RADIO

Star (Christchurch), Volume XLIV, Issue 144, 19 June 1931, Page 4

RADIO

By

"AERIAL.")

A BACKBLOCKS’ FAN’S WIRELESS EXPERIENCES. “ And So To Bed.” H.D.C. is a wireless enthusiast; he is also a denizen of that “ terra incognita ” to many city fans—a lonely farm out way-back. He has been at both games long enough to know the joys and the sorrows of both. He writes:— Imagine a backblocks homestead in the middle of winter—the kind of winter we had before wireless came. Cut off from all communication with the outside world for weeks at a time, the inmates of the lonely farm buildings knowing nothing of what is going on even a few short miles away, the day’s work—hard and constant at the best of times—was no sooner done than, as friend Pepys would say, it was a case of “ and so to bed.” Looking back, from the depths of my armchair what time 2YA is coming in at good volume from my loud speaker, the “ bad old days ” seem not only far away and bad beyond words but, now, induces a wonder that we were ever able to stand the monotony of such an existence. But enough! Those days are past. Let them go. For, behold, no longer do we grope in the dark, so to speak, for news of our fellows per medium of the all too rare visitor or the equally infrequent “ voyageur.” Instead, we turn to that box of magic—the “radio”—and the whole world is at our command, literally clamouring to he heard. Town v. Country. IVliat do you, who dwell in safety and (I fancy) satiety amid the pleasures of a big city gain that is closed to us? Well, I'll give it all in—there’s no need to start anything! But when it comes to pleasures of the ear and mind why, with our radio handy, we are there with you, every step of the way. Listen! When the day’s work—and it is a whole, long day at that—is done, do we worry or argue about the pictures? Do we spend - half (at least) the night “out” somewhere? Not for the farm hand. A Cosy Scene. Laugh if you will. Here is a picture that could not be described little more than half a dozen years ago: A cosy homestead living-room—a blazing logfire in the huge, open fireplace—the family and “ the hands ” in comfortable chairs gathered close around the cheery blaze—and a wireless set. The night outside is black and bleak; what matter if Jupiter Pluvius is turning his torrents loose before the cold drive of a southerly buster and the wind howls eerily through the sheltering bank of trees and round the house—a touch, a turn of the dials and wireless is flooding the room with, it may be. music

or, to us, the more important news of events occurring 1 in the so far away world. • You get them. too. I know, but you. from yoyr place in the midst of things, cannot, perhaps, appreciate the exquisite savour all these things have for folk situated as we are—“ far, far from the madding crowd,” with no •'Star*’ of today’s date delivered on our front lawn and hot with the latest from everywhere. The Other Side—! But there is another side to the story and, frankly, I admit to a feeling of envy of my city brother fan when it comes to the construction and maintenance of a wireless set out here at the back of beyond. We have aur sorrows. For instance: An amateur constructor (a would-be one, anyhow) makes up his mind to build a wireless receiver. After spending hours looking at diagrams, consulting dealers’ catalogues and so on, he compiles his list at last and posts it. Then comes a trying wait. The mail is a fortnightly one. If fortune is kind and his dealer is zealous, his parcel duly arrives. No need to paint the rest of that picture—every home-constructor can limn it easily but —and this is where we sigh for the city—when the set is done at last and, perhaps, “ perks ” serenely for a time. Old Man Trouble puts his head in at. the door and—! But why continue? You’ve all been there. Except that, after trying to effect repairs with all the batteries on and a flash of blue flame conveys the sad intelligence that a set of good valves have all gone west, there is no ten minutes’ run to the nearest dealers for a new. set. No. at the best, there’s a fortnight’s delay but, if Lady Luck was looking the other way, it may mean a whole month before the set is once again on the job. A whole month. There’s no silence so ghastly to the radio fan, I think, as the (radio) silence of a lonely farmstead in the depths of winter. TO-NIGHT’S CONCERTS. Following are the wireless programmes to bo broadcast to-night:— 2YA, Wellington (416m.—720k.). 7.0: News session. 7.40: Lecturette, Mr Ban M’Kenzie, “ The Laws of Rugby.” 8.0: Note—This programme is subject to interruption to permit of a relay of a sound filn\ feature from the Majestic Theatre. Overture, 2YA Orchestrina, “La Burlesque” (Suppe); twostep, “ 2YA ” (Douglas). S.S: Waiata Quartet, “ Gipsy Love Song,” ’* Grey Days.” 5.14: Guitar duo. Berthold and Bent, ” Down the River of Golden Dreams,” “Southern Blues.” 8.21: Soprano, Miss Nora Grav, “ Without Thee,” “Give Me Thy Heart.” 8.27: Vocal duet, Misses Lai la Vondersloot and Mollie Fenton, " Arise, O Sun.” 8.31: Orchestrina, “Cabaret Girl” (Kern). 8.41: Waiata Quartet, “The

