Saturday 14 December 2013

Chris Howland

The Independent has just caught up with the death of Chris Howland. Someone who has reached the age of eighty-five should be celebrated rather than mourned. He had a very full life as an entertainer in Germany from his early days as Sergeant Howland, C at the Hamburg end of Two-Way Family Favourites right up to the end, it seems. However, he could have been a successful TV host back in his native Britain but the vehicle which should have made his breakthrough was unfortunately tainted with allegations of fixing. Twenty-one was never proved to be dirty, but as far as I know Howland made no regular appearances on our screens again.

I still remember with affection his Saturday morning record shows on British Forces Network in Germany. His play-in and play-out music was, if I recall correctly, Robert Farnon's "Melody Fair", but this was often accompanied by a caged bird which he brought into the studio (self-operated of course). In summer, the tame bird would be joined by the local sparrows outside the open windows.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Sir,
thanks for your comment and the photo of Sergeant Howland. Here is "Melody Fair" the intro, used by "Mr. Heinrich Pumpernickel" aka Chris Howland.
He was very well known in Germany.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c0OeRVxlDIk

Frank Little said...

Many thanks for that, Anon.