Petticoat Line was an all-woman panel show on the BBC Home Service (from 1967 this became BBC Radio 4) chaired by Anona Winn which discussed listeners' letters and problems.[1] It started on 6 January 1965[2] and ran for 11 years.[3] It was devised by Anona Winn and Ian C. Messiter. The panellists always included Renée Houston (who was rationed to saying "bloody" no more than three times per show); Sheila van Damm and Katharine Whitehorn also appeared quite often. Winn originally proposed a more serious show called The Ombudswomen but this lighter and funnier show came into existence instead.[4]

Signature tune edit

The music which introduced and ended each edition was "Fluter's Holiday", by Bert Kaempfert and his orchestra.[5]

References edit

  1. ^ Averill, June (1994-02-18). "Obituary: Anona Winn". The Independent. Archived from the original on 2022-05-26. Retrieved 26 December 2016.
  2. ^ "Petticoat Line". Radio Times. No. 2147. 1964-12-31. Retrieved 26 December 2016.
  3. ^ Donovan, Paul (1991). The Radio Companion. Harper Collins. p. 203. ISBN 0-246-13648-0.
  4. ^ Donovan, Paul (1991). The Radio Companion. London: Harper Collins; p. 203 ISBN 0-246-13648-0
  5. ^ BBC Gramophone Record Library