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1-33 of 33
- Writer
- Actor
Barry Davies began broadcasting with BFBS in Cologne and spent a year on BBC Radio with "Sport Report". He joined "The Times" in 1963 and began commentating on Football in February 1966. He covered the World Cup for ITV. He commentated for ABC TV (1966-1968) and for Granada (1968-1969). He became an all round commentator for the BBC from 1969 to his retirement in 2004. He has covered athletics, badminton, football, tennis and water skiing.
He was educated at Cranbrook School in Kent and graduated from London University. He is married to Penny and they have a daughter Giselle and a son Mark. He received the M.B.E. in HM The Queen's New Year's Honours List 2005 for services to Sports Broadcasting.- Charles Dale was born in Tenby, Pembrokeshire in 1963. His father ran a record shop in Tenby and both his parents were keen amateur actors. After leaving school in 1979, he became an assistant stage manager (through a Youth Opportunity Scheme) at the Torch Theatre in Milford Haven, where he stayed for a year. After occasional acting roles, he moved to London and trained at LAMDA.
He broke into television, when he appeared in Morgan's Boy (1984) and also worked consistently for the English Shakespeare Company. His big break came, when he appeared as the Chef, in a television series The Lakes (1997). He appeared in a couple of West End shows and played Dennis in Coronation Street (1960) for eighteen months. He later appeared as Clive, in Paradise Heights (2002) for the BBC with Neil Morrissey and Ralf Little as well as its spin-off The Eustace Bros. (2003). Further roles emerged in ITV's Steel River Blues (2004) and a children's series Barking! (2004) in 2004. He is married and lives in Wales with their son. He is a private family man who does not court publicity. - Producer
- Production Manager
- Camera and Electrical Department
Christopher Neame was a successful film and television producer and writer who was behind a string of popular television series.
He represented the third generation of a remarkable dynasty that has made its mark in the cinema and television world. He was been active for over forty years in cinema and television production before his retirement to Provence, France in 2004.
His father was the film director and cinematographer Ronald Neame who co-produced and co-wrote Brief Encounter (1945) and Great Expectations (1946) for David Lean. His grandparents were the photographer and silent film director Elwin Neame and the film actress Ivy Close. His children included the television producer Gareth Neame and two daughters, Emma and Shuna.- David Davies began as a reporter for BBC Wales and lobby correspondent for the LBC, before joining BBC Manchester. He regularly contributed to "Look North West" and "Nationwide", "Nine O'Clock News", "Grandstand", BBC religious and sports programmes. He is also a trained teacher. He joined the English Football Association and rose rapidly through the ranks to become Executive Director.
He was educated at the Royal Masonic School and read Politics at Sheffield University. He later graduated from St Peter's College, Oxford. He and his wife Susan have a daughter Amanda Jane. - David Macmillan was privately educated and served as an army officer until 1955. He trained at the Webber-Douglas School of Dramatic Art between 1956 and 1958, where he received the Spotlight Award and the Margaret Rutherford Medal. He acted in radio, television and theatre between 1958 and 1967.
His theatrical experience included a very broad range of parts at theatres such as Birmingham Alex (two years), Edinburgh Gateway and Lyceum, Glasgow Citizens, Harrogate, St. Andrew's, Wimbledon, Richmond, Colchester, Salisbury, Belfast to name a few.
He appeared in radio productions such as "Children's Hour", "The Archers", plays and school broadcasts. In television, he made over fifty appearances between 1960 and 1967 including eighteen episodes of "Dr Finlay's Casebook" (as Constable Dickie), ten episodes of "The Flying Swan", eight episodes of "The George Kidd Show", "The Dark Number", "Compact", "The Saint", "William", "The Other Man", "North Flight", "Kipling", "No Thoroughfare", "Pack Up Your Troubles","The Big Pull" and "Gideon's Way".
He launched a successful senior management career in recruitment advertising and marketing in London between 1967 and his retirement in 1995.
