Radio Times 1926

A reading of the Radio Times for week 26th Feb 1926 reveals that a wealth of Dance band music could be heard on the air-waves

this page first published by John Wright, 11 November 2002
last updated 1 Sept 2006vintage@jabw.demon.co.uk
Looking through an old Radio Times from February 1926 I was rather enviousy looking down a list of the dance bands that could be heard on the air-waves even in those early days of broadcasting. The magazine is rather fragile and flakes fall from the paper every time I turn a page, so rather than scan the entries on every page I've typed out the times and the programmes that featured dance bands or related music.

LONDON PROGRAMMES
Sunday
28th Feb		9:15-10:30 Albert Sandler Orch. relayed from Grand Hotel, Eastbourne
not dance music
Monday
1st March		4:15-5:15De Pietro and Joan Revel, with his Italian Orch. play dance music, relayed from New Prince's Restaurant
6:00-7:00Alex Fryer's Orch. from the Rialto Theatre
9:05-10;00London Radio Dance Band directed by Sidney Firman, featuring Eddie Morris and Elsie Carlisle, in a few songs
Tuesday
2nd March		6:00-7:00London Radio Dance Band directed by Sidney Firman
10:30-12:00Jack Payne's Hotel Cecil Band from the Hotel Cecil
Wednesday
3rd March		4:00-4:30Jack Hylton and his band, from the Ideal Home Exhibition, Olympia
6:00-6:53Alex Fyer's Orch, from the Rialto Theatre
Thursday
4th March		6:00-6:15London Radio Dance Band, directed by Sidney Firman
10:30-12:00Savoy Orpheans, Savoy Havana band and Savoy Tango Band
Friday
5th March		11:00-11:30Bert Firman's Carlton Hotel Dance Orchestra from the Carlton Hotel
11:30-12:00Jack Hylton's Kettner's Dance Band from Kettner's Restaurant
Saturday
6th March		11:00-12:00Savoy Orpheans, Savoy Havana Band and Savoy Tango Band
DAVENTRY PROGRAMMES
some broadcasts relayed from London, plus:
Monday
1st March		11:00-12:00Jack Howard's Band from the Royal Opera House Dances, Covent Garden
Wednesday
3rd March		11:00-12:00Jay Whidden's and his Midnight Follies Orch. from Hotel Cecil
Friday
5th March		12:00-12:30
(a.m.)		Jack Hylton's Kettner's Dance Band from Kettner's Restaurant
12:30-1:30
(a.m.)		Ted Brown's cafe De Paris Dance Band and Ledor Tango Band
BIRMINGHAM PROGRAMMES
some broadcasts relayed from London plus:
Lozell's Picture House Orchestra
sometimes included dance tunes
BOURNEMOUTH PROGRAMMES
some broadcasts relayed from London, plus:
Wednesday
3rd March		4:00-5:15Royal Bath Hotel Dance Band, relayed from Kings Hall Rooms, directed by Alex Wainwright
Saturday
6th March		4:00-5:15Royal Bath Hotel Dance Band, relayed from Kings Hall Rooms, directed by Alex Wainwright
CARDIFF PROGRAMMES
some broadcasts relayed from London, plus:
Monday
1st March		12:30-1;30Lunch-time music from Cox's Cafe (dance?)
Tuesday
2nd March		4:15-5:00Tea-time music from the Carlton Restaurant (dance?)
Wednesday
3rd March		12:30-1;30Lunch-time music from Cox's Cafe (dance?)
3:00-4:00Falkman and his Orch., relayed from the Capitol Cinema
Thursday
4th March		12:30-1;30Lunch-time music from Cox's Cafe (dance?)
Friday
5th March		4:15-5:00Tea-time music from the Carlton Restaurant (dance?)
Saturday
6th March		5:00-5:30from Cox's Cafe Musikant's Dance Band
SWANSEA PROGRAMMES
some broadcasts relayed from London, plus:
Monday
1st March		5:15-5:30dance music, no details
Thursday
4th March		5:15-5:30dance music, no details
Friday
5th March		11:00-12:00Keskersay's Dance Orch., at the Annual Ball of the Spartan Club, relayed from the Patti Pavilion
Saturday
6th March		4:00-5:00Tea-time music from the Baltic Lounge Cafe Restaurant (dance?)
MANCHESTER PROGRAMMES
some broadcasts relayed from London plus:
Saturday
