The Piddingtons - Information wanted

[ifenn]

Hello,

I'm starting to plot my book on the 1950s telepathy act, The Piddingtons.

Here’s what I have found/acquired so far:
* National newspaper coverage of their Australian series.
* National newspaper coverage of their BBC series.
* Local newspaper coverage of their appearances in variety.
* Magic magazine coverage, including Abra and The Budget.
* Recording and transcript of The Piddington Show, broadcast 3 November 1947.
* Letters and memos from the BBC Written Archives Centre.
* Letters and memos from The Magic Circle Archive (mostly the same as BBC WAC.)
* An account of their first BBC performance on ‘In Town Tonight.’
* Scripts for all BBC radio episodes.
* Recordings of select BBC radio episodes.
* Issues of the Radio Times in which they feature.
* Script for their BBC TV programme, broadcast on 3 August 1949.
* Magician Bayard Grimshaw’s notes on The Piddingtons.
* Sydney Piddington’s correspondence with Bayard Grimshaw.
* Photographs taken during their first BBC series.
* Russell Braddon’s copies of scripts, including hand-written.
* Correspondence held by the Society for Psychical Research.
* Theatre programmes for many of their variety performances, including their London Palladium run.
* The contract for their Australian run.
* The publicity book for their Melbourne run.
* The script for a Forces Radio broadcast from Vienna, Austria.
* The script for an Australian radio broadcast on 27 January 1951.
* Summary of correspondence with Sydney Piddington from Frank Koval.
* The Piddington Plan

Key references:
* The Piddingtons, Russell Braddon
* My Life and Other Games, Ian Messiter
* Piddington’s Secrets, Martin T Hart
* Barry H Wiley magi-cassette on The Piddingtons and writing for Linking Ring and Gibeciere.
* The Railway Man, Eric Lomax.
* A Smattering of Monsters, George Greenfield.
* Francis White magicassette
* Proud Australian Boy, Nigel Starck.
* Barry H Wiley lecture for The Magic Circle.
* Martin T Hart lecture for The Magic Circle.
* Fergus Anckorn talk for The Magic Circle.
* Interview with Lesley Hazlitt by Ian Keable (thank you, Ian).
* Interview with Sydney Piddington by Nancye Bridges.
* Interview with Sydney Piddington by Margaret Evans.
* A Catalogue of Books on Magic, 1949 Fleming Book Company.
* Magic Circle Catalogue of Reference and Lending Library, 1952.

Known gaps:
* South Africa tour—I have no information on this. I would love to know about theatres, dates, and other information.
* Vienna broadcast - I need information on their visit for a forces broadcast in December 1951, during which Lesley became ill.
* In Town Tonight, the Piddingtons appeared twice. Unfortunately, the BBC destroyed hundreds of scripts.
* Fergus Anckorn - I know little about his friendship with Sydney and would love to detail this accurately.

I hope the book becomes the definitive work on The Piddingtons.

Please message me if you have any ephemera to take a photo of or information to share.

I would be very grateful.

Thank you so much,

--
Ian Fenn
https://magicontheair.com/

[Tarotist]

Here they are at work!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BXo3BgBreTo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O0cu1m9XA5w

When people asked if they could really read minds they were famous for responding "You be the judges!" which I always thought to be a good response!