Rainbow Valley - bringing you the stories from the decade that shook the world.

Join your host, Scott, as this week he recounts the tale of Goldie—the golden eagle who soared into the hearts of Londoners in 1965 with his daring escapades!

 

Episode 033 - Goldie And His Bid For Freedom

 

Picture this: it’s a chilly February day, and Goldie, a majestic golden eagle residing at London Zoo, decides he’s had enough of the cage life. While his keepers are cleaning his enclosure, Goldie seizes the moment and takes off into the skies above Regent’s Park, leaving behind his mate, Regina, and a trail of chaos.

For the next 12 days, Goldie became the talk of the town. He wasn’t just any escapee; he was a celebrity. Crowds flocked to Regent’s Park to catch a glimpse of the rebellious raptor, causing traffic jams as drivers circled the area hoping for a sighting. Goldie, meanwhile, was living his best life—gliding over the park, exploring nearby neighborhoods like Camden Town and Tottenham Court Road, and occasionally indulging in some predatory mischief. He even made headlines for snacking on a duck in the garden of Winfield House, the residence of the U.S. Ambassador. Talk about dining in style!

The zoo’s keepers tried everything to lure Goldie back. They borrowed equipment from the Royal Navy and Civil Defence Corps, and even enlisted the help of BBC reporter John Timpson, who attempted to charm Goldie with an Ethiopian bird pipe. Spoiler alert: Goldie wasn’t impressed. He also had a run-in with two terriers in the park, but their owner managed to fend him off. Goldie was clearly enjoying his freedom, and the British public couldn’t get enough of his antics. He was even mentioned in a debate in the House of Commons, where MPs greeted his name with cheers.

Eventually, hunger got the better of Goldie. On March 11, the zoo’s deputy head keeper tempted him with a dead rabbit, and Goldie swooped down for what would be his last picnic in the park. The keeper approached quietly, secured Goldie’s legs, and brought him back to the zoo. Goldie was in good health and reunited with Regina, much to the delight of visitors. In fact, the zoo’s attendance nearly doubled after his return—Goldie was a true crowd-puller.

But Goldie wasn’t done with his Houdini act. Later that year, in December, he escaped again! This time, his freedom lasted only four days before he was recaptured. Goldie’s escapades cemented his status as one of London Zoo’s most famous residents, and his story remains a delightful chapter in the city’s history.

 

You can follow the podcast on Twitter @rv_podcast

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This has been a Stinking Pause production

Thanks for listening

Scott

 

 

 

 

Rainbow Valley - bringing you the stories from the decade that shook the world.

 

Episode 032 - Tere Jo Dupperault - Orphan of the Sea (1961)

The name Tere Jo Duperrault resonates with a chilling tale of survival and unfathomable tragedy. In 1961, at the tender age of 11, she became the sole survivor of a horrific crime that unfolded aboard the sailing yacht "Bluebelle," a voyage that transformed from a family vacation into a nightmare. Her story is a testament to the remarkable resilience of the human spirit amidst unimaginable adversity.

The Duperrault family, seeking a tranquil escape, chartered the "Bluebelle" for a sailing excursion. However, this idyllic journey was abruptly and violently shattered by the actions of Julian Harvey, the ship's captain. Harvey, for reasons that remain shrouded in a complex web of motivations, murdered the entire Duperrault family. In the wake of this heinous act, Tere Jo was left adrift in the vast expanse of the Atlantic Ocean, a solitary figure facing the unforgiving elements.

For four agonizing days, Tere Jo endured a harrowing ordeal that tested the limits of human endurance. Adrift on a small, fragile cork float, she battled the relentless sun, the gnawing pangs of dehydration, and the searing pain of severe sunburn. The vastness of the ocean, the isolation, and the constant threat of the elements created an environment of unimaginable terror. Yet, against all odds, she clung to life, her survival instinct propelling her through each grueling hour.

Her eventual rescue by the crew of a Greek freighter marked the end of her physical ordeal, but the emotional and psychological scars of the trauma would endure. The world watched in stunned disbelief as the story of the young girl who survived against all odds unfolded. The incident garnered international attention, and Tere Jo's survival became a symbol of human resilience.

Following her rescue, Tere Jo sought to rebuild her life, choosing to live a life of relative privacy away from the public eye. The enormity of her experience, the loss of her family, and the trauma of her ordeal required time and space for healing.

In later years, Tere Jo, now known as Tere Duperrault Fassbender, chose to share her story, collaborating with Richard D. Logan Phd to document her experiences in a book. This decision to speak out was not driven by a desire for fame but by a desire to share a testament to the human capacity for survival and to honour the memory of her family. Her narrative serves as a poignant reminder of the fragility of life and the strength that can be found in the face of unimaginable adversity.

The story of Tere Jo Duperrault remains a powerful and enduring narrative, a stark reminder of the darkest depths of human depravity and the extraordinary power of the human spirit to endure. It is a story that continues to resonate, prompting reflection on the resilience of the human spirit and the enduring impact of trauma.

