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The Clitheroe Kid

British sitcom about a cheeky schoolboy, from the 1950s-70s
from archive.org, s3.amazonaws.com

The Clitheroe Kid was a BBC Radio comedy show featuring diminutive Northern comic Jimmy Clitheroe in the role of a cheeky schoolboy, who lived with his family at Lilac Avenue in an unnamed town in the North of England. The pilot show, pilot series, and 16 subsequent series, totalling 290 episodes in all, were originally broadcast between April 1957 and August 1972.

Jimmy Clitheroe was 35 years old when he started playing the part on radio, but (in the variety theatres and, later, on television) he could pass as an 11-year-old boy because he had never grown physically beyond that age. Although in later years his lined face gave his real age away, this was not apparent on radio.

Created by James Casey in 1956, the show was produced in Manchester, originally by the North Region studios of the BBC Home Service. However, after two series were aired on North Region only, in 1959 the show was deemed sufficiently popular to be moved to the national transmitters of the BBC Light Programme.

The radio show was recorded in front of a studio audience, and there were frequently gales of laughter at Clitheroe's schoolboy humour, or at Alfie Hall's mangling of the English language as he tried to explain something, only to make it even less clear, as well as (to the mystification of home listeners) Hall's physical comedy, when he performed one of his trademark falls or other sight-gags.

(description from Wikipedia)


Collection also includes some interviews, documentaries and other ephemera at the end.

