and a 1970 recording of Rambling Syd Rumpo in full flight. It was a wonderful way to spend three hours of my weekend!
For those who say radio is a dying medium, I point you in the direction of BBC Radio 4 Extra. It ticks every box - it makes you laugh, it makes you cry, it makes you think. The sheer range of subjects, genres and talents available makes you realise the power of the wireless.
Long may they continue!
You can find out more about BBC Radio 4 Extra on their website
You can follow the station on Twitter: @BBCRadio4Extra
You can follow me on Twitter @CarryOnJoan and also on Facebook
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