AN APERIANT, A HEALTH DRINK, A CORK OR A RADIO... WHICH IS BEST?

Ah, childhood, those halcyon days lost forever.  You know, many people started with an interest in radio during their formative years and I was no different and I should like to take you back more than 50 years to when Master Mullard was just a sweet little boy and almost perfect in every way, apart from one, for I had a terrible affliction, it was SO BAD, I cannot say its name but perhaps the picture below will give you a clue though:

 

 

Thankfully Mama Mullard ensured I had a cup of Ovaltine every night, drinking it religiously from a special Art Deco Ovaltine mug and it must have done the trick for the commotion in my underpants subsided until I met Mrs Mullard Magic some years later but that's another story.

 

 

But whatever is Ovaltine I hear you cry, well, Ovaltine was developed in 1904 by chemist Swiss chemist Albert Wander where it is also known by its original name, Ovomaltine (from Ovum, Latin for "egg", and Malt, which were originally its key ingredients).    He also invented that radio favourite the Wander plug but I digress.  All sorts of claims for its efficacy were made but alas in Denmark where they are really strict, it was banned from sale as the many medicinal claims were unproven and the sensible Danes instead drank either Carlsberg or Aquavit but once again, that's another story.

Cured and no longer efulgent, I became a fan of the beige nectar, sorry, Ovaltine and joined their junior fan club.  The League of Ovaltineys was founded in 1935 and achieved five million members by 1939 far predating me and WHAT a club - it even had its own radio show on Radio Luxemburg, broadcast on Sunday evenings between 5.30pm and 6pm using a Long Wave transmitter with the show becoming well known throughout the UK for its theme song We Are The Ovaltineys, an advertising jingle featuring the Beverley Sisters

In the late 1960s the Ovaltineys' Club was relaunched and aimed at modern children with the club presidents of the new club being Morcambe and Wise.  During 1975, the song We Are The Ovaltineys came back to a new audience when it was used by Ovaltine in a TV advertisement and released as a 45 rpm single record. And here are the lyrics: -

We are the Ovaltineys
Little girls and boys,
Make your request we'll not refuse you
We are here just to amuse you.
Would you like a song or story
Will you share our joys?
At games and sports we're more than keen,
No merrier children could be seen,
Because we all drink Ovaltine,
We're happy girls and boys.

And now the happy Ovaltineys
Wish you all adieu,
But don't forget your Ovaltine
It's very good for you.
But we'll be here again next Sunday
With songs and stories new,
And so until we meet again
The Ovaltineys bid you all adieu.

I was one of the kids captivated by this advert and then wanted the vintage radio shown that the Ovaltineys were singing along to, a handsome woody, the Philips 634A Superinductance from 1935.

 

 

Alas, I still don't have a 634A as I much prefer the Arbolite sided Ham Tin Philips 930A that I bought from Terry Bateman of Rega over 20 years ago.   Neither do I still drink Ovaltine and as for that uncontrolled flatulence, well, you've guessed it, here is that ear worm again........... but that's another story!!!