He returned to acting in 1996 and has appeared on television as Martin Dawson in "Taggart" - 'Apocalypse' for STV (1996) (directed by Marcus White) and as Dobson in Rosamunde Pilcher's "Coming Home" (1997) for Portman Productions (directed by Giles Foster); at the Chichester Festival Theatre and the Theatre Royal Haymarket, as Lane in Oscar Wilde's "The Importance of Being Earnest" (directed by Christopher Morahan); and at the Pitlochry Festival Theatre in 2001 as Lord Loam, in J.M.Barrie's "The Admirable Crichton" (directed by Clive Perry) and as Arthur Winslow, in Terence Rattigan's "The Winslow Boy"
He has also dealt in antiques, Scottish Pottery and Works of Art. He met his actress wife Morag, while they were appearing in pantomime. They have three children and reside in Crieff. - Actor
- Writer
- Soundtrack
Dick Henderson (1891-1958) was a rotund bowler-hatted English comedian and character actor, who began in music hall. He was born in Hull, East Yorkshire. He was reputed to be the first comic to finish his act with a straight song. He spent some time in the United States from the late twenties and made several Vitaphone shorts. He was the father of the comedian Dickie Henderson, who appeared as his son in Things Are Looking Up (1935).- Actor
- Soundtrack
Dickie Henderson OBE was born in London on 30th October 1922. He played in Frank Lloyd's Hollywood version of Noel Coward's play, "Cavalade", at the age of 10. He was educated privately in Hollywood and London (at St.Joseph's College, Beulah Hill). He toured in music halls and appeared in several films with his famous father Dick Henderson (1891-1958). He served in the army during the Second World War, before appearing in revues, pantomimes and occasional films after demobilisation. He began a successful television career in 1953, with 'Face the Music', which was followed by the 'Arthur Askey Show'. He compered 'Sunday Night at the London Palladium', hosted 120 'Dickie Henderson Shows', a series of 'A Present for Dickie', several spectaculars and a famous partnership with Bob Monkhouse. He has appeared in eight Royal Command Performances. He was a keen golfer and enjoyed most sports. He was a leading 'Water Rat' and was awarded the OBE, in recognition of his charitable work. He married twice and had a son Matthew and a daughter Linda. He died from cancer, on 22nd September 1985, aged 62.- Dinsdale Landen was educated at King's School, Rochester, and trained at the Florence Moore Drama School. This was followed by National Service with the RAF, during which time he joined a drama group. Upon demobilisation he joined Worthing rep. He enjoyed an extensive career in cinema, television and theatre. He announced his retirement from acting in 1998, upon the diagnosis of oral cancer. He died of pneumonia on 29 December 2003, aged 71, and left a widow, the actress Jennifer Daniel. At the time of his death the cancer was in remission.
- Gareth Neame represents the fourth generation of a remarkable dynasty that has made a significant contribution to the world of Cinema and Television over the past century. His great-grandparents were the distinguished society photographer and pioneer film-maker Elwin Neame (1885 - 1923) and the film actress and renowned beauty Ivy Close (1890
- 1968) and his grandfather was the durable cinematographer,
- Harold Wilson was born in Huddersfield,West Yorkshire in 1916. He had a sharp mind and after graduating from Oxford University, he became a lecturer in economics in 1937. He represented Huyton in parliament from 1945 until his retirement in 1983. He became President of the Board of Trade in 1947 and succeeded Hugh Gaitskell as the Labour party leader in 1963. He defeated Sir Alec Douglas-Home in the 1964 General Election with an overall majority of four. He was re-elected in 1966 and after a period in opposition between 1970 and 1974, he returned after the February election. He was re-elected for a fourth term in October 1974, but resigned unexpectedly on his 60th birthday in 1976. He was created a Knight of the Garter by HM The Queen and he received a life peerage in 1983, becoming Lord Wilson of Rievaulx. Following a long illness, he died in May 1995 aged 79, leaving a widow Mary.
- Howard Marshall was a master of the spoken word. He earned a place in cricket history as the first BBC broadcaster to commentate reports of the game. He was an Authentic while at Oxford. He became well known to thousands of radio listeners for his descriptions of boxing, rugby football and events during the second world war in North Africa and Western Europe, including the D-Day landings at Normandy in 1944. He also wrote cricket and rugby reports for "The Daily Telegraph" for several years.
