Starring Harry Secombe, Peter Sellers and Spike Milligan
The Orchestra was conducted by Wally Stott
Script: Spike Milligan
Producer: Pat Dixon
Recorded: Sunday 26 February 1956
First Broadcast : Thursday 1 March 1956 on the BBC Light Programme
This is a special 5½-minute insert into a St. David’s Day programme celebrating Wales. The Goons present a documentary on Wales through the ages. They start with the end of the ice age, and the first Welshman – Eccles, already singing. Down through the centuries he has sung, until we hear the voice of modern Wales – Eccles, with the same demented singing. In 3 AD the great Celtic chieftain Blodwin walks out of his cave into the snow-bound landscape and exclaims, “It’s parky as anything today, isn’t it?” Count Moriarty comes from France to interview Harry for his paper. In answer to his question, “What have you people to compare with our glorious Napoleon Bonaparte?”, Secombe retorts that there’s a lad in the Rhondda who could sing his head off. But all is not well in Wales. Harry interviews pit-head operator Owen Craddock, who is out of work and unable to support his family because he can’t bring himself to get up in the morning. Bluebottle announces the surprising statistic that there are more Welshman in Wales than in any other country. Cardiff man William Thomas ends the programme by observing that, although Cardiff weather isn’t like the south of France, and it doesn’t have all the night-clubs like Paris, given a choice between Cardiff and Paris he’d proudly say, “Paris any day!
The Goon Show Preservation Society 