As soon as Peter arrived back from his holiday in Bavaria Jane went into hospital.
It had all been arranged previously, but Peter had not been told.
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| York Street - London |
At at that point something odd happened.
Peter had his case packed, and was taken from Hounslow to Baker Street Station by Underground.
It seems that John Crawford either couldn't, or wouldn't look after Peter while Jane was in hospital.
Now it was true that John would not be at home for a few hours when Peter returned from school - but one would have thought that one of the neighbours, the Downings, the Chandlers or even Mr Wilkinson, could have looked after him, and given him tea and sandwiches while Peter waited for John to return.
Instead, Peter was to be looked after by Auntie Gladys and Uncle Dick, in York Street - and no arrangement was made for him to attend school in London.
Well Peter didn't mind.
He knew the tenants who lived in the flats in York street, and he liked Auntie Gladys and Uncle Dick, and he could watch the ATV channel on their television - so he was quite happy.
And what's this business about ATV ?
Well Jane and John refused to have the television in Pears Road adapted for ATV because they thought ATV was 'common'.
Now today, the idea of 'common' is uncommon.
The concept of being 'common' is something very pertinent to the period before the 1960s.
It had a wealth of meanings including un-educated, tasteless, lower class, and vulgar - but its a word that is rarely heard in the twenty-first century.
Being 'common' also had a lot to do with language.
Common people used 'serviettes' rather than 'napkins', use a 'toilet' rather that a 'lavatory', sat on a 'settee' rather than a 'sofa' - and so it went on.
Common women would leave the house without gloves, (matching their shoes and handbag), which was something a 'lady' would never do.
In reality, of course, it was Jane who didn't like the idea of what was then know as 'Commercial television'.
The was a strange 'snobbishness', at the time with regard to ATV.
The BBC was formed in 1922 and initially licensed by the British General Post Office.
On 14 December 1922, John Reith was hired to become the Managing Director of the company.
On 31 December 1926, the company was dissolved and its assets were transferred to the non-commercial and Crown Chartered British Broadcasting Corporation - the real BBC.
Reith had no broadcasting experience when he replied to an advertisement in 'The Morning Post' for a General Manager for an as-yet unformed British Broadcasting Company in 1922.
Reith's autocratic approach became the stuff of BBC legend.
His preferred approach was one of benevolent dictator, but with built-in checks to his power.
Reith summarized the BBC's purpose in three words: educate, inform, entertain; and Jane definitely approved wholeheartedly with the first two purposes.
Reith earned a reputation for prudishness in sexual matters - and Jane, after her wartime fling had become remarkably prudish.
Rieth, of course, was Scottish, and although he was educated in Glasgow - something that Jane would not have entirely approved - for Jane had been educated in Edinburgh, at least Rieth had a good, classical Scottish education.
So - the reason for the snobbery regarding the BBC is to be found in the term 'Reithianism', which describes certain principles of broadcasting associated with Lord Reith.
These include an equal consideration of all viewpoints, probity, universality and a commitment to public service.
It can be distinguished from the free-market approach to broadcasting - 'commercial television' meaning ATV - where programming aims to attract the largest audiences or advertising revenues, ahead of – and, in practice, often contrary to – any artistic merit, impartiality, educative or entertainment values, that a programme may have.
This, of course, typifies Jane's attitude towards Peter's upbringing and education.
This, then raises the question of why she allowed Peter to stay at York Street.
Jane approved of Gladys, because she was upper class, with a 'cut-glass' accent, and immaculate manners.
Richard, however, was another matter.
The best Jane would allow would be to refer to Dick as a 'rough diamond' - but he was John's brother.
Regardless, when Jane visited York Street she would watch ATV, and probably her favourite programme was 'Sunday Night at the London Palladium'.
When John left Peter with John things were initially a little bit awkward.
Auntie Gladys and uncle Dick never had any children, so they were at a bit of a loss as to what to do with Peter.
It seems that they didn't realise that boy's of Peter's age had to go to school - so they didn't bother.
John was probably told that arrangements had been made, but then uncle Dick would say anything just to get rid of a problem.
For his bed, Peter was given a comfortable divan situated in the lounge.
This meant, however, that he didn't go to bed until Richard and Gladys retired - and the result was that Peter watched a lot of television.
He knew the tenants who lived in the flats in York street, and he liked Auntie Gladys and Uncle Dick, and he could watch the ATV channel on their television - so he was quite happy.
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| British Broadcasting Corporation |
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| Commercial Television Logo |
Well Jane and John refused to have the television in Pears Road adapted for ATV because they thought ATV was 'common'.
Now today, the idea of 'common' is uncommon.
The concept of being 'common' is something very pertinent to the period before the 1960s.
It had a wealth of meanings including un-educated, tasteless, lower class, and vulgar - but its a word that is rarely heard in the twenty-first century.
Being 'common' also had a lot to do with language.
Common people used 'serviettes' rather than 'napkins', use a 'toilet' rather that a 'lavatory', sat on a 'settee' rather than a 'sofa' - and so it went on.
Common women would leave the house without gloves, (matching their shoes and handbag), which was something a 'lady' would never do.
In reality, of course, it was Jane who didn't like the idea of what was then know as 'Commercial television'.
The was a strange 'snobbishness', at the time with regard to ATV.
The BBC was formed in 1922 and initially licensed by the British General Post Office.
On 14 December 1922, John Reith was hired to become the Managing Director of the company.
On 31 December 1926, the company was dissolved and its assets were transferred to the non-commercial and Crown Chartered British Broadcasting Corporation - the real BBC.
Reith had no broadcasting experience when he replied to an advertisement in 'The Morning Post' for a General Manager for an as-yet unformed British Broadcasting Company in 1922.
Reith's autocratic approach became the stuff of BBC legend.
 |
| John Reith |
Reith summarized the BBC's purpose in three words: educate, inform, entertain; and Jane definitely approved wholeheartedly with the first two purposes.
Reith earned a reputation for prudishness in sexual matters - and Jane, after her wartime fling had become remarkably prudish.
Rieth, of course, was Scottish, and although he was educated in Glasgow - something that Jane would not have entirely approved - for Jane had been educated in Edinburgh, at least Rieth had a good, classical Scottish education.
So - the reason for the snobbery regarding the BBC is to be found in the term 'Reithianism', which describes certain principles of broadcasting associated with Lord Reith.
These include an equal consideration of all viewpoints, probity, universality and a commitment to public service.
It can be distinguished from the free-market approach to broadcasting - 'commercial television' meaning ATV - where programming aims to attract the largest audiences or advertising revenues, ahead of – and, in practice, often contrary to – any artistic merit, impartiality, educative or entertainment values, that a programme may have.
 |
| 'Sunday Night at the London Palladium' |
This, then raises the question of why she allowed Peter to stay at York Street.
Jane approved of Gladys, because she was upper class, with a 'cut-glass' accent, and immaculate manners.
Richard, however, was another matter.
The best Jane would allow would be to refer to Dick as a 'rough diamond' - but he was John's brother.
 |
| Dick,Gladys and Peter |
When John left Peter with John things were initially a little bit awkward.
Auntie Gladys and uncle Dick never had any children, so they were at a bit of a loss as to what to do with Peter.
It seems that they didn't realise that boy's of Peter's age had to go to school - so they didn't bother.
John was probably told that arrangements had been made, but then uncle Dick would say anything just to get rid of a problem.
For his bed, Peter was given a comfortable divan situated in the lounge.
This meant, however, that he didn't go to bed until Richard and Gladys retired - and the result was that Peter watched a lot of television.
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