 Logo | |
| Abbreviation | DAAS |
|---|---|
| Formation | 1993 |
| Founders | Bill Pertwee Frank Williams |
Membership (2009) | 1,700+ |
Official language | English |
President | Michael Knowles |
| Website | http://www.dadsarmy.co.uk/ |
Formerly called | The New Dad's Army Appreciation Society (1993-1995) |
The Dad's Army Appreciation Society is an organisation dedicated to the British television sitcom Dad's Army . It is run by a small group of individuals and has over 1,700 members.
The Dad's Army Appreciation Society was originally formed in February 1990 by David Lovering, a Dad's Army fan, but it was shortly disbanded due to Lovering's work commitments. [1] [2]
Under the title The New Dad's Army Appreciation Society, the present society was founded in 1993 by Tadge Muldoon and Stephanie Castle, two fans of the show, who ran it from their home at Keighley in Yorkshire with the support of Jimmy Perry, and who published a regular newsletter. They organised two public meetings in 1995, the first at The Victory Services Club near London's Marble Arch attended by cast member Colin Bean, and the second at Chalfont St Giles in Buckinghamshire, the location used for Walmington-on-Sea in the 1971 Feature Film based on the show.
In June 1995, on the death of Tadge Muldoon, [3] Bill Pertwee (who played Warden Hodges) and Frank Williams (who played the Vicar), appointed a new C-in-C, Jack Wheeler, a fan of the show, who took on the running of the Society, which at that time had a membership of around 300 members. Annual meetings were established, held each May at Thetford in Norfolk, the location used for Walmington-on-Sea in the television series. In 1998, to mark the 30th anniversary of the 1st episode, which had aired on tv in 1968, the society held its first major convention, at The Oval cricket ground in London, attended by all the surviving cast and crew. [1] The society, in association with the Bressingham Steam Museum, later set up the Dad's Army Collection, which was officially opened on 14 May 2000 by Dad's Army creators Jimmy Perry and David Croft. Thetford (where much of the show was filmed) opened a Dad's Army Museum in 2007. In 2003 the secretary of the society, Tony Pritchard, designed a heritage trail for Dad's Army fans, in part funded through a grant from the European Union. [4]
As of 2009, the society had 1,700 members, [5] [3] having grown from approximately 300-500 members in 1997 and 1998. [6] [7]
In March 1995, Dave Homewood founded a New Zealand branch of the DAAS, which ran for almost ten years. [8] The society published a quarterly magazine, titled Platoon Attention!. [8]
| Position | Person |
|---|---|
| President | Michael Knowles |
| Vice President | Harold Snoad |
| Membership & Enquiries | Tony Pritchard |
| Magazine Items & Enquiries | Paul Carpenter |
| Video and Audio Library | Andrew Biggs |
The society holds many individual events around the country where they show and play rare Dad's Army items and footage. However, there is a main event in May/June when the society members meet up, have the annual society dinner, and go to the Dad's Army Collection at the Bressingham Steam and Gardens.
Events have included a gathering in 1998 at The Oval attended by a number of the original cast (including Clive Dunn and Ian Lavender) as well as the show's writers, Jimmy Perry and David Croft, [9] and a 1998 gathering at Cambridge (New Zealand) attended by Stephen Lowe, the son of the show's Arthur Lowe who played Captain George Mainwaring. [10] More recently, a 2009 gathering was held at Whitmore Hall at which Frank Williams was able to attend and speak to the society's members, [5] and before his death Colin Bean (who played Private Sponge in the series) regularly turned up to events, even though he used a wheelchair at the time. [11] Since then (and from 1998) the Society has arranged annual events based at or around Thetford attended by the writers and cast members, including tours of the restricted Stanta Battle Area used for location filming. The Society organised several events to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Croft and Perry partnership in 2018.
The society publishes a members magazine called Permission To Speak, Sir!. [3] Started by Tadge Muldoon in 1993, [1] it includes society news, society merchandise and Dad's Army items for sale by members. Regular features are "Guest Appearances" and "Letters from Members".
In 2018, the Society published an updated version of the Dad's Army Companion to coincide with the 50th anniversary celebrations.
The Video and Audio Library features a large selection of video and audio items that can be borrowed by members. In December 2020 a special section of the society's website was set aside for fan fiction written by the members, the first submission was made in January 2021 and was entitled Dad’s Army Negotiates Brexit and was by Niles Schilder. [12]
William Desmond Anthony Pertwee, was an English actor and comedian. He is best remembered for playing Chief ARP Warden Hodges in Dad's Army and P.C. Wilson in You Rang, M'Lord?.