  1. 5th Jan 1959, No Match For The Kid (12.6Mb)
  2. 12th Jan 1959, Mind My Bike (13.1Mb)
  3. 19th Jan 1959, I Shot An Arrow In The Air (13.1Mb)
  4. 26th Jan 1959, Cupid And The Black Hand Gang (13.1Mb)
  5. 9th Feb 1959, Clitheroe and the Hound Dog (13.4Mb)
  6. 23rd Feb 1959, Girl Trouble (13Mb)
  7. 2nd Mar 1959, The Trouble With Higginbottom (12.7Mb)
  8. 4th Apr 1960, The Tale Of The Cat (13.3Mb)
  9. 11th April 1960, Clitheroe’s Merry Go Round (13.3Mb)
  10. 25th April 1960, All At Sea (13.2Mb)
  11. 9th May 1960, Nothing But The Truth (13.3Mb)
  12. 16th May 1960, Storm in a Test Tube (13.4Mb)
  13. 23rd May 1960, Mother's Day Of Rest (13.4Mb)
  14. 30th May 1960, TheWheels Of Misfortune (12.4Mb)
  15. 6th June 1960, What A Picnic (13.1Mb)
  16. 20th June 1960, Job For The Girl (13Mb)
  17. 20th Feb 1961, Pardon My English (13.4Mb)
  18. 27th Feb 1961, How Now Brown Cow (12.9Mb)
  19. 6th Mar 1961, Grandad's Back (13.9Mb)
  20. 13th Mar 1961, The Trouble With Neighbours (12.9Mb)
  21. 3rd Apr 1961, The Girl Who Got The Message (13Mb)
  22. 10th Apr 1961, The Not-So-Welcome Guest (13.7Mb)
  23. 17th Apr 1961, The Keyhole Kid (13.6Mb)
  24. 24th Apr 1961, The Wreck Of The Soppy Sue (13.4Mb)
  25. 1st May 1961, Animal Crackers (14.4Mb)
  26. 8th May 1961, I'm In Trouble Again (14.3Mb)
  27. 15th May 1961, Fishing In Troubled Waters (13.9Mb)
  28. 27th Nov 1961, Dig That Crazy Garden (26.9Mb)
  29. 4th Dec 1961, It's My Mothers Birthday (13.5Mb)
  30. 11th Dec 1961, After The Film Was Over (12.7Mb)
  31. 18th Dec 1961, The Kid Who Got The Bird (13Mb)
  32. 25th Dec 1961, Christmas Day In The Kid's House (13.3Mb)
  33. 1st Jan 1962, Breaking In The New Year (14.1Mb)
  34. 15th Jan 1962, Too Many Crooks (12.9Mb)
  35. 22nd Jan 1962, The Old Man Of The Sea (13Mb)
  36. 5th Feb 1962, Lend Me An Ear (14.3Mb)
  37. 12th Feb 1963, The Day I Told The Truth (14.1Mb)
  38. 19th Feb 1962, I've Got Them Taped (14Mb)
  39. 26th Feb 1962, Collecting Trouble (13.7Mb)
  40. 5th Mar 1962, Waiting At The Church (12.9Mb)
  41. 12th Mar 1962, I Was A Stupid Cupid (14.1Mb)
  42. 19th Mar 1962, James Mr Piano Player (13Mb)
  43. 26th Mar 1962, Going To The Dogs (12.9Mb)
  44. 2nd April 1962, Jimmy The Kid (14.4Mb)
  45. 9th April 1962, What A Good Boy Am I (12.8Mb)
  46. 29th Oct 1962, The House That Jim Picked (12.9Mb)
  47. 5th Nov 1962, What A Guy (13.5Mb)
  48. 12th Nov 1962, Sorry You’ve Been Troubled (13.5Mb)
  49. 19th Nov 1962, Smile Please (13.9Mb)
  50. 26th Nov 1962, When Grandad Papered The Parlour (13.7Mb)
  51. 3rd Dec 1962, We All Make Mistakes (13.5Mb)
  52. 10th Dec 1962, Accidents Will Happen (6.2Mb)
  53. 24th Dec 1962, Just The Ticket (12.8Mb)
  54. 31st Dec 1962, Jim's Highland Fling (13.9Mb)
  55. 7th Jan 1963, Next Door To Trouble (13Mb)
  56. 14th Jan 1963, Love Me Love My Dog (13.6Mb)
  57. 21st Jan 1963, Too Much To Swallow (13.8Mb)
  58. 28th Jan 1963, Dial Jim For Trouble (13.8Mb)
  59. 4th Feb 1963, Trouble From The Kick Off (13.7Mb)
  60. 7th Feb 1963, Next Door To Trouble (6.7Mb)
  61. 11th Feb 1963, Don't Shoot The Pianist (13.8Mb)
  62. 18th Feb 1963, The Patients Dilemma (12.9Mb)
  63. 4th Mar 1963, The Quiz Kid (13.2Mb)
  64. 10th Nov 1963, No Holes Barred (13.7Mb)
  65. 17th Nov 1963, Tramp Tramp Tramp (13.7Mb)
  66. 24th Nov 1963, Playing With Fire (13.8Mb)
  67. 1st Dec 1963, Love And Marriage (13.6Mb)
