91热爆

October Letters

Life on Earth

If there are any 91热爆 alumni that worked on the original Life on Earth series, or were affiliated with the production, could you please contact william.deans@bbc.com at the Natural History Unit, as we would love to hear your stories.

September Letters

Even within its centenary year, the 91热爆 has been celebrating many other anniversaries. One of these last November was the 50th anniversary of the founding of 91热爆 Radio Carlisle, now 91热爆 Cumbria.

Despite being widely separated across the UK, four of the original 91热爆 newsroom team got together on 25 July for a reunion in Aberdeenshire.

The hosts for the evening were Arthur Anderson and his wife Andrea, and the group managed to lay down their glasses of good cheer long enough for the photograph. 

Arthur Anderson

May Letters

Woofferton remembered

Good to be reminded of Woofferton...

This was my first posting after the A2 Course at Evesham in 1971/2. WOF taught me many things:

鈥� how to ride a bicycle

鈥� how to drive a tractor

鈥� exactly where to kick the HT cabinets of the BD272 to free a 鈥楽ticky Dipper鈥�, and

鈥� how to brew a drinkable pot of tea for the rest of the shift staff.

Also, mushroom spotting from the 200ft mast with binoculars and r/t to guide the rest of the rigging team to patches of mushrooms prior to a fry-up in the rigger鈥檚 hut.

In 1972, decimalisation happened, and a pint at the Salway Arms was still half a crown as the till could not cope!

Greetings to all survivors who will admit to remembering me.

Peter Chamberlain

A smoking incident

As the no-smoking bill passes through parliament, I am reminded of an incident in the days (late 1960s) when smoking was allowed in 91热爆 premises.

The location was the Production Control Room (PCR) of Lime Grove Studio G. G was in a bad state. The wooden floors had cracks in them, with flammable dust and litter in the space underneath.

Bill Cotton Jr (then Head of something鈥�Variety?) was seated at the back of the PCR, watching the proceedings, and smoking a cigar. When it was finished, he tossed the butt towards the waste bin. It missed and fell through a crack in the floor. A curl of smoke rose through the crack and continued for some minutes. All eyes waited for a burst of flame.

Fortunately, a fire did not start, which might have brought about the destruction of Lime Grove several years earlier than its demolition in 1993.

Ray Liffen

February Letters

In search of Nick Hunt

With a 50th anniversary reunion looming mid-March, I've been asked to find Nicholas (Nick) Hunt, b 1955/6, a former pupil of Kenilworth Grammar School. The last information I have on him is that he was working in the 91热爆 Sound Archives in the late 1970s. A long shot I know, with such a common name and so little information, but I'm hoping someone somewhere may be able to provide a lead. Thank you for taking the time to read this. Please contact alyscambray@gmail.com with any information.

November Letters

Can you help?

Sue Bonner/JFK assassination

Did anyone here work at the 91热爆 newsroom in Alexandra Palace on the day Kennedy was assassinated? If so, I would particularly like to hear from you because I am preparing a 'eulogy' for Sue Bonner's funeral, and would love to hear from anyone who remembers her at Ally Pally and even if they don't remember Sue, I wonder what the atmosphere was like in that newsroom that grimly memorable day.

Please contact HuSyskes@aol.com

Joe Latham painting

One of our readers has a painting by Joe Latham, who was in charge of studio managers in London BH during the 60s and 70s.  The painting is of the Langham Hotel where Radio Training was located then.  The reader would like to reunite the painting with Joe's family.  

If you can help, please contact Sue at contactsuewilson@gmail.com.

91热爆 Film Club: short film training course circa 1984

I wonder if any of your readers can help me.

I joined 91热爆 Studio Capital Projects Department at the end of 1974 and retired through redundancy in 2003.

In my retirement, I have been catching up with home projects neglected whilst I was working. One of them is to view, catalogue and have digitally scanned my Super 8 cine films of my family from 1977 to 2006.

In the same box as my Super 8 reels, I found an edited 16mm film created as a project during a short 91热爆 Film Club film production course. I think there were just three Film Club members on the course: myself, one other male and one female, though their names escape me.

In fact, there were two films as part of the project. The one I have was most probably shot outside around a fire escape staircase at the old 91热爆 Elstree Film Studios (I don鈥檛 have a 16mm projector or editor to fully check the content).