- Actor
- Writer
- Soundtrack
Hugh Williams was a successful actor and dramatist. He collaborated with his second wife Margaret Vyner on several plays, such as "The Grass is Greener". His sons include the actor Simon Williams and the poet Hugo Williams, his grandchildren include the actors Tam Williams, Amy Williams and Kate Dunn and great-granddaughter is Lily Dizdar. His daughter Polly Williams, who died in 2004, was married to the actor Nigel Havers.- Hugo Williams was born in Windsor in 1942. He was the eldest son of the actor/dramatists Hugh Williams and his second wife Margaret Vyner. His younger siblings are the actor Simon Williams and the late actress and model Polly Williams, who married the actor Nigel Havers. Hugo was educated at Eton College and worked as an editor of the 'London Magazine' until 1970. He has since made a living as a travel writer and journalist. He has also worked as a television and theatre critic, a poetry editor and has written a column for 'The Times Literary Supplement' since 1988. He has written several collections of poetry. His collection "Billy's Rain" (1999) won the T.S. Elliot Medal for poetry in June 2004 and he is renowned as his country's wittiest poet. He lives in Islington with his wife Hermine Demoriane. They have a daughter Murphy and a granddaughter Silver.
- Ivy Close began a dynasty that has now covered four generations of the history of Cinema and Television. She married the photographer Elwin Neame (1885-1923) and reared two sons Ronald Neame (1911-2010), a successful cinematographer, screenwriter, producer and director and Derek Neame (1915-1979), an author who scripted several films. Her grandson Christopher Neame (1942- ) and her great-grandson Gareth Neame (1967- ) have become successful producers. Her second husband was the Australian-born make-up artist and former stuntman Curly Batson, who died in 1957.
- Actor
- Soundtrack
James Fox is the second of three sons, born to the theatrical agent Robin Fox and his actress wife Angela Worthington - aka Angela Fox. His brothers are the actor Edward Fox and the producer Robert Fox. He started acting as a child actor and used his real name, until he reached his early 20s. He trained at the Central School of Speech and Drama. He left for nine years from 1970 to 1979 to pursue Christian vocational work. His niece is the actress Emilia Fox and he has a half-brother to the actor Daniel Chatto. From his marriage to Mary Piper, he has four sons: Thomas Fox, born 1975; Robin Fox, born 1976; the actors Laurence Fox, born 1978; Jack Fox, born 1985, and one daughter, Lydia Fox, born 1979. He published a book, "Comeback: An Actor's Direction", in 1983.- Jan Holden was a stage actress with a reputation for light comedy, who also appeared in several popular television series during the 1950s and 1960s.
She was elegant and pretty, with pale blue eyes. She grew up in Cawnpore in India and was educated at a school in the hills near Simla.
On the outbreak of the Second World War, she and her mother returned to England, where she boarded at Lowther College in North Wales. She holidayed with her schoolfriends.
When she was 18, she was offered places at RADA, the Old Vic School and at Bristol Old Vic; but her father declined his permission. He disapproved of his daughter's theatrical ambitions.
He eventually relented and allowed her to take a directors' course at the Old Vic. She was one of two pupils selected to become assistant stage managers at the Old Vic upon its reopening in 1951.
Jan Holden appeared in repertory, where she met her first husband, actor Edwin Richfield. They were married in 1952, when they were appearing together in Blackpool in a stage version of "The Blue Lamp".
She entered television during the fifties, in series such as Patrol Car (1954), Rheingold Theatre (1953), The Vise (1954), Harpers West One (1961) and The Avengers (1961). She later appeared in Agony (1979) and Oh Happy Band! (1980).
She made several film appearances in pictures, such as: The Best House in London (1969), The Stranglers of Bombay (1959) and Work Is a Four Letter Word (1968).
She endured heartbreak as her twin brother, Geoffrey, drowned in the early 1960s and her marriage broke down in 1973, leaving her with three teenage children. One of her twin daughters died from a brain tumour in 1999. She endured poor health, herself, during her final two decades, but remained cheerful.