  68. 8th Dec 1963, Vote For Grandad (13.8Mb)
  69. 15th Dec 1963, Three Of A Kind (13.7Mb)
  70. 29th Dec 1963, A Load Of Chinese Junkq (12.9Mb)
  71. 5th Jan 1964, The Gathering Of The Clan (13.6Mb)
  72. 12th Jan 1964, The Ten Pin Terror (12.5Mb)
  73. 19th Jan 1964, The Tale Of The Coat (13.9Mb)
  74. 26th Jan 1964, The Man Who Came To Lunch (13.9Mb)
  75. 2nd Feb 1964, One Hundred Not Out (13.2Mb)
  76. 9th Feb 1964, What’s In A Name (12.4Mb)
  77. 16th Feb 1964, Back To The Dressing Room (13.7Mb)
  78. 23rd Feb 1964, The Kid With Nine Lives (13.8Mb)
  79. 1st Mar 1964, A Right Roman Holiday (13.7Mb)
  80. 8th Mar 1964, Nothing But The Tooth (13.8Mb)
  81. 15th Mar 1964, Never Listen To A Teacher (13.9Mb)
  82. 1st Nov 1964, Trouble Through The Looking Glass (12.3Mb)
  83. 8th Nov 1964, James The Little Gentleman (5.8Mb)
  84. 15th Nov 1964, For Love And Money (13.7Mb)
  85. 22nd Nov 1964, One Jump Behind (12.3Mb)
  86. 29th Nov 1964, James Bond Junior (13.7Mb)
  87. 6th Dec 1964, The Kid Makes History (13.5Mb)
  88. 13th Dec 1964, Sing Something Stupid (13.3Mb)
  89. 20th Dec 1964, Jim And The Beanstork (13.2Mb)
  90. 27th Dec 1964, Double Trouble (13.7Mb)
  91. 3rd Jan 1965, New Year Old Trouble (13.5Mb)
  92. 1965 Jim Plays Hookie Single Release) (0.9Mb)
  93. 10th Jan 1965, One Quiet Day (12.4Mb)
  94. 17th Jan 1965, Help it's A Girl (12.4Mb)
  95. 24th Jan 1965, It’s A Knockout (13.7Mb)
  96. 14th Feb 1965, Follow That Car (13Mb)
  97. 21st Feb 1965, Clitheroes Concert Party (13.8Mb)
  98. 28th Feb 1965, It's All In The Mind (13.7Mb)
  99. 10th Oct 1965, Jim And The Headless Piper (13.7Mb)
  100. 17th Oct 1965, The Mystery Of The Haggis (13.7Mb)
  101. 24th Oct 1965, For My Next Trick (14.1Mb)
  102. 31st Oct 1965, The Evils Of Tomato Juice (13.8Mb)
  103. 7th Nov 1965, Another Mother For Ozzy (13.7Mb)
  104. 14th Nov 1965, Grandads Mystery Illness (13.7Mb)
  105. 21st Nov 1965, Weapons Of Woe (12.4Mb)
  106. 28th Nov 1965, The Unlucky Mascot (6.7Mb)
  107. 5th Dec 1965, The Case Of The Crooked Parson (13.7Mb)
  108. 12th Dec 1965, The Unfair Sex (23.4Mb)
  109. 19th Dec 1965, English As She Is Spoke (12.1Mb)
  110. 26th Dec 1965, It’s The Thought That Counts (12.3Mb)
  111. They All Blame Jim (single release) (3.7Mb)
  112. 2nd Jan 1966, The Sunday I Met Man Friday (5.6Mb)
  113. 9th Jan 1966, One Good Twist Deserves Another (13.6Mb)
  114. 16th Jan 1966, Give A Little Whistle (13.7Mb)
  115. 20th January 1966, North Star Parade (3.9Mb)
  116. 23rd Jan 1966, Penny Foolish (13.3Mb)
  117. 30th Jan 1966, Watch The Birdie (13.8Mb)
  118. 6th Feb 1966, Too Many Sisters (unknown file size)
  119. 13th Feb 1966, Sliding Into Trouble (13.9Mb)
  120. 20th Feb 1966, The Best Of Indian Luck (6.6Mb)
  121. 18th June 1966, Blackpool Nights (2.2Mb)
  122. 2nd Oct 1966, No Room At The Digs (12.9Mb)
  123. 9th Oct 1966, Storm In A Teapot (13.9Mb)
  124. 16th Oct 1966, Forbidden Fruit (13.8Mb)
  125. 23rd Oct 1966, Follow That Bride (13.6Mb)
  126. 30th Oct 1966, What You Lose On The Swings (1.5Mb)
  127. 6th Nov 1966, The Loving Neighbour (13Mb)
  128. 13th Nov 1966, As Advertised On The Telly (13.7Mb)
  129. 20th Nov 1966, Sales Talk (9.7Mb)
  130. 27th Nov 1966, History Is A Thing Of The Past (6.1Mb)
  131. 25th Dec 1966, Christmas Crackers (13Mb)
  132. 8th Jan 1967, Wet Behind The Ears (13.7Mb)
  133. 15th Jan 1967, Get Me To The Shop On Time (12.2Mb)