It Sticks Out Half a Mile is a British radio sitcom that was first broadcast on BBC Radio 2 from 1983 to 1984. Starring John Le Mesurier, Ian Lavender, Bill Pertwee and Vivienne Martin, the series served as a sequel to the television wartime sitcom Dad's Army, for which writers Harold Snoad and Michael Knowles had previously written radio adaptations.
Harold Edward Snoad was a British television producer, writer and director. He was best known for the television sitcom Keeping Up Appearances, starring Patricia Routledge and Clive Swift. He was also well known for having directed and produced Ever Decreasing Circles starring Richard Briers and Peter Egan, as well as Don't Wait Up starring Tony Britton and Nigel Havers.
James Perry was an English scriptwriter and actor. He devised and co-wrote the BBC sitcoms Dad's Army (1968–1977), It Ain't Half Hot Mum (1974–1981), Hi-de-Hi! (1980–1988) and You Rang, M'Lord? (1988–1993), all with David Croft. Perry co-wrote the theme tune of Dad's Army, "Who Do You Think You Are Kidding, Mr. Hitler?" along with Derek Taverner, for which Perry received an Ivor Novello Award from the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors in 1971.
John Walter Laurence Clegg was an English actor, best known for playing the part of 'La Di Da' Gunner Graham in the BBC sitcom It Ain't Half Hot Mum.
Michael Sydney Knowles is an English actor and scriptwriter who is best known for his roles in BBC sitcoms written by Jimmy Perry and David Croft.
Frank John Williams was an English actor, best known for playing the Reverend Timothy Farthing in the BBC television sitcom Dad's Army (1969–1977).
"The Man and the Hour" is the first episode of the British television sitcom Dad's Army. It was written by Jimmy Perry and David Croft, and was first broadcast on 31 July 1968. It was later adapted for radio.
Private James Frazer is a fictional Home Guard platoon member and undertaker, first portrayed by John Laurie in the BBC television sitcom Dad's Army. He is noted for his catchphrases "We're doomed!" and "Rubbish!"
"My Brother and I" is the second Christmas special of the British television sitcom Dad's Army. It was originally transmitted on Friday, 26 December 1975. The episode features Arthur Lowe in a dual role as his regular role of Captain Mainwaring and as Mainwaring's estranged brother Barry.
Dad's Army is a 1971 British war comedy film and the first film adaptation of the BBC television sitcom Dad's Army (1968–1977). Directed by Norman Cohen, it was filmed between series three and four and was based upon material from the early episodes of the television series. The film tells the story of the Home Guard platoon's formation and their subsequent endeavours at a training exercise. The film version of the television series comprises the following cast members: Arthur Lowe, John Le Mesurier, Clive Dunn, John Laurie, Arnold Ridley, Ian Lavender and James Beck.
Dad's Army: A Nostalgic Music and Laughter Show of Britain's Finest Hour was a 1975 stage adaptation of the BBC sitcom Dad's Army. Following the success of the television programme, the stage show was commissioned by Bernard Delfont in the spring of 1975.
Eric Groves Longworth was a British actor, best known for his semi-regular role in the BBC comedy Dad's Army as Mr. Gordon, the town clerk of Walmington-on-Sea.
Dad's Army is a British television sitcom about the United Kingdom's Home Guard during the Second World War. It was written by Jimmy Perry and David Croft, and originally broadcast on BBC1 from 31 July 1968 to 13 November 1977. It ran for nine series and 80 episodes in total; a feature film released in 1971, a stage show and a radio version based on the television scripts were also produced. The series regularly gained audiences of 18 million viewers and is still shown internationally.
"Cornish Floral Dance" is the third Christmas Night with the Stars sketch from the British comedy series Dad's Army. It was originally transmitted on Christmas Day 1970, and again for the Royal Variety Performance of 1975. The latter still exists. The first version does not, although extracts and the soundtrack survive. It was recorded on 4 December 1970.
The Dad's Army Museum is a museum located in Cage Lane in Thetford in Norfolk, England, dedicated to the BBC comedy series Dad's Army. Many of the outdoor locations were filmed in the local area. The museum is housed in the old fire station at the rear of Thetford Guildhall, which itself stood in for Walmington-on-Sea Town Hall in several of the episodes.
Chief ARP Warden William Hodges, commonly known as "Hodges", is a fictional greengrocer and chief air raid warden first portrayed by Bill Pertwee in the British television sitcom Dad's Army. Created by series writers Jimmy Perry and David Croft, Hodges served as Captain Mainwaring's main rival in the series, and was noted for his catchphrases "Ruddy hooligans!" and "Put that light out!".
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