The other film was shot in a local park; I鈥檓 not sure which one. The scenario was of a course member who came to sit at a park bench, next to another member of the Film Club who was already sitting on the bench with an apple next to him. I think I played one of these two roles. The first man walked away without the apple, and the second one picked it up, ate it, stood up to walk away and keeled over dead, as it was obviously poisoned. I鈥檓 sure this must also have been edited.

I also have vague memories of the three of us discussing another possible short project, possibly involving the village Red Lodge in Norfolk.

Unfortunately I was unable to attend any more of the Film Club events because I started working on a studio project and was out of the country for an extended period, I think in Northern Ireland, which would date the film course to 1984.

If the two other people on the course are reading this, or if someone who knows of them 鈥� perhaps someone involved in arranging Film Club events at the time 鈥� sees this letter, I would appreciate a reply, and I could then share the film scan with interested parties.

Of course, if the second film has survived and turns up, I鈥檇 be very pleased to see a scan of that one!

Tim Moore

Malcolm Sargent

Sue Booth鈥檚 memories of Malcolm Sargent鈥檚 early days reminded me of one of my own encounters with the great man.

As a newly qualified SM and on occasional attachments to Domestic Presentation under Andrew Timothy or John Snagge, I had always let it be known that I had a keen interest in classical music. Indeed, I often volunteered to announce the occasional Promenade Concerts from the famous 91热爆 box among the first tier of seats in the Albert Hall.

Of course, the star attraction in those days was always Sir Malcolm鈥檚 own performances, with the famous carnation in his buttonhole, and the accompanying immaculate white tie and tails. Once or twice I even managed to wangle a brief interview with the maestro at his flat in Albert Hall Mansions behind the hall, but always under the eye of his watchful close friend and confidante, Sylvia Darley.

My last such visit, in 1967, was a poignant occasion when Sir Malcolm was almost on his deathbed. I ventured a touch of boastful humour to lighten the mood, and knowing the importance of timing in broadcasting to such a perfectionist, I boasted of my own pride in managing to time Sir Malcolm鈥檚 appearance at the podium to match almost exactly my words which heralded his arrival on stage. 鈥楴ot a bit of it,鈥� Sargent explained. 鈥榃e have a small radio loudspeaker under the stage which picks up your every word. At the moment your commentary hints at my imminent appearance, I leap onto the rostrum, baton at the ready, absolutely ready to begin the concert.鈥�

Peter DorlingSue Booth鈥檚 memories of Malcolm Sargent鈥檚 early days reminded me of one of my own encounters with the great man.

As a newly qualified SM and on occasional attachments to Domestic Presentation under Andrew Timothy or John Snagge, I had always let it be known that I had a keen interest in classical music. Indeed, I often volunteered to announce the occasional Promenade Concerts from the famous 91热爆 box among the first tier of seats in the Albert Hall.

Of course, the star attraction in those days was always Sir Malcolm鈥檚 own performances, with the famous carnation in his buttonhole, and the accompanying immaculate white tie and tails. Once or twice I even managed to wangle a brief interview with the maestro at his flat in Albert Hall Mansions behind the hall, but always under the eye of his watchful close friend and confidante, Sylvia Darley.

My last such visit, in 1967, was a poignant occasion when Sir Malcolm was almost on his deathbed. I ventured a touch of boastful humour to lighten the mood, and knowing the importance of timing in broadcasting to such a perfectionist, I boasted of my own pride in managing to time Sir Malcolm鈥檚 appearance at the podium to match almost exactly my words which heralded his arrival on stage. 鈥楴ot a bit of it,鈥� Sargent explained. 鈥榃e have a small radio loudspeaker under the stage which picks up your every word. At the moment your commentary hints at my imminent appearance, I leap onto the rostrum, baton at the ready, absolutely ready to begin the concert.鈥�

Peter Dorling

October Letters

Poetic Licence

I鈥檝e been retired many years now. I thought I鈥檇 do mainly one thing 鈥� play golf 鈥� but that morphed into many things.  Who鈥檇 have thought I could be so fecund. Not me! I didn鈥檛 even know that stuff was there. Fifteen years on and I still daydream, soaked in reflections. They鈥檙e a vital part of retirement. Like spontaneous eruptions in perspective.  As in the memory of a poem I had not read since English classes in grammar school. I was lucky, I had good English teachers. They liked poetry; therefore I liked poetry.  One teacher had us in turns read a stanza of whatever poem we were currently studying. One of those poems was John Masefield鈥檚 鈥楽ea Fever鈥�. At the gentle age of 15 I had a misplaced confidence in my histrionic ability.  When it came my turn, I enthusiastically read:

I must go down to the seas again, for the call of the running tide 

Is a wild call and a clear call that may not be denied; 

And all I ask is a windy day with the white clouds flying, 

And the flung spray and the blown spume, and the sea-gulls crying.

