Ovaltiney's Concert Party

Ovaltiney's Concert Party featured British music hall comedian Harry Hemsley doing a variation on his popular stage show act, where he would imitate children's voices. The radio show was a combination of comedy sketches and music. [2] He portrayed the family Fortune and played all parts himself, including the father, six-year old Johnny, five-year old Elsie, four-year old Winnie and six-months old Horace. Winnie was often portrayed as the cleverest child and an interpreter for baby Horace's gargling. This led to the familiar catchphrase: "What did Horace say, Winnie?", which became part of English popular culture. [3][4]

The show was broadcast on Sunday evenings between 17:30 and 18:00 over the powerful longwave transmitter and the show became well known throughout the UK for its theme song We Are The Ovaltineys, which was written and composed by Hemsley himself.[5] The musical director was the bandleader Debroy Somers.[6]

People could become members of the Ovaltineys Club and participate in competitions and other activities. It achieved five million members in 1939.[7]

In 1936, a special children's magazine Ovaltiney's Own Comic was founded, based on the radio show. It featured a text comic; The Adventures of Elsie, Winnie and Johnny, drawn by S.K. Perkins.[8] Harry Hemsley, who was once a cartoonist for Ally Sloper's Half Holiday, also wrote drew some picture books about the family.[9] [10] [11] [12]

In 1952, a new version of the Ovaltineys' radio show was aired at 18:15 on Sunday evenings over Radio Luxembourg on its new "208" medium wave transmitter. The radio theme song We Are The Ovaltineys also experienced a comeback in 1975 when it was used by Ovaltine in a TV advertisement and released as a single record.

• Ovalteenies
• Ovaltineys
• Ovaltine