Welcome back to My 70's TV Childhood, a British nostalgia podcast about growing up with classic television in 1970s Britain. This week, I'm paying tribute to the much-loved TV presenter Judith Chalmers, who passed away this week aged 90. Judith was synonymous with one thing for millions of us who grew up in 1970s Britain, and that was holidays. As one of the original hosts of ITV's long-running holiday show Wish You Were Here, she spent decades opening our eyes to the world beyond Blackpool and Bognor, and in doing so became one of the great communicators in classic British television history.
🎲 Exciting News: The My 70s TV Childhood Board Game!
I've been working on something very exciting behind the scenes. I've created a playable game version of the theme tune round, something you can sit down with at home, with family and friends, and I'm getting ready to launch it very soon. To help me estimate demand, I'd really appreciate it if you could let me know whether you might be interested in buying the game.
💬 What to Expect:
- Post-War Holidays: I look back at what holidays meant for British families before the package holiday, from seaside B&Bs with formidable landladies to holiday camps like Pontins and Butlins.
- Goodbye Bognor, Hello Benidorm: How affordable air travel and the package holiday transformed the way families growing up in 1970s Britain spent their two weeks, and how quickly the change happened.
- Holiday on the BBC: I revisit the BBC's long-running holiday show, which began life in 1969 as Holiday '69 and opened British eyes to a whole world of possibilities.
- Wish You Were Here on ITV: I celebrate Judith Chalmers and the show that defined classic British television holiday coverage, from the Isle of Man to the Greek islands.
- The Downside of the Package Holiday: Half-built hotels, sausage beans and chips, and the annual collapse of a tour operator. Not everything went to plan.
- A Tribute to Judith Chalmers: A broadcaster who genuinely changed the way a generation thought about travel.
- What were your 70s holidays like? Did you make it to Spain or Greece, or was it more like Bangor or Bridlington? Get in touch and let me know!
Take care,
Oliver
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