  134. 22nd Jan 1967, The Prize Fool (12.2Mb)
  135. 29th Jan 1967, Come Into The Garden Jim (12.7Mb)
  136. 12th Feb 1967, Nothing Like Music (12.1Mb)
  137. 19th Feb 1967, One Day Last Summer (12.1Mb)
  138. 26th Feb 1967, No Time For Higginbottom (13.2Mb)
  139. 5th Mar 1967, What A Performance (13.3Mb)
  140. 19th Mar 1967, The Kid From Auntie (22.5Mb)
  141. 26th Mar 1967, Beware Of The Bikew (12.2Mb)
  142. 1st Oct 1967, Stop Crying Your On Holiday (13Mb)
  143. 8th Oct 1967, Beware Of The Neighbour (13.7Mb)
  144. 15th Oct 1967, Robbin Jim And His Merry Men (12.2Mb)
  145. 22nd Oct 1967, A Day On The Movie Go Round (13.2Mb)
  146. 29th Oct 1967, The Day I Met The Knight (12.2Mb)
  147. 5th Nov 1967, Keep Your Gunpowder Dry (13.5Mb)
  148. 19th Nov 1967, Why Boys Leave Home (13.7Mb)
  149. 26th Nov 1967, The Pianist And His Fiddle (13Mb)
  150. 3rd Dec 1967, Mr Higginbottom My Best Enemy (13.8Mb)
  151. 10th Dec 1967, Have Snake Will Travel (12.4Mb)
  152. 17th Dec 1967, Right In The Chicken Soup (13.5Mb)
  153. 24th Dec 1967, It's A Gift (13.8Mb)
  154. 31st Dec 1967, Long John Jim (13.8Mb)
  155. 7th Jan 1968, Two Crimes Are Better Than One (13.6Mb)
  156. 14th Jan 1968, For Love And Money (13.8Mb)
  157. 21st Jan 1968, Ours Is A Nice House, Ours is (13.8Mb)
  158. 28th Jan 1968, Alfie Hall The Smuggling Twit (13.2Mb)
  159. 11th Feb 1968, No Room At The Table (13.7Mb)
  160. 13th Oct 1968, Nothing Like A Holiday (13.4Mb)
  161. 27th Oct 1968, Who Sold Cock Robin (14.7Mb)
  162. 3rd Nov 1968, Keep The Bonfire Burning (13.5Mb)
  163. 10th Nov 1968, Spots Of Bother (13.2Mb)
  164. 17th Nov 1968, Do You Suffer From Guitar (13.2Mb)
  165. 24th Nov 1968, Two Hundred Not Out (13.1Mb)
  166. 1st Dec 1968, Enter The Robbers (13.7Mb)
  167. 8th Dec 1968, Stop The Wedding I Want To Get Off (16Mb)
  168. 15th Dec 1968, Half Nelson Half Alfie (13.8Mb)
  169. 22nd Dec 1968, Every Dog Has It’s Christmas Day (13.7Mb)
  170. 29th Dec 1968, Chinese Crackers (12.6Mb)
  171. 5th Jan 1969, Money For Old Junk (13.8Mb)
  172. 19th Jan 1969, A Love In Has Been Arranged (13.8Mb)
  173. 26th Jan 1969, Anymore For The Moon (13.8Mb)
  174. 2nd Feb 1969, The One That Could Not Lose (13.8Mb)
  175. 9th Feb 1969, Two Sides To Every Story (13.7Mb)
  176. 16th Feb 1969, My Old Mans A Twister (13.8Mb)
  177. 23rd Feb 1969, The Not So Good Old Days (13.6Mb)
  178. 17th Aug 1969, It's Quicker By Dream (13.2Mb)
  179. 24th Aug 1969, Take A Running Walk (13Mb)
  180. 31st Aug 1969, Answer That Phone (13Mb)
  181. 7th Sept 1969, Any More For The Beach (13.2Mb)
  182. 14th Sept 1969, Private Alfie General Twit (13.7Mb)
  183. 21st Sept 1969, Too Many Decorators (13.7Mb)
  184. 28th Sept 1969, Never Believe What You Hear (12.2Mb)
  185. 5th Oct 1969, Final Score-One Foul Each (12.2Mb)
  186. 12th Oct 1969, It Shouldn't Happen To A Grandad (13.7Mb)
  187. 19th Oct 1969, Someone Somewhere Wants A Letter (12.2Mb)
  188. 26th Oct 1969, There’s Something The Matter With Glasgow (12.1Mb)
  189. 2nd Nov 1969, Clitheroe’s Castle (12.2Mb)
  190. 9th November 1969, The Kid Who Framed Himself (14Mb)
  191. 16th Nov 1969, Dr Jekyll And Mr Jim (12.7Mb)
  192. 23rd Nov 1969, If The Dunces Cap Fits…… (12.2Mb)
  193. 30th Nov 1969, Tickets For The Punch Up (13.8Mb)
  194. 7th Dec 1969, Little Boy Tall Story (12.2Mb)
  195. 14th Dec 1969, Heat The Test Tube And Run (14Mb)
  196. 21st Dec 1969, The Share out[ (13.8Mb)
