MUCH BINDING IN THE MARSH

The RAF station of Much-Binding was first introduced in a show from the Merry-go-round series on the 31st March 1944, and was around until 1954, although by that time, the RAF station was no more, and the former staff now ran a newspaper - The Weekly Bind.

The original idea had set up Laughter Command of the RAF, and a ramshackle air station called Much-Binding-in-the-Marsh, where the inmates gave battle to all the frustrations of inconvenience and red tape that war had laid upon them. In peacetime, Much-Binding simply turned itself over to non-combatant operations.

The programmes were written by, and starred Kenneth Horne and Richard 'Stinker' Murdoch, although other notable names present were Maurice Denham, Nicholas Parsons, Sam Costa, and Dora Bryan.

Horne and Murdoch met in the Air Ministry during the war, when Horne was Wing Commander, and Murdoch a Squadron Leader. Sam Costa joined them to represent the rank and file, and Maurice Denham played the upper class Dudley Davenport, Ivy Clingbine and Winston the dog. Following on from ITMA, which was a multitude of catchphrases, both characters had their own - Costa with his batman's, 'Good morning Sir, was there something?', Denham's 'Oh, I say, I am a fool!', and Murdoch's 'Have you read any good books recently?' and were always met with applause.

Costa also played Prudence Gush, the radio critic, when Much-Binding became a weekly newspaper, The Weekly Bind, with Dora Bryan as Gladys Plumb, its fashion editor. Much-Binding was said to be King George VI's favourite show after the death of Tommy Handley put an end to ITMA.