But when I hit the last line, the whole class, including the girls, burst into fits of laughter. Being somewhat perplexed, I looked up at the teacher and said 鈥榃hy are they laughing sir, what did I say?鈥�  鈥業t鈥檚 all right Anderson,鈥� he said, going slightly red himself, 鈥楯ust continue with the next verse.鈥�

With bruised confidence I reluctantly read on but then quietly asked a friend beside me on the long bench seat, 鈥榃hat did I say?鈥�. Still choking on tears of suppressed laughter, he spluttered, 鈥楾hat last line, you said 鈥淎nd the flung spray and the blown sperm, and the sea-gulls crying鈥�.鈥� Shocked, I never sought to read again, though I have to say I seemed to rise in the esteem of my classmates, including the girls.

Then came along one of the greatest poems in the English language: 鈥楢n Ode To Autumn鈥� by John Keats.  I was a year older but there was no reading this time.  I never forgot it, but then I did, for some 60 years.

Reading it again, that poem hit me with all the freshness of a 16 year old. Keats wrote it when he was only 23.  Generous and exuberant as it was towards nature, it hid a personal anxiety that turbo-charged both him and the poem. He knew he was dying...autumn was closing in.  His 鈥榯eeming brain鈥� was retiring forever. He died at age 25 in 1821 of tuberculosis. And now, just over 200 years later, that poem resonates with an anxiety I never felt some 60 years ago. Gentle, romantic and soporific, it is not.  It鈥檚 now screaming:

鈥極WED鈥� TO KEATS鈥� AUTUMN

I never knew you, you died young 

All the seasons saw it come 

But Autumn asked you with a sigh 

Tell my story before l die

Rich it must have been to hold 

Words of fire all trimmed with gold 

A footprint to our future task

Shaped on nature鈥檚 healing last

For there鈥檚 a warning in a dream

It makes no sense so it would seem 

That Autumn鈥檚 dazzling dance of flair 

Crawls back to silence everywhere

Terry Anderson

September Letters

John Reith鈥檚 colleagues

Some years ago, Prospero published a photo of five men who were with John Reith at Savoy Hill. Two of them were unidentified. The one in the middle at the back is Richard Charles Pratt. I did not reply immediately because I wanted his surviving daughter to confirm. However, she died before I got an answer and I, stupidly, didn鈥檛 take it any further. I am sure the other unidentified man is not my Uncle Charlie.

Richard Charles Pratt, when I first knew him, was Orchestra Manager for the 91热爆. I was told he had been with Reith and had been Uncle Richard in Newcastle Children鈥檚 Hour. He was also in Cardiff, where his family 鈥� Irish Roman Catholics 鈥� lived. There was some problem in Cardiff (rumour had it it was his Catholicism), and Reith brought him back to London and gave him a job as Orchestra Manager.

Originally he had hoped to be a musician, but during WWI he was a motor despatch rider, was gassed and lost part of his thumb. He had a pension for the rest of his life 鈥� something like sixpence a week. (He did play the organ for the wedding of one of my sisters in 1949 鈥� though in a CofE Church.)

When I knew him, he was managing the 91热爆 Symphony Orchestra and organising their concerts and the Proms. He retired around 1944 but was called back around 1946 to help as the bomb had blown up all the documents about musicians and there was no way of verifying people鈥檚 claims that they鈥檇 been in an orchestra 鈥� his memory was used to ascertain the truth.

One of my memories is of Sir Malcom Sergeant calling on him when he and his family were living down the road from us in Ipswich.

I can鈥檛 believe the Corporation has been on air for nearly 100 years.

Sue Booth

August Letters

Can you help?

Professor Adam Sisman is writing an authorised biography of the late Lord Briggs (Asa Briggs), and should be interested to hear from any former 91热爆 employee who had dealings with him over his multi-volume 91热爆 history. Please write to him at this email address: as@adamsisman.com.

