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Celebrating television's This Is Your Life

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THIS IS YOUR LIFE - Elsie Mullock, matron with The Children's Society, was surprised by Eamonn Andrews at the BBC Television Theatre, having been led to believe she was there to assist in a recorded appeal for funds for The Children's Society.

Elsie, who had to look after her younger siblings following the death of their mother, devoted her adult life to the care of homeless boys. She joined the charity The Children's Society and went to work as matron at St Peter's Lodge in Malvern in 1934.

Despite being married with her own child, Elsie cared for the homeless and orphaned boys of St Peter's Lodge for over twenty years. She retired in 1956 and went to live at St Mary's Home, Eastnor, where her daughter - who had previously been her assistant at St Peter's - was housemother.

programme details...

• Edition No: 78
• Subject No: 78
• Broadcast live: Mon 22 Dec 1958
• Broadcast time: 7.30-8.00pm
• Venue: BBC Television Theatre
• Series: 4
• Edition: 13

on the guest list...

• Victor McCulloch
• Joseph Sutton
• Emily Poole - sister
• Freddie Esbester
• Barry Storey
• Capt Barbara Bell - live link
• Roger Weaver
• Ann Badham
• Sydney Parker
• Margaret Hewson
• Frederick Caton - via telephone
• Joyce Tandy - daughter
• 14 children with the housefather Mr Roland Tandy and two assistants from St Mary's Home, Eastnor
Filmed tribute:
• Ronnie Smith

production team...

• Researchers: Peter Moore, Ronald Vivian
• Writers: Peter Moore, Ronald Vivian
• Director: Vere Lorrimer
• Producer: T Leslie Jackson

• with thanks to Andrew Jackson for his contribution of photographs to this page on behalf of Elsie Mullock's niece, the late Mrs I M Jackson

A Charitable Life

the unsung heroes

Photographs of Elsie Mullock This Is Your Life

Malvern Gazette 24 December 2008

TV surprise for matron

THE former matron of St Peter's Home, Malvern, Mrs Elsie Mullock, was the surprised guest of the popular TV show This Is Your Life, reported the Gazette 50 years ago.

The show, presented "Mrs Mullock, who was matron of St Peter's Home, Malvern, from 1934 until 1956, when her husband died, had many surprises, including messages and presents from old boys now overseas," read the report.

Mrs Mullock's work at St Peter's was described as something which gave boys a real home and a mother.

Mrs Mullock now worked at St Mary's Home in Easthor, run by her daughter and son-in-law, and the boys and staff of that home made their way to the BBC studio in London to appear in the programme.