THAS Website mentioned in New Scientist article.

In issue No. 2020 (9 March 1996) there was the following mini-review of the THAS website in an article about new 'metric' blood donations. This story had "Hancock" written all over it and, sure enough, the affiliation was not lost on the writers of the New Scientist technology section:

THESE days, donors only have to give 450 millilitres - 118 millilitres less than the old imperial pint that was demanded when the service was set up in 1946. "A pint! Why that's nearly an armful," as Tony Hancock put it in one of his best-known sketches, The Blood Donor.
The Blood Donor first flickered across the nation's black-and-white TV screens on 23 June 1961, a detail which can be found on The Official Tony Hancock Appreciation Society Homepage at http://www.thas.org The page lists all of Hancock's broadcasts, both on radio and TV, and features the Internet Ham, an electronic version of the society's newsletter in - allegedly - "Cheam-o-Vision".

Hancock Statue/BAFTA Mask Unveiling

THAS now has details of the unveiling ceremony of the Hancock statue which was reported in the last issue of The Internet Ham. The statue will be unveiled on Monday 13th May 1996 at 11.30am by Sir Harry Secombe opposite the Blood Donor Centre, The Old Square, Birmingham Town Centre. The statue project has been made possible through a joint effort between THAS and the charity Turning Point.

THAS members have also helped to raise enough funds for a gold BAFTA mask commemorating Hancock - more to come.

THAS Hancock recordings archive news

The British Film Institute have helped THAS to locate a 1956 Hancock AR-TV Blackpool show for its archives. This rare footage will soon be available on video for THAS members. Thanks, also, to new THAS member (via the website) Brian Booth from Toronto, who suggested that the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation may have held some [previously missing] Hancock shows in their archives. Acting on Brian's tip off, I found the CBC's website and put the question to them. The CBC were extremely helpful and prompt with their reply which, although not unearthing any previously "lost" episodes, has added to THAS's total pool of knowledge regarding the existence and whereabouts of The Lad's work. Above all else, this has been an excellent demonstration of what a tremendously fast and useful resource the Internet is.

THAS to have advert on BBC video tapes

The BBC have promised to advertise the name and address of the Society (and website?) on it's [Hancock] video cassettes this year. This will undoubtedly add new impetus to the growth in membership created by this website.

Death of Ray Galton's wife

It is with great regret that THAS members learnt of the death of Ray Galton's wife, Tonia, in the last issue of Railway Cuttings.The sentiments in the following tribute, made by THAS member, Malcolm Chapman are, I'm sure, shared by all who knew Ray or admired his work:

I am sorry to relate that Ray Galton's wife, Tonia, passed away on the 24th December 1995. I met Tonia several years ago when I was sorting out Ray Galton's script library.
She was a charming lady and was very tolerant of me loading her large kitchen table with all the scripts that needed sorting out. We chatted and she told me that she first met Ray when she was a schoolgirl and attended the radio recordings of Hancock's Half Hour.
I'm sure that our heartfelt sympathy goes out to ray and his family for the loss of a wonderful lady.

Series of radio repeats

Thirty Hancock's Half Hour shows are scheduled to be broadcast at 6.30pm on Fridays "in the Spring".

Undiscovered scripts update

A number of previously unreleased Galton & Simpson scripts were reported in the last issue of The Internet Ham. I have spoken toJames Yerkess of the THAS Repertory Company who assures me that the scripts (along with THAS members' scripts) will be sent to me for publishing on the webas soon as possible.