Colour Comes to Town

I am grateful to Chris Harding for confirming that there was no VTR on the Colour Comes to Town truck. What a large area of the country was covered by Chris and his crew. It is easy to forget how much promotion was given to the new colour service 鈥� indeed, my parents bought a huge all transistor colour TV so they could watch Wimbledon in colour.

My first broadcast technical experience of the new service was when the Cintel 16mm flying spot TK machine was installed for 91热爆 South for South Today with Tarrif colour correction, followed a bit later by two EMI 2001 colour cameras. I remember that a separate colour video switch was needed to bypass the vision mixer as the mixer was monochrome only. This remained until the whole system was colourised.

Garth Jeffery

John Rooney repsonse

I had a good response to the 鈥榮hout out鈥� that was published in the last Prospero (June print issue and March online update). That was to find John Rooney, the producer of A Tribute to 60 Years Of 91热爆 Outside Broadcasts. Ex Kendal Avenue, Howard Arnall, got in touch and said that he was co-ordinator on the production and remembered picking up John from the train, which arrived from Manchester, but he couldn鈥檛 find any contact details.

Then Alan Jessop, another ex Kendal Avenue engineer, sent me an email saying that he was the cameraperson on the production. Amazingly, Alan still had John鈥檚 mobile number. I phoned John who was very helpful. He thought that he had a digibeta copy and spent the weekend in his attic, but failed to find it. But at least we had the VHS copy and the guys at 91热爆 South West made the best copy possible. I was able to use clips in the tribute to Peter Dimmock, which I produced. The tribute is now available on the 91热爆 History website at /programmes/p0fw3c9c.

We did have a showing at New Broadcasting House just before the Coronation in May. Peter鈥檚 widow, Christabel Dimmock, and his three daughters attended. Tim Davie wrote a letter, which was read out before the showing, praising the work Peter did in building a mass audience for TV in the 1950s and 60s.

Nick Gilbey

 July Letters

Producer Choice

Reading the correspondence concerning Producer Choice reminds me of the discussions I had with my colleagues at the time. Before then, the majority of staff were programme makers first and foremost 鈥� regardless of which department they worked for, what their own skillset was, and whether they were in front of (or behind) the lens/mic. That being the case, most of us often came into work on days off, stayed on after scheduled hours, took work home to consider, adjust and amend, and were not just happy to do so, but keen to ensure that the programme we were working on was to be produced to the highest standards possible.

However, once every drawing pin, staple and paperclip had to be accounted for and costed for (both its price and keeping it on a shelf or in a drawer for a period of time, plus the amount to pay staff for overseeing the necessary paperwork for these items 鈥� you get my drift!), enthusiasm, energy, creativity and stamina became eroded and exhausted. Disillusionment set in, not to mention a drop in productivity.

I chose redundancy when it was offered and worked as a freelance lighting cameraman. I often worked on 91热爆 productions with producers and directors I鈥檇 worked with whilst a member of staff, and one particular phone call encapsulates the sorry state of those left 鈥榳ithin鈥�.

I was asked to do a shoot and happily accepted, but when I quoted my fee, the poor director said he couldn鈥檛 pay that amount. When I simply reiterated that that was my fee, he wailed that the production manager wouldn鈥檛 pay that much and that if I didn鈥檛 do it, he鈥檇 have to work with the appalling crew he鈥檇 had previously who weren鈥檛 up to the job (but who were almost half my price). No, I didn鈥檛 do it.

So, no choice for a producer at the end of the day. The whole resulting scenario epitomises the phrase which I think is attributed to Oscar Wilde, whose definition of a cynic is: someone who knows the price of everything and the value of nothing.

Tony Grant

Can you help?

The hunt for Return Journey

I wonder if any readers might be able to help me locate any information, or even a script, of a programme produced by Stephen Potter as part of his Return Journey series in the 1940s.

The novelist Elizabeth Bowen was the second subject, with a programme on Hythe and the Romney Marshes first broadcast on 6 January 1946, repeated 21 March 1946.

If you need more information, or have anything to share, please contact me at: diana.hirst2022@outlook.com

Diana Hirst

A wartime chorus 鈥� did you hear it?

I am a research student trying to find information about the African-American choir of the 923rd Engineer Aviation Regiment 鈥� a segregated unit based in East Anglia from 1942-1945. The 923rd built most of the airfields used by American bombing regiments during the war, and the choir formed when the men were working. Their singing was heard by the local community and became so popular that they performed at local events and then toured the UK. They sang at the Royal Albert Hall in Sept 1943 to an audience of military personnel and the media. This performance was broadcast live on 28 September 1943 on the 91热爆 radio For the Forces service.

