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Children's Hour was broadcast from 1922 to 1964, originally on the BBC's National Service, latterly on the Home Service. Parts of the programme were also broadcast on the BBC World Service. Within the United Kingdom, Children's Hour was broadcast from 5pm to 6pm on weekdays, this being a time when children could be expected to be home from school, and was aimed at an audience aged about 5 to 15 years: in its earliest years, at least, the concept of the "teenager" had scarcely been invented. Programming was imbued with Reithian virtues, and Children's Hour was often criticised, like "Auntie" BBC herself, for paternalism and middle-class values. It was nonetheless hugely popular, and its presenters were national figures, their voices instantly recognisable.

Among popular series on Children's Hour were:

• Jennings at School
• Just So Stories
• Larry the Lamb
• Nature Parliament
• Out with Romany
• Sherlock Holmes
• Winnie the Pooh

and serialisations of stories by children's authors such as Malcolm Saville, Rosemary Sutcliffe and Arthur RansomeArthur Ransome ( January 18, 1884 June 3, 1967) was a British children's author. He is best known for writing the Swallows and Amazons series of children's books, which tell of school-holiday adventures of children, mostly in the Lake District and Norfolk. Well-known musicians such as Peter Maxwell DaviesSir Peter Maxwell Davies (born September 8, 1934) is a British composer. Biography Davies was born in Salford. He took piano lessons and composed from an early age. After education at Leigh Grammar School, he studied at the University of Manchester and at composed music for the programme.

Among actors and presenters who were famous for their work on Children's Hour work were:

• David Davis
• Carleton Hobbs
• Derek McCulloch (Uncle Mac)
• Jon PertweeJohn Devon Roland Pertwee ( July 7, 1919 May 20, 1996), better known as Jon Pertwee was a British actor. He is best known for his roles in the science fiction television series Doctor Who where he played the third incarnation of the Doctor, and as the tit
• Wilfred Pickles
• Norman ShelleyNorman Shelley ( February 16, 1903 August 22, 1980) was an English actor, best known for his work in radio, in particular for the BBC's Children's Hour''. He also had a recurring role in the long-running radio soap opera The Archers''. Perhaps Shelley's s

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Between the dark and the daylight,
When the night is beginning to lower,
Comes a pause in the day's occupations
That is known as the Children's Hour.