Piano Smashers of the Golden Sun, The (ITV 1974, Alan Webb, Jim Norton)

Comedy drama Piano Smashers of the Golden Sun took us to the North Country Pub of the title. The Golden Sun has seen hard times and is now the only building left following the wholesale demolition of of slum housing all around it.

Now though with new flats about to be built in the area the hardy pub regulars who remain realise that the pub will be revitalised – to celebrate they decide to hold a piano smashing competition.

In the 1970’s as more and more families got rid of their piano and replaced it with an all new “stereogram” (a record player and radio combined into a piece of furniture) piano smashing competitions became a popular pub past time. The object was to break the piano up (in the shortest time possible) into small enough bits that it could pass through a toilet seat.

production details
UK / ITV – ATV / 1×60 minute episode / Broadcast Tuesday 2 July 1974 @ 9.00pm

Writer: Willis Hall / Production Design: Vic Symonds / Producer: Nicholas Palmer / Director: John Nelson Burton

cast
Alan Webb as Percy Cubitt
Jim Norton as Michael Hudson
Aubrey Richards as Charles Evenwood
Terence Sewards as Colin Higgs
Shane Connaughton as John Mulligan
Heather Canning as Vera Lamb
Bert Palmer as Joe Livingstone
Ken Parry as Ernest Silcock
Paul Henley as Raymond Renshaw
Drina Pavlovic as Avis
Melanie Wallis as Mandy