She remarried in 1988 to Louis Manson, solicitor and business executive who survived her, with a son and a daughter from her first marriage and two stepsons and two stepdaughters. - Additional Crew
John Arlott was a talented author, broadcaster, journalist, poet, policeman, politician and the wine correspondent of "The Guardian" newspaper. However, he will be remembered for his cricket commentaries for BBC Radio between 1946 and 1980. His rich Hampshire accent, imaginative turn of phrase and ability to bring to life the characters of the game, turned him into a broadcasting legend. He was awarded the C.B.E.- Actress
- Additional Crew
- Soundtrack
June Brown served in the Wrens and was classically trained at the Old Vic Drama School. She enjoyed a long career in the theatre, television and the cinema. The actor Nigel Hawthorne described her as "one of the most beautiful creatures I've seen on stage" after seeing her performance as Ibsen's "Hedda Gabler." Aside from her EastEnders (1985) fame as Dot Cotton, she appeared as "Lady Macbeth" opposite Albert Finney and directed "Double D" at the 1993 Edinburgh Festival.- Actress
- Writer
- Soundtrack
Kay Walsh graced the British Cinema of the 1930s and 1940s as a leading lady, before maturing into character roles. She was born Kathleen Walsh in London, England of Irish parentage. She and her sister Peggy were raised in Pimlico by their grandmother. She began her career as a dancer in the chorus of several Andre Charlot revues, before performing solo in New York and Berlin.
Kay made her screen debut in Get Your Man (1934) and later appeared in The Luck of the Irish (1936). After appearing as a dancer in the West End show "The Melody that Got Lost", the producer Basil Dean signed her to a contract with Ealing Studios. She starred opposite George Formby in the comedies Keep Fit (1937) and I See Ice! (1938). She met an aspiring film editor David Lean in 1936 and they were married in 1940. She collaborated on several of his films by writing additional dialogue and advising on production and casting.
She made an impression in In Which We Serve (1942), as Queenie Gibbons in This Happy Breed (1944), as Nancy in Oliver Twist (1948), Vice Versa (1948), Stage Fright (1950), The Magnet (1950), Last Holiday (1950), Encore (1951), Young Bess (1953), Lease of Life (1954), Tunes of Glory (1960) and Scrooge (1970). She won a BAFTA nomination and a National Board of Review award for Best Actress for "The Horse's Mouth" (1958). She retired from acting after appearing in Night Crossing (1982).
She was twice married. Following her divorce from David Lean in 1949, she married the Canadian psychologist Elliott Jaques (1917-2003). They adopted a daughter Gemma in 1956, but the marriage was later dissolved. Kay Walsh died at age 93 on April 16, 2005 at the Chelsea and Westminister Hospital from multiple burns, days after being injured in a fire at her London residence.- Actor
- Soundtrack
RADA-trained Laurence Fox is the third son of the actor James Fox and his wife Mary. He is a British actor who has appeared in several important films, plays, and television programs.
He is also active in politics, founding a new political party named "Reclaim" in 2020 and he presents an opinion show on GB News.- Actress
- Soundtrack
Laurie Brett was born and raised in Hamilton, Scotland on 28 March 1969. She toured with a travelling circus in Mexico and Central America with Circo Magico and studied at the London Studio Centre. She starred in fringe productions and made her television debut in "London's Burning" (as an office girl) in 1992. Her singing and dancing skills made her a regular in the musical theatre and she appeared in several television advertisements.- Margaret Scudamore was born Daisy Bertha Mary Scudamore in 1884 in Portsmouth, to Clara (Linington) and William George Scudamore. She was a stage actress from her youth. She met and married the dashing matinee idol Roy Redgrave in 1907 and they had a son Michael Redgrave in 1908. She followed her adventurous husband on tour in Australia, but they separated upon her return to England with her infant son.
Roy Redgrave remained in Australia until his premature death in a Sydney hospital in 1922 aged fifty. Daisy remarried to Captain J.P. Anderson, (who was known as 'Andy') and changed her name to Margaret Scudamore. They had a daughter Peg together. She died in 1958.
She and Roy created an acting dynasty that has lasted four generations. Her son Michael Redgrave became a distinguished actor. Sir Michael's daughters Vanessa Redgrave and Lynn Redgrave and his only son Corin Redgrave, became successful actors. Vanessa's daughters Natasha Richardson and Joely Richardson and her son Carlo Gabriel Nero and Corin's daughter Jemma Redgrave have also continued the tradition with successful acting careers. - Actress
- Writer
An Australian-born actress and dramatist, who married Hugh Williams in 1940 and bore him three children. Their actor son Simon Williams married Belinda Carroll and Lucy Fleming, finding fame with "Upstairs Downstairs" and their elder son Hugo became a poet. Their daughter Polly was married to the actor Nigel Havers and was an actress and model, as Polly Williams. Amongst several plays that she wrote with her husband was "The Grass is Greener", which was filmed in 1961. She was widowed in 1969 and died in 1993.- Actress
- Soundtrack
Mary Wimbush was a stalwart actress of repertory and West End theatre, who played three separate roles in the long-running BBC Radio serial "The Archers".