I would very much like to hear from anyone who has any memory of either the choir or the broadcast, or anyone who heard about it from a friend or relative. If you have anything you鈥檇 like to share, please contact me by email: jyoung.historyenquiry@gmail.com

Joel Young

May Letters

Do you remember Fred Crombie?

Fred Cromie was with 91热爆 Aerials Section of Transmitters Department and was responsible for the vhf/fm and tv aerial installations on the many small outstations being built to improve 91热爆 coverage in the 1960's.

Fred is 92 years old, has lost his eyesight and has recently had a stroke. His only family are far away in the Southern Hemisphere .

Are any old hands out there who would remember the old days pre- digital. (and pre- Health and Safety !!).

Fred is in a nursing home where he is quite comfortable but somewhat bored. When I visit him he likes to keep up to date with current affairs, scandals, foreign wars and the price of everything. I read the Daily Telegraph to him.

If you remember Fred from the 91热爆 or Australian Broadcasting (he worked in Singapore at one time) Fred would like to hear from you.

Send your news to me, John Peacocke, at john0022430@gmail.com and I will print up and read to Fred and pass on to his daughters so far away.

I am sure that, by now, there is a statute of limitations covering misdeeds carried out so long ago.

91热爆 local visitor Linda Graham keeps us in touch , but a link to past glory days is what we need just now.

Many thanks.

John Peacocke

Do you know John Burder?

Unfortunately John is extremely ill, but his friend Jonathan Clegg is trying to track down some of his 91热爆 friends and colleagues, which, he says, 鈥榳ould mean the world to him in the short time he has left with us鈥�.

Jonathan says, 鈥楤ased on his serious condition, sadly l feel he doesn't have very long left at all and it鈥檚 heartbreaking for us all.鈥�

John Burder started at the 91热爆 working as the editor of the first episode of Doctor Who. He joined the 91热爆 at the time David Attenborough was filming Zoo Quest and worked on Dad鈥檚 Army, the Queen鈥檚 Christmas Message and much more. After leaving the 91热爆 he went to make films and direct small, intimate autobiographic films with many stars such as David Niven, when he briefly lived with him in Cap Ferrat. He made films with Vincent Price, Tommy Steele, Peter Ustinov, Rex Harrison, Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers etc.

In this YouTube video, John sets out how he came to work for the 91热爆:

If you knew John and would like to get in touch, please contact Jonathan at: j@f2s.com

Memories of Producer Choice

John Malby鈥檚 letter in February鈥檚 Prospero reminded me of those unsettling times when John Birt introduced us to Producer Choice. I remember thinking at the time 鈥榊es, he鈥檚 right, we have no idea of how much our programmes are costing, but most of us joined the 91热爆 to create programmes, we are not trained to budget them.鈥�

I was working for Network Radio in Bristol at the time and these are my personal memories, written some 20 years later:

鈥楴ow, there had been talk of the 91热爆 offering redundancies way back in March 1994, but everything seemed to be going so well I didn鈥檛 consider it. Two years later it seemed like a good idea. I鈥檇 run out of inspiration for new programme ideas. At that same time at Radio 4, the faecal matter collided with the fan.

We were summoned to Peter Everett鈥檚 to hear some astounding news. As I explained earlier, our leader John Birt had brought in 鈥榯ransparent accounting鈥� and all departments had to balance their books. The Head of Radio 4, Michael Green, had proudly announced that at the end of the current financial year we had achieved this. But then, the bombshell Peter was about to explode, shattered us. An accountant pointed out that, yes the books were perfect for Radio 4 FM, but what about paying for the transmissions solely on Radio 4 Long Wave? Programmes such as 鈥楾est Match Special鈥� and the daily church service. They had not been accounted for in the annual budget.

I asked what we were talking about, how many thousands of pounds were we out? I can still see Peter wearily shaking his head and quite simply saying many millions, the axe has to fall somewhere. It was obvious to me where it would fall. We would suffer in Bristol for daring to take on London too many times. I was right.

I volunteered to go. To be honest I鈥檇 had enough. The atmosphere in the department already depressed me. Others felt insecure too. A lot of the fun was missing 鈥� and then there was the family back home in Nottingham to consider.