6th March		4:15-5:00dance music relayed from the Piccadilly Picture Theatre
LIVERPOOL PROGRAMMES
some broadcasts relayed from London plus:
Monday
1st March		4:00-5:00Patrizov and his Orch., from the Futurist Cinema
Wednesday
3rd March		4:15-5:15New Graftonians Dance Orch., from the Grafton Rooms
Thursday
4th March		4:00-5:00Harold Gee and his Orch., from the Trocadero Cinema
Saturday
6th March		4:00-5:00Gaillard and his Orch., from the Scala Cinema
NEWCASTLE PROGRAMMES
some broadcasts relayed from London plus:
Friday
5th March		11:00-12:00Percy Bush's Aeolian Band relayed from the Oxford Galleries
other places not specified as playing dance music:
Tilley Restaurant; Fenwick's Terrace Tea Room; Coxon's New Gallery Restaurant
GLASGOW PROGRAMMES
some broadcasts relayed from London, plus:
Tuesday
2nd March		3:45-5:00
and
10:30-11:15		The Plaza Band relayed from the Palais de Danse
Friday
5th March		11:00-12:00The Plaza Band relayed from the Palais de Danse
EDINBURGH PROGRAMMES
some broadcasts relayed from London, plus:
Wednesday
3rd March		11:00-12:00The Romany Revellers from the Dunedin Palais de Danse
Friday
5th March		4:05-5:15Patrick Thompson Orch. (dance?)
Saturday
6th March		3:00-4:00
and
4:15-5:15		Jeffries and his Rialto Orch., from the Marine Gardens, Portobello
SHEFFIELD PROGRAMMES
some broadcasts relayed from London, plus:
Monday
1st March		4:15-5:15Orchestra relayed from The Grand Hotel (dance?)
Tuesday
2nd March		4:15-5:15Orchestra directed by John Windle from Cafe of Messrs T&J Roberts (dance?)
Saturday
6th March		4:15-5:15Orchestra relayed from Cafe of Messrs T&J Roberts (dance?)
LEEDS-BRADFORD PROGRAMMES
some broadcasts relayed from London, plus:
Monday
1st March		4:00-5:00Broadway Band relayed from the Scala Ballroom, Leeds
Saturday
6th March		4:00-5:00Broadway Band relayed from the Scala Ballroom, Leeds
NOTTINGHAM PROGRAMMES
some broadcasts relayed from London, plus:
Monday
1st March		3:45-4:45Mikado Cafe Orch., conducted by Frederick Bottomley (dance?)
Tuesday
2nd March		3:45-4:45Lyon's Cafe Orch., conducted by Brassey Eyton (dance?)
Wednesday
3rd March		3:45-4:45Mikado Cafe Orch., conducted by Frederick Bottomley (dance?)
Thursday
4th March		3:45-4:45Lyon's Cafe Orch., conducted by Brassey Eyton (dance?)
Friday
5thd March		3:45-4:45Lyon's Cafe Orch., conducted by Brassey Eyton (dance?)
Saturday
6th March		3:45-5:00Edward Frietag and his Manhattans, relayed from the Palais de Danse
HULL PROGRAMMES
some broadcasts relayed from London, plus:
Monday
1st March		3:45-4:00Hammond's Cafe Trio directed by R. W. Dove (dance?)
6:00-7:00Powolny's Restaurant Bijou Orch., directed by Edmund Stubbs (dance?)
Tuesday
2nd March		3:00-4:00music relayed from the Majestic Picture House
6:00-7:00Powolny's Restaurant Bijou Orch., directed by Edmund Stubbs (dance?)
Wednesday
3rd March		3:45-4:00Hammond's Cafe Trio directed by R. W. Dove (dance?)
6:00-7:00Powolny's Restaurant Bijou Orch., directed by Edmund Stubbs (dance?)
Thursday
4th March		3:00-4:00music relayed from the Majestic Picture House
6:00-6:15
and
6:25-6:35		Powolny's Restaurant Bijou Orch., directed by Edmund Stubbs (dance?)
Friday
5th March		3:05-3:30Hammond's Cafe Trio directed by R. W. Dove (dance?)
6:00-6:20
and
6:30-6:53		Powolny's Restaurant Bijou Orch., directed by Edmund Stubbs (dance?)
Saturday
6th March		6:00-7:00Powolny's Restaurant Bijou Orch., directed by Edmund Stubbs (dance?)
DUNDEE PROGRAMMES
some broadcasts relayed from London plus:
dance music not specified:
Restaurant Music from Draffen's, under the direction of John Reid
BELFAST PROGRAMMES
some broadcasts relayed from London
and Glasgow plus:
Saturday
6th March		5:00-5:15Dance Music from the Station Dance Band

return to the

Contemporary Stuff