Derek McCulloch

For the graphic novel author, see Derek McCulloch (comics).

Derek McCulloch
Born	Derek Ivor Breashur McCulloch (1897-11-18)18 November 1897 Plymouth, England
Died	Haywards Heath, West Sussex, England
Occupation	BBC radio presenter, head of children's broadcasting for the BBC
Employer	BBC
Spouse(s)	Eileen Barry (1931–1967, his death)
Awards	OBE, 1964

Derek Ivor Breashur McCulloch OBE (18 November 1897 – 1 June 1967) was a BBC Radio presenter and producer. He became known as "Uncle Mac" in Children's Favourites and Children's Hour, and the voice of "Larry the Lamb" in Toytown. He was the head of children's broadcasting for the BBC from 1933 until 1951.

Early life

McCulloch was born in Plymouth to Scottish parents. The First World War interrupted his education, and he enlisted in 1915 in the Public Schools Battalion of the 16th Middlesex Regiment at the age of 17. He served until 1921 with the infantry, where he was commissioned into the Green Howards, and in the Royal Flying Corps as an equipment officer, including a spell on HMS Valiant. He was wounded at the Battle of the Somme in 1916. After the war he worked in Argentina on the railways, but had to return to England because of ill health.

Career

BBC

He joined the BBC in 1926 as an announcer. He was the commentator on the first radio broadcast of the FA Cup Final in 1927. He became second in command on Children's Hour in 1931 and was placed in charge of it in 1933. The programme included talks, plays, music and drama serials. He was appointed head of children's broadcasting in 1933, serving in that position until 1951. He regarded the department as a microcosm of all broadcasting, stating: "Nothing but the best is good enough for children ... our wish is to stimulate their imaginations, direct their reading, encourage their various interests, widen their outlook and inculcate the Christian virtues of love of God and their neighbours." In 1938 he lost a leg as the result of a road accident, and thereafter remained in constant pain.

In 1939 the audience for Children's Hour reached four million. His sign-off line, "Goodnight children, everywhere," became more poignant after the evacuation of many children from their homes at the start of the Second World War. He resigned from the BBC in 1950 due to ill health.

Children's Favourites

He became the children's editor for the News Chronicle. In 1954 he returned to the BBC, to present a BBC music request programme for children, Children's Favourites, on Saturday mornings. The programme was dropped in 1964, despite protests and questions in Parliament, but it was popular, and McCulloch continued to present it until 1965. After his retirement it became Junior Choice, hosted by Ed Stewart, when the BBC Light Programme was replaced by Radio 1 and Radio 2 in 1967.

Writing

He wrote two children's stories, Cornish Adventure (1941) and Cornish Mystery (1950), and gave his name to a series of Ladybird children's books in the 1950s.

Personal life

McCulloch married Eileen Hilda Barry in 1931. He was awarded an OBE in 1964. He died at Haywards Heath on 1 June 1967.

He was the subject of This Is Your Life in February 1964 when he was surprised by Eamonn Andrews in central London.

Further reading

• Children's Hour
• Hartley, Ian. Goodnight Children Everywhere: History of Children's Broadcasting. Midas Books, 1983. ISBN 0-85936-201-9
• Walden, Jeff. "Derek McCulloch", Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. September 2004.
• Derek McCulloch's appearance on This Is Your Life