Old Fogey’s Favourites

English readers of a certain age will forever associate the BBC Light Programme’s record request programme, Family Favourites, with the aroma of Sunday dinner - roast beef, Yorkshire pudding, roast potatoes, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots and gravy. It was hosted by Jean Metcalfe in London and Bill Crozier in Germany. There were occasional excursions to Cyprus, Aden and Singapore with a local guest presenter. The programme ran from the early 1950s and throughout the sixties, but it is from the fifties that I remember it most. The selection of songs was pretty standard - favourites were Ella Fitzgerald singing ‘Evr’y Time We Say Goodbye’, Kathleen Ferrier ‘What is Life?’, a Chopin Waltz (the ‘Minute’ Waltz usually) or Prelude (’Raindrop’), a concession to modernity with one of the more polite rock’n'roll records - such as Elvis’s ‘Teddy Bear’ or Cliff Richard’s ‘Living Doll’ - and Perry Como singing ‘Magic Moments’.

‘With a Song in My Heart’ was the theme tune, and forever coupled in my memory with the theme tune of the programme which immediately followed it - a raucous version of ‘Somebody Stole My Gal’ for The Billy Cotton Band Show.

This is Andre Kostelanetz and his Orchestra.

Listen Now:

 Standard Podcasts: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download | Embeddable Player | Hits (208)