1950s toy advertisement.

February 1957. Leaving the Stanley Black Orchestra behind, and the security that association offered, recently wed Diana Coupland and Monty Norman decided to branch out on their own. For Diana, this included a four-day visit to Belgium as part of a 17 country tour.

The streets of London, February 1957. Including the famous Cable Street.

Continuing my research into Diana Coupland’s career and the entertainment scene of the 1950s - 1970s.

May 1956, Diana Coupland and Monty Norman marry.

Creature from the Black Lagoon had its regional openings today (March 5) in 1954.

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In December 1954 Diana Coupland returned from a two-month tour of the Middle East where she sang for the troops and delivered messages from home. Her trip covered Malta, Benghazi, Tripoli and the Canal Zone.

Diana was the ghost singer for Lana Turner in Betrayed and her current engagements included playing Robin Hood in the pantomime Babes in the Wood, and an appearance on the tv show In Town Tonight.

8 July 1954. Diana Coupland - juke box pioneer. Diana selected to be one of the first artists to feature in this new form of listening.

Diana Coupland’s developing career. From The Stage, 1 July 1954, after a series of concerts, Diana is now a RAF pin-up. And she can cook too!

On 16 June 1954, the Irish Weekly Times summarised Diana Coupland’s career to date.

The “Idiot’s Lantern” - television - benefiting society. From January 1957, a report on The Hurt Mind, a groundbreaking BBC series on mental health.

Throughout 1953 Diana Coupland toured with Stanley Black and his orchestra, and future husband Monty Norman. This item from 13 January 1954 highlights Diana and Monty’s developing romance.

Throughout December 1952 Diana Coupland toured with Cab Calloway. This bill is significant because it also features Monty Norman, who became Diana’s husband.

On 20 October 1952 Diana Coupland appeared in Hit Parade. Television broadcasts still ran from mid-afternoon until around 10.30pm. Two staples of early television began to emerge - boxing and ballet. Note also that the late news was sound only.

This item is from October 1952. In 1951, Diana Coupland featured in London Entertains, a quasi-documentary about London and the entertainment industry. The film featured the Festival of Britain, the Windmill Theatre and a public house, Graftons.

The full television listing for 7 April 1952. Diana Coupland is still a regular on the variety shows. As for television itself, the broadcasting hours are still limited, but the programmes are becoming more varied with “Dangerous Drugs” and “What’s My Line?” featured here.

From November 1951, a murky picture, yet an enlightening one. At this stage, Diana Coupland was already well established as a radio and television star, but she still had to pay her dues by singing with a variety of other performers at upmarket hotels and nightclubs.

By 1951, Diana Coupland had established herself as a singer on radio, so it was only natural that she would branch out into television. This is the full television listing for 14 September 1951.

More on Diana Coupland, from 18 August 1951. She was billed as the “BBC Favourite Singing Star”, an indicator of her status. Top Score and Black Magic were two of her popular radio shows. Note the concession for HM Forces.

I’m charting the early career of singer and actress Diana Coupland.

Born in 1928, at the age of eighteen Diana Coupland was singing full-time at the Mecca Locarno in Leeds. In 1947, Diana moved to London where she became the resident singer at Mecca’s Tottenham Court Ballroom. She also worked at the Dorchester Hotel, the Savoy Hotel, and was a regular on BBC radio shows.