North Star Parade : 1966-01-20 : Jimmy Clitheroe Radio Variety


North Star Parade was originally broadcast on January 20th, 1966. This lost British radio variety show, produced in Manchester, has been sourced from a recently discovered off-air tape recording. The show aired on the North of England transmitters of the Home Service and had its only national broadcast on April 11th, 1966, on the Light Programme.

Due to resistance to the concept of working-class entertainment among the BBC's middle-class hierarchy, it was challenging for Northern entertainers to gain exposure outside the North of England. The show features a glittering array of Northern talent, including Jimmy Clitheroe, Danny Ross, and many others, accompanied by the BBC Northern Dance Orchestra.

This recording is exceptionally rare, as many of Clitheroe's performances were junked by the BBC. The producer, James Casey, was also known for producing the radio comedy series The Clitheroe Kid, which explains the presence of its stars in this broadcast.


This recording is part of the Old Time Radio collection.