Derek McCulloch
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Derek Ivor Breashur McCulloch OBE (18 November 1897 - 1 June 1967) was a BBC Radio presenter and producer, who is best remembered as "Uncle Mac" in Children's Favourites and Children's Hour and for playing 'Larry the Lamb' in Toytown.
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[edit] Early life
He was born in Plymouth of Scottish parents. The First World War interrupted his education and he enlisted in 1915 in the Public Schools Battalion of the 16th Middlesex Regiment at the age of 17. He served until 1921, with the infantry, where he was commissioned into the Green Howards, and in the Royal Flying Corps as an Equipment Officer, including a spell on HMS Valiant. He was seriously wounded at the Battle of the Somme (1916) and lay in 'no-man's land' for three days and nights in a shell-hole 20 yards from the German lines. While lying injured he was fired on by a German stretcher party and lost an eye and received further injuries from shrapnel, but he then crawled back to his own lines.
After the Army he worked for Central Argentine Railways but his health deteriorated and he returned home to have a bullet removed from a lung; the lung was later removed. He also lost his left leg in a road traffic accident in 1938. As a result of his multiple injuries, he was in constant pain and had fifty operations.
[edit] BBC
He joined the BBC in 1926 as an announcer. His health problems and his microphone style meant that he was sidelined to miscellaneous activities such as commentating on sports events, compering variety shows and Children's Hour. He was the commentator on the first radio broadcast of the FA Cup Final in 1927. After a further breakdown in health he was made second in command on Children's Hour in 1931 and was given full charge of Children's Hour in 1933. This programme included many talks, plays, music and drama serials. He regarded his department as a microcosm of all broadcasting.
In the tradition of Lord Reith, McCulloch stated his policy as: "Nothing but the best is good enough for children... our wish is to stimulate their imaginations, direct their reading, encourage their various interests, widen their outlook and inculcate the Christian virtues of love of God and their neighbours". (BBC Quarterly 1948)
In 1939 the audience for Children's Hour reached 4 million. His sign-off line "Goodnight children, everywhere", became more poignant after the evacuation of many children from their homes at the start of the Second World War.
[edit] Children's Favourites
He resigned from the BBC in 1950 because of his health problems. However he became the Children's Editor for the News Chronicle and he continued broadcasting, but now did not have to run a department. He presented a much-loved music request programme for children, Children's Favourites, from 1954. As television replaced radio as children's main evening entertainment, the audience for Children's Hour fell to 24,000 and the programme was dropped in 1964, despite protests and questions in Parliament.
Nevetheless Children's Favourites, a Saturday morning programme, continued to be highly popular, and McCulloch presented the programme until 1965. McCulloch had a strong aversion to pop music, though he had to play some, but his taste introduced children to the light classics, for which many are still grateful. Children's Favourites continued after McCulloch's retirement and the programme metamorphosed into the equally successful Junior Choice, hosted mainly by Ed Stewart, when the BBC Light Programme was replaced by Radios 1 and 2 in 1967.
[edit] Personal life
He married Eileen Hilda Barry in 1931 and they had two daughters, Judith & Crystal.
He was awarded an OBE in 1964.
He died at Haywards Heath 1 June 1967.
[edit] Books
Goodnight Children Everywhere: History of Children's Broadcasting by Ian Hartley 1983 Midas Books (ISBN 0-85936-201-9)
[edit] References
- Jeff Walden, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography Sept 2004, On line version