She was born in Kenton, Middlesex in 1924. Her father was a schoolmaster and her mother trained at RADA, but did not pursue a career on the stage. Mary attended the Berkhamsted School for Girls and also boarded at the St Agnes and St Michael's, an Anglican convent at East Grinstead.
Mary trained at the Central School of Speech and Drama, before joining Amersham rep.
Her wartime marriage to the actor Howard Marion-Crawford by whom she had a son, ended in divorce. Her partnership with the poet Louis MacNeice lasted from 1958 until his death in 1963.
She appeared regularly on film, radio and television in character roles until her sudden death in October 2005, following a recording of "The Archers" at the BBC's Birmingham studios. She was 81.- Paul Allott was born in Altrincham, Cheshire on 14th September 1956 and was educated at the Altrincham Grammar School and Durham University. Following Minor County experience with Cheshire in 1976, he played first-class cricket for Lancashire from 1978 to 1991 and for Wellington (in New Zealand) in 1986-1987. He was awarded his County Cap in 1981 and was awarded a benefit in 1990. He was 6' 4" in height, batted right handed and bowled right-arm fast medium. He represented England in 13 tests between 1981 and 1985. He scored a memorable 52 not out on his test debut versus Australia at Old Trafford in 1981.
He played in 245 first-class matches, scoring 3360 runs in 262 innings with a highest score of 88; took 136 catches and took 652 wickets at an average cost of 25.55 per wicket. His best bowling performance was 8-48 versus Northamptonshire at Northampton in 1981 and he took five wickets in an innings on thirty occasions.
In retirement, he has become a highly successful cricket commentator with the BBC and Sky Sports. - Actor
- Writer
Peter West was one of the most versatile journalists of his generation. As a freelancer, he worked for the BBC in radio and television for forty years in every department, except Drama. He covered BBC cricket for 35 summers, rugby union for forty winters, 27 Wimbledon tennis tournaments and various other broadcasting assignments, including the long-running "Come Dancing". He was a cricket and rugby union correspondent for "The Times" and "The Daily Telegraph" for a number of years. He was the founding editor of "The Playfair Cricket Annual" from 1948 to 1953 and was the first President of the Cheltenham Cricket Society. He was a genial anchorman for the BBC's televised Test Cricket coverage, during the seventies and eighties. While doing this, he formed a successful partnership with Ted Dexter and others. He co-founded a successful public relations consultancy, called 'West McNally'. Upon his retirement, he published his autobiography, "Flannelled Fool and Muddied Oaf", which reflected his great love of cricket and rugger. He was educated at Cranbrook School and kept a lifelong interest by becoming involved in various 'old boy' organisations. He was a devoted family man and gardener. He had been married to Pauline for 57 years, when he died in Bath on 2nd September 2003, following a long illness. The couple had two sons, a daughter and several grandchildren.- Actress
- Director
- Producer
Polly Williams was born in Sussex, England on 5th January 1950. She was the third child of the actor and dramatist Hugh Williams from his second marriage to the Australian-born actress and dramatist Margaret Vyner. She was educated at Cobham Hall in Kent and at finishing school in Madrid, Spain. She had a career as an actress and model. Her brothers were the poet Hugo Williams and the actor Simon Williams. She died in the London Clinic, following a long battle with cancer on 24th June 2004, aged 54. She is survived by her widower the actor Nigel Havers, two sons from her first marriage and a stepdaughter from her second.- Robyn Moore was born on 15th September 1960. Her father is actor Stephen Moore (1937- ), who she followed into a stage and television career. She teaches aerobics and practices pilates and yoga. She works with the LSW prison project, which takes Shakespearean plays into prisons. She shares a support of Arsenal F.C. with her son. She also has a keen musical interest in David Bowie, Elvis Costello and Nina Simone and she admires actors Robert De Niro, Kevin Spacey and Dame Maggie Smith.