So, after more than 27 years as a member of staff at the 91热爆, I was about to go it alone. Many of us felt that our creativity had become stifled under the leadership of the 91热爆鈥檚 Director-General, John Birt and now I was free of all the monetary constraints and form-filling. Many said they were envious of me. I was about to turn 50 and needed a new direction.

That direction was to be joining as a presenter at 91热爆 Radio Derby.

Which brings me to another point.

John Malby said how much he had enjoyed David Hendy鈥檚 The 91热爆, a People鈥檚 History. I totally concur. It is a well written, fine and well researched book. But not a comprehensive record of the 91热爆 and a people鈥檚 history. What about the important part that local radio played? It is not mentioned.

Frank Gillard鈥檚 passion for introducing a community service not only became a way of life for millions of listeners, but as we discovered, for a high number of them this was the only way they ever used the 91热爆. They regarded our other services as not catering for their needs and they only watched ITV. The 91热爆 needed to justify the licence fee for everyone, and this gave us a valuable argument to claim that we were catering for all.

If you want to read about the important role 91热爆 local radio played, may I guide you towards This is the 91热爆 Holmes Service by John Holmes. I believe it gives a fine insight into its birth and success; but then I would, wouldn鈥檛 I?

John Holmes

April Letters

First use of Profile

In response to Ross Archer鈥檚 article in the February issue of Prospero, Richard Whyte writes:

Actually the first Profile in use in the 91热爆 was in Wales. It was used for deferred transmissions, i.e. delayed txms, and playout of promos/trailers. It went into use sometime in 1996 and was driven by Omnibus automation software. I developed, designed and managed the installation before I left the 91热爆 in spring 1997.

March Letters

Reg Cranfield - information request 

I鈥檓 trying to track down any information about an actor/extra by the name of Reg Cranfield. He was the very first person to appear in Doctor Who, 60 years ago this November, and made brief appearances in a large number of films between the early 60s and the early 80s. I suspect he might have passed away in the 1980s.

The biographical information on the Internet Movie Database is completely inaccurate, lifted wholesale from a spoof article written around his appearances in Doctor Who. He may have spent his latter years living in the Reading area (as a fellow extra recalled). I鈥檝e contacted the families of a dozen Reginald Cranfields but they鈥檝e all been the 鈥榳rong鈥� ones. So I鈥檝e reached a bit of a dead end, which is frustrating as I鈥檇 planned to write about him and his small but significant role in Doctor Who.

So I was wondering if Prospero readers had any information on the mysterious Reg? I鈥檇 be hugely grateful for any assistance.

If you have any information, please contact me at colin.brockhurst@gmail.com.

Colin Brockhurst

EIC鈥檚 chitty

Seeing the item from Celia Marks (Prospero February/March) reminded me of a similar problem in a way, but unfortunately not with an EIC chitty to help with the outcome.

I was at the time a film traffic supervisor, working 9am to 9pm on the AP shift pattern. My office was in the East Tower at TV Centre.

I had just spent a week up in North Yorkshire, enjoying the food, the scenery, and the peace and tranquillity. It was so quiet 鈥� just the occasional sheep bleating.

On my first morning back in the office, I had just settled down to what I hoped would be a quiet weekend when suddenly all hell broke loose 鈥� somebody had let rip with a hammer drill somewhere below me.

I phoned Premises Operations, struggling to hear what was being said. 鈥業s it affecting transmission?鈥�, I was asked. I had to be honest and say 鈥楴o鈥�. Their answer was 鈥楽orry, no, we can鈥檛 do anything about it鈥�. Oh for the peace of the North Yorkshire Moors.

Neville Withers

Not so lucky

Celia Marks recollection of the power of the EIC chitty to silence the Rolling Stones reminds me of something similar.

We were making a period drama in the New Forest and I was running up the VT machine to go for a take when sound supervisor Ian Leiper called a halt.

Somewhere deep in the forest he could hear a chainsaw 鈥� not very period. The SM was dispatched to find the culprit and have a word. A 拢20 note changed hands and for the whole day we got on with the recording with no interruptions.

The next day we started again, and again, just as we were going for a take, we heard chainsaws erupting all over the forest. Clearly our friend from yesterday had gone down to the pub and told everybody how to earn an easy 拢20!

Ian Rutter

Producer Choice

I was interested to read of John Malbay鈥檚 experiences of dealing with Producer Choice at Pebble Mill in the February issue of Prospero.

