Judith Chalmers’ 1960 news interview with a schoolgirl who was arrested in East Germany is accidental British comedy
When 16-year-old Vanessa Clark from Kent accidentally crossed the border from West Germany to East Germany in 1960, her story made the news.
A very young Judith Chalmers, who would go on to be the (tanned) face of Wish You Were Here, the long-running holiday review programme, was the reporter sent by the BBC to get her story.
It’s all very 1960s …and as stereotypically British as it gets.
#OnThisDay 1960: A British schoolgirl cheerily told Judith Chalmers about her holiday, which involved accidentally getting arrested in East Germany. pic.twitter.com/rxVBeU1Psb
— BBC Archive (@BBCArchive) May 9, 2024
“Well, we were each put separately for half an hour in a dark cellar. But apart from that, there was nothing to complain about.”
The whole thing made quite an impression on Twitter/X.
1.
Enid Blyton’s Two Get Arrested in Post War East Germany.
“It was all a trifle silly but the soldiers were terrifically welcoming and we all played table tennis and drank lashings of ginger beer! Of course, there was a terrible fuss at the consul, which was frightfully amusing.” https://t.co/JT29ughA9N
— Niecy O'Keeffe (@NiecyOKeeffe) May 9, 2024
2.
This is amazing, it’s hard to believe it’s not a comedy sketch. https://t.co/bo2eRUGpc7
— Alison Drury (@alisondrury) May 9, 2024
3.
Everything about this is brilliant https://t.co/ZqKH318fuU pic.twitter.com/lF7NgnOEG1
— Charlotte Sones (@SonesCharlotte) May 9, 2024
4.
Wonderful https://t.co/9XCgfbHIlZ pic.twitter.com/o2sL2JYrnq
— Van (@hellothisisivan) May 9, 2024
5.
This is fantastic https://t.co/Imw8PAaqLZ
— Andrew Copson (@andrewcopson) May 9, 2024
6.
Classic British understatement here https://t.co/Utk63MVX7o
— Signe Johansen (@SigneSJohansen) May 9, 2024
7.
…then home for tea and jam sandwiches.
— Michaela Power (@MsMichaelaPower) May 9, 2024
8.
Probably the most British reaction you could ever have to being held by East German police. They kept her in a dark cellar, but “apart from that, there wasn’t much to complain about.”
Keep calm and carry on, and all that… https://t.co/wGesjFxTjw
— Jenni Graham (@_JenniGraham) May 9, 2024
9.
I’d love to know what this woman went on to do. She’s brilliant! https://t.co/FhFEsjGBMg
— Chris Norton (@OrangSoul) May 9, 2024
10.
This is brilliant. Such sangfroid. https://t.co/2Kq14lZix4
— Selina Street (@SelinaStreet100) May 9, 2024
We’ll just leave this here.
Definitely a spy though https://t.co/i9wn11zDX9
— Michael (@Michael_Dunn4) May 9, 2024
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Source @BBCArchive Image Screengrab