Birth of Morn.” 8.45: Contralto, Mrs P. Ramsey, “Waiata Maori,” “The Glory of the Sea.” 8.52: Orchestrina, “Master Melodies,” Part 2. 9.0: Weather report. 9.2: Vocal duet. Misses Nora Gray and Lalla Vondersloot, “Sing! Sing! Bird on the WJng.” 9.6: Guitar duo, Berthold and Bent, “One Lovely Night,” “ Hawaiian Blues.” 9.14: Waiata Quartet, “Ye Catte.” 9.18: Orchestrina, “ Tesoro Mio ” (Becucci) ; foxtrot, “Dancing Time” (Kern). 9.30: Dance programme—Foxtrots, “Medley of Southern College Songs waltz, “Wednesday Night Waltz.” 9.42: Foxtrots, “ Lonely,” “ I Still Belong to You,” “ Gee, But I’d Like to Make You Happy.” 9.51: Vocal, Chester Gaylord, “What’s the Use?” 9.54: Foxtrots. “ Maybe It’s Love,” “ Maybe I’m in Love with a Dream,” “ Why Have You Forgotten Waikiki?” “Beyond the Blue Horizon.” 10.6: Vocal duet, Cotton and Morpheus, “Never Swat a Fly.” 10.9: Foxtrots, “ You’re Simply Delisli,” “ Readin’, Ritin’, Rhythm.” “ It’s a Great Life,” “ I’m Happy When You're Happy.” 10.18: Waltzes. “One Love,” “Song of the Islands.” 10.24: Foxtrots. “ If I Knew You Better," “ What a Fool I’ve Been,” “ Baby’s Birthday Party,” “ Drifting and Dreaming.” 10.36: Vocal, Chester Gaylord, “ I’ll Be Blue Just Thinking of You.” 10.39: Foxtrots, “ Passing Time With Me,” “It Seems to be Spring,” “What’s the ITse of Living Without Love?”; waltz. “The Waltz of the Hills.” 10.51: Foxtrots. “ Wond’ring,” “You Are the Melody.” “After All You're All I’m After.” 11.0: Close. 3YA, Clirisrtclmrch (306m.—980k.). 7.0: News session. 7.30: Dialogue, Messrs D. Cossgrove and W. Melbourne, “Radio Service.” 8.0: Overture, Court Symphony Orchestra, “ Gondoliers ” Selection (Sullivan); vocal excerpts from Comic Opera, “Dorothy.” 8.8: Melodious Quartet, “Lads and Lassies”; soprano. Miss Frances Hamerton and Vocal Trio, “Be Wise in Time.” 8.16: Piano, Miss Aileen Warren, “ Waltz in D Flat” (Dvorak), "Irish Tune from County Derry” (Grainger). 8.20: Tenor, Mr Russell Sumner, “ With Such a Dainty Maid”; Melodious Quartet, “You Swear to be Good and True.” 8.28: Christchurch Broadcasting Trio. “Polka” (Bendel), “ Serenata ” (Toselli), “Mazurka” (Mailing). 8.38: Humour, Mr Eddie ITegan, “ Wonderful Girls.” 5.43: Accordeon. Bastien and Bal Musette Orchestra. “Le Coquette.” 8.46: Bass, Mr T. D. Williams, “With a Welcome For All”; Melodious Quartet, “ Under the Pump.” 8.52: Banjolin. Mr Stan Birch, “Faust” Potpourri (Gounod). 9.1: Weather forecast. 9.3: Cavalry Band, “Alexander” (Leonhardt). 9.6: Humour, Horace Kenney, “A Music Hall Trial Turn.” 9.14: Mr Sumner. “ Tho’ Born a Man of High Degree.” 9.17: Christchurch Broadcasting Trio, “ Canzonctta.” “ Serenade M (LangeMuller). “Gavotte” (Gautier). 9.27: Mr Williams, “Queen of My Heart.” 9.31: Mr Ilegan. “ Making Whoopee.” 9.36: Piano. Miss Aileen Warren. “Waltz in A” (Dvorak). 9.44: Grinzing Sebrammel Trio. “What Joy Untold.” 9.57: Cavalry Band, “Revue” (Faust), i 10.0: Close.