I was working for Drama Plays Department at the time and remember well the self-inflicting damage that was being imposed in the name of progress. Prior to the introduction of Producer Choice, I and many others throughout Television Centre were interviewed by management consultants from McKinsey & Company. We were told they needed to understand how the 91热爆 worked so that they could come up with plans to increase cost effectiveness and transparency.

At the time, a close friend of mine was working in a minor capacity for McKinsey, and I complained to her that the proposals being put forward were patently destructive. She was not connected in any way with the teams working on the 91热爆 account, but she said to me that I was not in a position to know what brief had been given to McKinsey & Company. She said that it was possible the brief had not been to make the 91热爆 more cost effective, but to create a structure and atmosphere that would enable mass redundancies. If this was indeed the case (and of course I don鈥檛 know if it was), then it was certainly successful.

Chris Cameron

OB broadcasts at 60 鈥� can you help?

I am wondering if the readers of Prospero might be able solve the mystery of who produced a video celebrating 60 years of 91热爆 TV outside broadcasts?

I have a VHS copy, but understandably it is not high quality. A search in the 91热爆 Archive did not find any reference to the production. The video was commissioned in 1997 by the then Head of Resources, Jeff Baker. I have spoken to Howard Arnall, ex 91热爆 Kendal Ave., who advised on the production. Howard remembered that the interviews were filmed at Brooklands Museum and that the producer/assistant came down from Manchester for the filming. The name, John Rooney, is thanked by Jeff Baker for his help on the production. I haven鈥檛 been able to find any contact details for John Rooney. My suspicion is that the video was produced by an independent production company based in Manchester.

Any information about the production would be very welcome. Please contact me on nick@mcr21.org.uk or telephone 07831 219957.

Nick Gilbey

Colour Comes to Town

Garth Jeffery鈥檚 Memories (Prospero, February 2023) prompted me to write and confirm that there was no VT involved in Colour Comes to Town. I was the engineer in charge of the mobile telecine and slide scanner which provided all the test signals, test card F, slides and films for the tour.

We took charge of the mobile Cintel 35mm Telecine on 22 August and had to replace 78 valves to get it working. The TK always took time to stabilise and match the three RGB channels, so we always had to start two hours before each show. Our first trip was a trial run to Northampton County Show. We then visited three transmitting stations to test their colour ability: Crystal Palace, Pontop Pike and then Kirk of Shotts, in that order.

Colour Comes to Town started in Croydon Fairfield Hall on 23 September, then moved to Bournmouth Pavilion and then Alexandra Palace 鈥� where we had our first real problem. The mains voltage supplied was low so our static three-phase converter would not work until we held the TK run button in and mechanically cranked the mechanism to run a film.

We then travelled to Birmingham, where we were parked in the basement of the Bull Ring. Here the problem was a puncture, causing the vehicle to tilt and the TK to shut down because the mercury relays switched off. We had to find a heavy-duty jack before we could show anything other than colour bars.

Next were Newcastle, Manchester, Leeds and finally Glasgow Maclellan Galleries. The only parking available was on a 1-in-8 hill, so the front of the vehicle was lifted up onto a pile of sleepers and was 5ft up to get the vehicle level. We had to use a ladder to get in. We finished on 23 December and arrived back at BH on Christmas Eve.

We had worked 10-hour days, six days a week and travelled on Sundays, but thoroughly enjoyed the experience. The films we were licensed to show were: Something Good to Eat, North Sea Gas, Land Reclamation, Rival World, Power Boat 66, Banks of Clyde, Beauty in Trust and Journey into the Weald of Kent.

Chris Harding

January Letters

Sports Report 鈥� a 75th anniversary history

The recent media hoo-ha over the 91热爆鈥檚 controversial decision to scrap the classified football results at 5pm on Saturdays threw a welcome spotlight on the world鈥檚 longest-running sports programme, Sports Report.

In the week that Sports Report celebrates its 75th anniversary, Mark Chapman looks back at the history of the programme.  You can listen to 75 years of Sports Report on 91热爆 Sounds (available for 23 days from 2 January 2023).

December Letters

Memories of Producer Choice

Having joined the 91热爆 in 1963, I really enjoyed reading David Hendy鈥檚 recently published book 鈥楾he 91热爆 a Peoples History鈥� covering the one hundred years from its inception in 1922. The publishers have kindly agreed for me to include a few selected paragraphs and sentences from this book, to which I have included some of my own memories and experiences of the time when producer Choice was initiated.

