Milford Hospital Unveils Plaque – Galton & Simpson

June 1st saw a significant event for the history of Milford Hospital.  Two former patients returned to see a plague unveiled to mark their meeting in 1948.  Ray Galton & Alan Simpson met as 19 year olds suffering from TB.  They stayed for many years receiving treatment – but their time was well spent.  The started to write comedy sketches together, which were performed on the rudimentary hospital radio service.     They went on to become the foremost comedy scriptwriters – creating Hancock and Steptoe and Sons, and a huge catalogue of shows over the following decades.    The plaque was unveiled by their friend and performer Paul Merton.

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I had the privilege to meet the guys a few years ago, as part of my research for the Milford Hospital History Website.   They described to me in detail their years at Milford, and most interestingly, the location of the original laundry cupboard in which they built their radio studio – arguably the “Birthplace of the British Sit-Com.

You can find the story here.

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