 

You can follow the podcast on Twitter @rv_podcast

Or send us your thoughts and feedback at [email protected]

 

This has been a Stinking Pause production

Thanks for listening

Scott

 

Rainbow Valley - bringing you the stories from the decade that shook the world.

Episode 031 - Sinatra at the Sands (1966)

January/February 1966 and Frank Sinatra is headlining at the Copa Room at the Sands Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. Performing twice a day with the legendary Count Basie Orchestra, conducted by Quincy Jones, there is no doubt that Sinatra was at the top of his game. Having turned fifty only a few weeks before, he never sounded better and had the audience in the palm of his hand.  

Over a period of seven days, some of those 90-minute concerts were recorded for what was to become surprisingly, Sinatra's first commercially available live album, and one of the greatest live albums of all time. 

Ladies and gentlemen – Rainbow Valley is proud to present the story of Sinatra at the Sands 

 

You can follow the podcast on Twitter @rv_podcast

Or send us your thoughts and feedback at [email protected]

 

This has been a Stinking Pause production

Thanks for listening

Scott

Rainbow Valley - The Sixties Podcast.

Telling the stories from the decade that shook the world.

 

The Apollo One Disaster

 

 

January 27th 1967, US astronauts Gus Grissom, Ed White and Roger Chaffee way made their way into a brand new spacecraft perched atop a large powerful Saturn Five rocket at Kennedy Space Centre in Florida. A routine dress rehearsal, and one of many, for their approaching launch into orbit less than a month away.

All three astronauts were experienced pilots, all harbouring dreams of one day setting foot on the moon. But little did they know, nor did anyone else, that once they entered the spacecraft that chilly winters day, they would never leave it alive.

The Apollo programme would be dangerously close to cancellation before it even got off the ground.

The Apollo spacecraft was condemned from the start, comprising of miles of uninsulated wiring, tons of flammable materials confined in an atmosphere consisting of pure oxygen, and a hatch that wouldn’t open.

Public opinion was already turning against the space race, and the events of that January evening did nothing to boost their confidence in the programme.

It is a story not only of how America continued to fulfil its destiny of placing a man on the moon, but also a valiant tale of the three American heroes who lost their lives in a horrific accident

Ladies and gentlemen, Rainbow Valley is proud to present the story of Apollo One.

 

Don't forget you can also listen to our weekly sixties chart show evey Sunday on Mixcloud.

Link below:

https://www.mixcloud.com/scophi/rainbow-valley-sixties-chart-show-5th-march-2023/

 

On August 1st 1960, an album on the Warner Brothers label reached number one in the Billboard Mono Action Albums Chart. It was the debut album for this particular artist and would remain at the top for fourteen weeks. The album would stay in the chart for two years selling over 600,000 copies near release and ranking as the 20th best selling album of all time on the Billboard charts.

Its total running time was just short of thirty two minutes, it consisted of just six tracks, and was a recording of a live performance

It won album of the year at the 1961 Grammy awards as well as best new artist for its performer. Yet this was no pop, folk or rock album. It was the first comedy album to win album of the year and the only time that a comedian had won best artist.

That comedian was Bob Newhart and this particular album saved the struggling Warner Brothers Records label and changed the face of modern comedy and the way the world experienced stand up forever.

Ladies and gentlemen, Rainbow Valley is proud to present the story of The Button Down Mind Of Bob Newhart.

 

Don't forget you can also listen to our weekly sixties chart show evey Sunday on Mixcloud.

Link below:

https://www.mixcloud.com/scophi/rainbow-valley-sixties-chart-show-5th-march-2023/

 

The Aberfan Disaster

 

9:13am on October 21st 1966, Pantglas School in the small Welsh mining village of Aberfan

Inside the school, more than 200 children and nine teachers were waiting for their first lesson of the day to begin when the air was filled with the sound of a distant rumble.

A massive coal tip - a mountain of waste generated by the town's mines that employed 8000 people had collapsed and a landslide of mud and debris flooded into the classroom, burying the school and engufing everyone inside

116 children and 28 adults were killed

It was one of the worst industrial disasters Britain has ever seen. An accident that could and should have been prevented and a tragic account of a mistake that cost a village an entire generation of its children.

 

You can follow the podcast on Twitter @rv_podcast 

Join our Facebook group at Facebook/rainbowvalleypodcast 

 

Or send us your thoughts and feedback to [email protected]

 

You can also listen to our weekly sixties chart rundown at:

https://www.mixcloud.com/scophi/rainbow-valley-sixties-chart-show-1st-january-1960/

 

This has been a Stinking Pause production.

 

Thanks for listening

 

Scott

1966: The Year We Won...And Lost The World Cup

 

As we head rapidly towards the 2022 World Cup finals in Qatar, you may be forgiven for thinking that this episode must surely recount the tale of how England won the world cup in the summer of 1966.

You wouldn’t be far off though as this episode of Rainbow Valley is the story of not how we won the World Cup that summer, but how we lost it.