  197. 28th Dec 1969, One Upon A Pantomime (25Mb)
  198. 1970, Jimmy Clitheroe in Sounds Familiar (3.8Mb)
  199. 4th Apr 1970, All I Want Is A room Somewhere (5.1Mb)
  200. 11th Apr 1970, Don't Shoot I'm Only Acting (6.2Mb)
  201. 17th May 1970, Get Well Soon Grandad (14.4Mb)
  202. 24th May 1970, Grandad For President (14.9Mb)
  203. 31st May 1970, Good For Money (16.3Mb)
  204. 7th June 1970, The Not-So-Artful Dodger (15.7Mb)
  205. 14th Jun 1970, Not In Front Of The Parrot (15.8Mb)
  206. 21st Jun 1970, Out Of The Mouth Of Puppies (15Mb)
  207. 28th Jun 1970, A Funny Thing Hppene On The Way To The Fair (15.3Mb)
  208. 5th Jul 1970, All At Sea With A Sailor (15.5Mb)
  209. 12th Jul 1970, A Slight Case Of Whiskey (14.7Mb)
  210. 19th Jul 1970, Seated One Day At The Movies (15.9Mb)
  211. 26th Jul 1970, Once More Into The Vicarage (14.8Mb)
  212. 2nd Aug 1970, A Right Son Of A Gun (15.1Mb)
  213. 9th Aug 1970, There Was A Farmer A Scottish Farmer (16.7Mb)
  214. 16th Aug 1970, Keep Jim Off The Road (15.1Mb)
  215. 23rd Aug 1970, The Best Of Birthday Luck (13.5Mb)
  216. 30th Aug 1970, Taken To The Cleaners (14.4Mb)
  217. 6th Sept 1970, James The Modest Heroe (15.5Mb)
  218. 13th Sept 1970, No Licence For Jim (14.5Mb)
  219. 20th Sept 1970, A Touch of Competition Fever (15.2Mb)
  220. 27th Sept 1970, For Singing out loud (14.9Mb)
  221. 4th Apr 1971, All I Want Is A Room Somewhere (14.7Mb)
  222. 11th Apr 1971, Don't Shoot I'm Only Acting (14.7Mb)
  223. 18th Apr 1971, Go West Old Man (6.9Mb)
  224. 25th Apr 1971, Once Upon A Cup Tie (14Mb)
  225. 2nd May 1971, Jobs For The ladies (15Mb)
  226. 9th May 1971, Tennis just isn't Cricket (14.7Mb)
  227. 16th May 1971, Whatever Happened To Grandad (14.1Mb)
  228. 23rd May 1971, History Is A Thing Of The Past (15.5Mb)
  229. 30th May 1971, Is Their A Boss In The House (14.1Mb)
  230. 6th Jun 1971, In At The Deep End (14Mb)
  231. 13th Jun 1971, Licked By A Stamp (14Mb)
  232. 20th June 1971, Gone Fishing (15Mb)
  233. 27th Jun 1971, Thinking About A Holiday (14.1Mb)
  234. 21st May 1972, My Great Aunts Great (12.4Mb)
  235. 28th May 1972, Why Mothers Leave Home (15.8Mb)
  236. 4th Jun 1972, The Day The Fun Fare Hit Town (14.7Mb)
  237. 11th Jun 1972, If You Can't Keep A Secret Sell It (15.4Mb)
  238. 18th Jun 1972, The Swiss Family Clitheroe (14.4Mb)
  239. 25th Jun 1972, The Romantic Higginbottoms (12.2Mb)
  240. 2nd July 1972, Why Must The Show Go On (14.8Mb)
  241. 9th July 1972, A Letter From America From Grandad (15.1Mb)
  242. 16th July 1972, It’s A far Far Better School I Go To (6.1Mb)
  243. 23rd July 1972, Money For Old Gold (15.3Mb)
  244. 30th July 1972, Enough To Make A Kitten Laugh (12.1Mb)
  245. 7th August 1972, Where's The Stage And What's The Play (16.3Mb)
  246. 13th Aug 1972, What's Welsh Fow Trouble (16.1Mb)
  247. Clitheroe Rehersal Recording 1 (unknown file size)
  248. Clitheroe Rehersal Recording 2 (unknown file size)
  249. Clitheroe Rehersal Recording 3 (29Mb)
  250. Transcription Service Trailers (3.4Mb)
  251. The Kid Himself, Biography (12.2Mb)
  252. Whatever Happened To Jimmy Clitheroe? (11.9Mb)
  253. Jimmy Clitheroe, How Tickled Am I (12.6Mb)
  254. All There With My Cough Drops, The Story Of Jimmy Clitheroe (12.7Mb)
  255. Radio Lives, Jimmy Clitheroe (18Mb)
  256. James Casey Interview 2003 (6.4Mb)

MP3 files hosted by archive.org, s3.amazonaws.com.