By John Repsch
On Saturday 14 August 2010, Ruxton Hayward, the big, bearded influence on a certain East Finchley boy scout, celebrated 80 years a-Bluebottling. Throughout the day, the doors and windows were thrown open, and friends breezed in to regurgitate memories of the Goons and other bygone delights. In between well-wishers’ interruptions, I cranked up the gas-powered, talking image-making machine and asked Ruxton what it was like being part of the ground-busting Goon Show. Some of his replies had a distinctly Goon-ish ring to them, and at times I felt that I needed to be Bluebottle to understand them.
I have edited out the conundrum of confusion as to how he came to meet the Goon actors, and I’ve skipped to that immortal message he received from Michael Bentine to pass on to the others:
Ruxton Hayward: “He says I’m a genius.” Of course, it was a ‘catch’, a put-up job. They were having me on, calling me a genius.
John Repsch: What do you think they liked about your voice?
When they heard it, it went down a bomb. They wanted it immediately for a particular show. It is my own voice; I haven’t put it on.
Did you used to listen to The Goon Show?
Not particularly. If it was on I would hear it. I wasn’t a particular fan who would rush out and switch it on.
Did people recognize your voice, saying, “That sounds like Ruxton”?
That happened anywhere. As soon as anybody heard my voice, they’d say, “Ruxton, you sound like Bluebottle.”
Did you like this notoriety?
I was looking for fame as part of my objective of being in show business, so I got used to it.
Were you able to use this for your c.v., saying, “My voice is used in The Goon Show”?
I didn’t but I could have if I’d wanted to. I never realized that I was one of the most popular characters in the show.
You didn’t get fed up with hearing this character every week – “That’s me again”?
It didn’t worry me.
Did you think they should have credited you?
I felt that heavily that they never credited me each week. But I couldn’t make them credit me, but I felt they ought to have done.
Did you ever contact them about it?
No, I wasn’t so provocative.
What about the actors themselves – did you get to meet them?
Only casually. They didn’t bring me into their way of life. [A break for Ruxton to blow out the candles on his cake and to put on a Father Christmas hat.]
During your career, which characters did you like to play?
I didn’t like to play any of them.
Why?
Because people took the mickey out of me because of my voice.
But you always kept that voice – you liked your voice?
I just accepted it.
Did you get many acting roles?
Yes, I did play many roles but I didn’t get a lot of acting parts.
Did you work in the theatre?
No.
Did you work in TV?
Yes, but that was more by luck than judgment. They took me on because of my silly voice.
What was the character?
Billy Bunter, I suppose. That was part of the joke: a bearded Billy Bunter.
You’ve always kept your beard. Was this a gimmick?
It was just natural. I had the beard and I kept it.
Did you act in any films?
Yes, but I can’t say I was any good in them. They were all of a Goonish type.
Do you remember any of the names?
I can’t say I do.
It sounds like you were typecast.
Yes, I was definitely typecast, but I didn’t mind.
The only photographs I’ve seen of you at that time were when you were dressed as a boy scout. I thought you were a scoutmaster.
No.
Was that your character? Did you go to auditions dressed as a boy scout?
Yes.
Did that get you any work?
Sometimes.
There is some stuff of you on the internet: certainly the Billy Bunter audition. It’s one of those Pathe newsreels, so you would have been shown in most of the cinemas. You would have been famous for at least four minutes.
Yes, they knew me very well on the various circuits and I was children’s entertainer at various cinemas.
Would you have liked more work?
Yes, but not of the kind they were offering me. I would like to have been treated reasonably. “‘im… ‘im.” Whoever I was: “‘im”.
So you carried on your career…
As ‘im.
I’d have thought they would call you by your name.
They couldn’t remember my name.
The Goon Show Preservation Society 