Three months before the World Cup finals were due to take place, the much coveted solid gold Jules Rimet trophy sat proudly on display in central London only to be stolen in what could only be described as a daylight robbery.

Fast forward a week or so and the thief is apprehended but no sign of the most famous sporting trophy in world….until an incredible canine steps in to save the day.

Ladies and gentlemen Rainbow Valley is proud to present the story of Pickles-the unlikely hero of the 1966 World Cup final

You can follow the podcast on Twitter @rv_podcast 

Join our Facebook group at Facebook/rainbowvalleypodcast 

 

Or send us your thoughts and feedback to [email protected]

 

This has been a Stinking Pause production.

 

Thanks for listening

 

Scott

 

The Big Freeze

Boxing Day evening 1962

The Christmas Number One at the top of the hit parade was Return to Sender by Elvis Presley

All around the country, families were settling down after a busy two days of eating, drinking and making merry.

Small screen entertainment on the tv that evening included a hilarious variety show from the London Palladium featuring Bruce Forsyth and Norman Wisdom and the BBCs big Boxing Day movie was Moulin Rouge starring Jose Ferrer and Zsa Zsa Gabor

And then, it began to snow. A day late and tantalisingly close to giving the country a proper White Christmas, but snow nevertheless. The temperature dropped…..and it continued to snow.

And it snowed and snowed, and it got colder. And it snowed and it snowed some more

And that was how it would be for the next one hundred days or so as Britain was plunged into an icy wilderness that would last until the following March.

Industry ground to halt as businesses and schools were forced to close. There was widespread panic as ambulances and fire crews were unable to respond to emergencies. Essential supplies and medication failed to get through to hospitals and over half the natural wildlife population died in the freezing temperatures, unable to forage to food.

Nothing could be done to stop the bitter temperatures and the relentless snowfall

 

Ladies and gentlemen, Rainbow Valley is proud to present the story of The Big Freeze

 

 

You can follow the podcast on Twitter @rv_podcast 

Join our Facebook group at Facebook/rainbowvalleypodcast 

 

Or send us your thoughts and feedback to [email protected]

 

This has been a Stinking Pause production.

 

Thanks for listening

 

Scott

WE’RE BACK!!

Our first episode in two years is finally with you – and it’s a cracker. Join Scott as he tells the story of the making of the movie Zulu.

RAINBOW VALLEY – THE MAKING OF ZULU Rainbow Valley is a monthly podcast where your host, Scott takes a look at key events and personalities that shaped one the most influential, vibrant, tumultuous and swinging decades in history. Join us as we celebrate the 1960’s with the stories surrounding the music and news events of the decade that shook the world.

22nd January 1879, Rorkes Drift, Natal, South Africa. A remote mission station, the setting for one of the most famous, battles in British history.

But until 1964 and the release of the movie Zulu, the story of the events of those ten hours were not particularly familiar to the British public.

In reality, 100 British soldiers defended a series of attacks by approximately 4000 Zulu warriors. By the end of the battle, which lasted from late afternoon until dawn the following morning, 15 soldiers were dead, two mortally wounded and surrounding them, the bodies of some 350 Zulus

Possibly one of the most celebrated and documented battles in British history you might think. But you would be wrong, for if it were not for the release of the movie 85 years later, it’s likely it would have remained a mere postscript in the annals of military conflict.

The story of the making of Zulu begins with a magazine article written in 1958 and takes us on a journey that will change the lives of many people along the way. People such as director, Cy Endfield, producer and actor Stanley Baker, Zulu tribal leader, Chief Buthelezi and a certain young actor from south London called Michael Caine.

A movie that remained on cinema screens almost constantly for 12 years before becoming one of the most regarded and best loved British movies of all time, the story of its creation is almost worthy of a movie in its own right.

Ladies and gentlemen, Rainbow Valley is proud to present the story of the making of Zulu.

 

You can find all our previous episodes everywhere you download your podcasts.

Follow us on Twitter @rv_podcast

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Thanks for listening

Scott

@scophi

 

NEXT TIME – THE BIG FREEZE OF 1963

1964...and the world was still reeling from the assassination of John F Kennedy. Racial tensions continued in the southern states of the USA and tension was rising elsewhere as the conflict in Vietnam escalated.

But it was also the year of the Tokyo Olympics, The Blue Streak, Donald Campbell and Radio Caroline.

There was music from not only the Fab Four, but Dusty, Manfred Mann and the Beach Boys.

And on TV, we saw a surge in the poularity of Steptoe and The Avengers and a phenomenon known as Dalekmania.

Ladies and gentlemen, Rainbow Valley is proud to present the story of the Hits and Headlines of 1964.

 

You can find us on Player FM

…and anywhere you download your podcasts

 

You can follow the podcast on Twitter @rv_podcast

Join our Facebook group

Or send us your thoughts and feedback to [email protected]

 

A Stinking Pause production.

Thanks for listening

Scott