What is your favourite era for TV? I thought I would look at a few programmes from the 1950s onwards this week.

Let's start with this … who remembers the greeting ‘Evening all!’, together with a smile and salute? It was, of course, delivered by Jack Warner, playing the central police officer character George Dixon in all 432 episodes of ‘Dixon of Dock Green’.

The series was about daily life at a fictional London police station, with an emphasis on petty crime, successfully controlled through common sense and human understanding.

It ran from 1955 to 1976.

George Dixon was a mature and sympathetic police constable, and I am sure many of us can recognise similar officers around the Isle of Man over the years. He was a typical bobby on the beat, familiar with the area in which he patrolled and its residents, and he lived in the area himself. Again, we remember that approach in the island.

My Uncle Bob Corrin was stationed in Andreas and then Laxey stations, and his career concluded as Deputy Chief Constable.

He also served with the Isle of Man Airport Police Unit after World War II. I may be incorrect, but I think I remember, whilst staying with his family for a short time at Laxey Police Station, that there was a Velocette LE ‘Noddy bike’ there. These iconic machines were used by more than 50 police forces and were produced between 1948 and 1972.

Why were they called ‘Noddy bikes’, you may ask? The nickname was earned because officers riding them were allowed to nod instead of saluting senior officers for safety reasons.

Whilst on the subject of police officers, thanks for your contribution to TT 2026.

I was stood at Braddan Bridge for the spectacular Legacy Lap before the racing on the Sunday after practice week, led off this year by the Women Riders World Relay, including Isle of Man female racers Carolynn Sells, a history-maker as the only female solo winner on the Mountain Course, and Gail Sheeley, who lapped at over 100mph on a 125cc machine.

What a great event: a shared passion for motorcycles, different makes of machine, people from different countries around the world, and the Mountain Course packed with enthusiastic spectators. I spoke to a police officer after the riders passed us by, and he said the leaders in the parade were at Ballacraine while other riders were still leaving the start. It is now a popular part of the TT programme!

How about music shows on TV? I don’t remember, but maybe you do, ‘Six-Five Special’, which was launched in February 1957, presented by Pete Murray and others, including Jack Good.

The famous presenter is now 100 years old, and this was the start of a long and successful life in the music industry. Both Kenny Everett and David Hamilton credited him with influencing them in their chosen careers.

Anyway, back to the show. It was the BBC’s first attempt at a rock and roll programme. It was broadcast at 6.05pm on a Saturday evening, with Pete’s tagline being, ‘Time to jive on the old Six-Five’.

The show opened with film of a steam train accompanied by the memorable theme song: ‘The Six-Five Special’s comin’ down the line, the Six-Five Special’s right on time …’

Amongst the artists on the show were Petula Clark (the first single I ever bought was her song Downtown), Lonnie Donegan, Wee Willie Harris (don’t ask!), Marty Wilde and Tommy Steele.

Jack Good fell out with BBC management because they insisted on including sport and public service coverage rather than just music. He moved to ITV and produced ‘Oh Boy!’, which went out on ABC Weekend in direct competition with ‘Six-Five Special’, starting slightly earlier at 6pm on Saturday nights.

The show was broadcast live from the Hackney Empire and included resident and guest artists.

The former included Cuddly Dudley (who, in my ignorance, I had not heard of), Cliff Richard, The Drifters, who later became The Shadows, Marty Wilde and The Dallas Boys, who I think appeared on the Isle of Man. Guests included Billy Fury, Shirley Bassey, Conway Twitty and Brenda Lee.

The solo artists were supported by a specially created house band (even back then!) called Lord Rockingham’s XI, who had a number one hit with Hoots Mon, which is based on the old Scottish folk song A Hundred Pipers. So if you don’t know it, imagine the fusion, or even better, Google it and join in with the various chorus lines!

The show ‘Oh Boy!’ was revived in 1979 for the retro rock and roll stars of the day, including Shakin’ Stevens, Alvin Stardust, Joe Brown, Lulu and Les Gray, who many will remember for his work with the glam rock band Mud.

Did you see them at the Palace Lido? What were you doing in the Millennium Year of Tynwald? I was working every night spinning discs for the Henthorn family at the Grasmere Hotel!

‘Ready Steady Go!’ was broadcast every Friday evening from August 9, 1963 to December 23, 1966 as a live show.

Though early episodes featured artists miming, it was eventually networked nationally, with its highest ratings on March 20, 1964 when it featured The Beatles being interviewed and performing ‘It Won’t Be Long’, ‘You Can’t Do That’, and ‘Can’t Buy Me Love’, which was a hit record at the time.

It was presented mostly by Keith Fordyce and Cathy McGowan, though some early shows were presented by Dusty Springfield. The tagline was ‘The weekend starts here!’ It was particularly popular with Mods.

I am running out of space, so will come back to Juke Box Jury, Top of the Pops, The Old Grey Whistle Test, The Tube, The Chart Show, The Word, TFI Friday and more another time!

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A visit to Tesco (other shops available!) during TT week is always a bit of an eye-opener.

Guys who are clearly not used to the weekly shop wander around like rabbits in headlights, up and down the aisles and, in their frustration, load a few cans and some crisps into their baskets.

On another related matter…do you enjoy shopping? It might sound a bit strange, but I actually do.

It is probably a bit of a hang-up from my years as a shopkeeper, where I would travel from time to time to Manchester or the Birmingham Spring Fair at the NEC to order stock, always on the lookout for bargains. Then the great team who looked after the shops whilst I was busy with my day job had to be ready to receive the goods and display them on arrival in the island.

I still look at the yellow stickers or the items which match Aldi on my tour around the supermarket, and I have an admission: I am, from time to time (probably more than that in reality), a naughty Type 2 diabetic, and it takes a bit of resolve to walk past the Toblerone when it is cheaper than any of the so-called duty-free shops at UK airports.

When I go for my blood tests, I always try to avoid booking them shortly after Christmas or Easter… but must learn to be more disciplined!