- Producer
- Actor
Ronnie Waldman was the eldest son of Michael Waldman, OBE, JP. He was educated at Owen's School and graduated from Pembroke College, Oxford. He began as an actor between 1935 and 1938, before becoming a producer in the BBC Variety department in 1938. He served in the RAFVR during the Second World War.
He was appointed the Assistant Head of Variety (Productions) in 1948 and he later became a senior producer for BBC Light Entertainment. He was appointed as Head of BBC Light Entertainment in 1950 and is credited with discovering Eric Morecambe and Ernie Wise.
He held several further positions, such as Business Manager for BBC Television Programmes (1958-1960) and General Manager of BBC Television Enterprises (1960-1963), before joining Visnews Ltd as Managing Director in 1963. He remained in this role until 1977. He served as the President of the Lord's Taverners in 1966 and as a trustee of the International Institute of Communications from 1975 to 1978.
He was married to the popular actress Lana Morris from 1953 to 1978. They had a son.- Ursula Howells was educated at St Paul's Girls' School in London, where her father Herbert Howells, a doyen of English church music taught music for 26 years. Following the death of her brother Michael from polio in 1935, her father composed his great choral masterpiece "Hymnus Paradisi".
She was evacuated to Scotland during the Second World War and made her stage debut in 1940 with Dundee rep. She made her London debut at the Embassy Theatre in Swiss Cottage in 1945. Her broadcasting debut came in 1946 with Sweet Lavender and she made her screen debut in 1950, with Flesh and Blood (1951).
Although she continued to make West End appearances during the following thirty years, she remained in demand as a television and film actress. Her successes included Marriage a la Mode (1955), The Third Key (1956), Dr. Terror's House of Horrors (1965) and Girly (1970).
She made an impression as Frances Forsyte (the first of Young Jo's three wives) in the BBC's 1967 television adaptation of John Galsworthy's The Forsyte Saga (1967). She became a regular feature in television comedy and drama, ranging from Father, Dear Father (1968) and A Rather English Marriage (1998) to The Cazalets (2001).
Her television credits also included playing a psychopath Lettie Blacklock in Miss Marple: A Murder Is Announced (1985). She also appeared in Sins of the Fathers (1985) and Warriors (1991), Somewhere - Over the Rainbow? (1994), Vigilante (1995) and The Electric Vendetta (2001).
She instigated the "Herbert Howells Society" following her father's death in 1983 and became a standard bearer for the promotion of his work. She financially supported the recording of his compositions and did much to encourage the publishing and promotion of church music.
She was married twice. Following a brief first marriage to Davy Dodd in 1949, she remarried in 1968 to the theatre director Anthony Pelissier . She was widowed in 1988 and moved to Petworth in Sussex. Although she had no children of her own, she was a loving stepmother to her husband's son and three daughters who survived her. - Victoria Hopper was a popular film and stage actress who appeared in a dozen films between 1933 and 1948. She was a protégé of the director and producer Basil Dean and led a long stage career.
Amongst the highlights of her screen career were the leading role in Lorna Doone (1934) and Laburnum Grove (1936). She died in January 2007 aged 97. - Writer
Wendy Orme was born Gwynneth May Owen in Depford, London, England. She was the second of Emeric Pressburger's two wives, by whom she had two children. Her elder child was Angela Pressburger. Angela's sons are the film director Andrew Macdonald and the film producer Kevin Macdonald.
Wendy was married three times. Emeric was her second husband. Emeric was heartbroken by the end of their marriage. She was a great beauty in her day.- Wilfred Wooller was educated at Rydal School and Cambridge University. He was one of the greatest all round sportsmen that Wales ever produced. He captained Glamorgan CCC for 14 years, was secretary for thirty and club president for his final six. He won 18 international rugby union caps for Wales and also represented Cardiff City at soccer (scoring a hat-trick as a centre-forward). He was a Cambridge Blue in 1935 and 1936. He survived incarceration by the Japanese in the Changri prisoner of war camp during the second world war. He was appointed captain-secretary of Glamorgan CCC in 1947 and led them to an unexpected County championship triumph in 1948. He retired as captain in 1960 (reappearing in 1962) and as secretary in 1977. He was a successful BBC broadcaster and a sports journalist with "The Sunday Telegraph". As a formidable all rounder and captain, he was twice thwarted in playing test cricket for England in 1948/1949 and 1951/1952, due to business commitments. He served as a test selector from 1955 to 1961.