In 1987, when Michael Checkland was promoted from the 91热爆鈥檚 Senior Financial Officer to Director General, it prompted the quote amongst some staff that 鈥榳e are all accountants now鈥�. Little did we know then what the future held and how things were about to change. But then in1992, John Birt succeeded Michael Checkland and became the new DG. Birt, unlike Checkland was noticed by everyone as an Armani and Gucci-loafers man. His status as an outsider made him, in his own words 鈥榓s welcome as a Protestant made Pope鈥�. He had previously reorganised News and Current affairs across TV and radio into one new directorate and was however now poised to introduce a second wave, even more sweeping than the first. Although the Corporation had gone through a history of cost cutting and job losses during the Thatcher years and John Major was then PM, Birt was intent on persuading the government that the 91热爆 really was seen to be reforming itself.

Cue, 鈥楶roducer Choice鈥� which rather appropriately came into effect on April Fools鈥� Day 1993. From my own experience in Communications Department at Pebble Mill, I saw the building fill up with offices of administrative staff, all processing invoices from the many recently formed, internal individual business units, who were required to charge each other for their services. We all had to pay a nominal amount towards the building鈥檚 overheads, depreciation on the cost of our own capital equipment and also a cost for the 鈥榬eturn of capital employed鈥� and so it went on. The money, apart from some external charges, was in effect just travelling in circles around the building! My own job, which amongst other things, originally involved site visits and planning, to organise communication facilities for television outside broadcasts, suddenly changed. I spent most of my time preparing costings, generating invoices, and endeavouring to master the mysteries of a new integrated computer system that had recently been installed. We had meetings to choose a 鈥楳ission Statement鈥� and soon employed a Pebble Mill accountant who would visit me (and others) each month and request financial predictions for the department鈥檚 income for the coming month. Since a significant part of our work was for sport and these OBs were only decided upon at short notice, this was an impossible task. Fortunately, we had some fixed income from our contract with local television news, which helped somewhat, however any provision of facilities outside the norm would involve sometimes acrimonious discussions with production staff, who were themselves trying to manage their own budget. There would of course be the inevitable discussion with the accountant the following month, as to why our predictions of income, for the month past had not been met. Then of course more predictions for the next month. This was hardly an enjoyable time.

Before Producer Choice, Communications Departments had established an excellent working relationship with London and the other regions. However, because inevitably OBs did not occur evenly throughout the country, it was reasonable and cost effective for regions to call upon each other for resource assistance as and when necessary. This cooperation suddenly almost came to an end with each region closely guarding its own patch and possibly resourcing OBs in not the most cost-effective way, but that is what Producer Choice did to us all.

The Corporation was now being micro-managed from DG level downwards. The economies of scale that the 91热爆 had enjoyed for decades evaporated overnight. By the end of the decade more than 10,000 employees were either made redundant or had 鈥榯ransferred out鈥� to the independent sector. To make matters worse creative and support staff were disappearing fast and being replaced by hundreds of administrators and advisers. Fortunately, the programme makers during this time, continued to do what they thought was right and managed to keep the 91热爆 moving forward. There must be so many more memories of Producer Choice, good or bad, from other retired staff and I do wonder what the consensus of opinion might be, but I have tried to relate just a few of my own in this article.

I am unsure if Producer Choice really removed the 91热爆 from the government鈥檚 radar and was a necessary evil, or was the cure actually worse than the disease? Perhaps the fact that Producer Choice was quietly dropped a few years after I retired, says it all.

John Malby

100 years

I joined the 91热爆 in 1962 as an operational engineer at AP, transferring to the English regions in 1966. I have many memories of the 91热爆 over the years but three personal ones spring to mind.

The first was working in News TK at AP during the night of the opening of 91热爆 Two. We were on standby to run feature films to cover the power failure at TVC. I remember our only 35mm TK machine on standby. In the end, it turned out we were not required.

The other was working on the 鈥楥olour Comes to Town鈥� OB truck when I was based at 91热爆 South to promote the start of the 91热爆 colour service. Tech support was requested from the ops crew of 91热爆 South, then based at South Western House in Southampton. As I had knowledge of TK, I joined the team. I remember setting out 25" Decca CTV 25 TVs in the Winter Gardens at Bournemouth and also the Fairfield Halls in Croydon to show colour films. Power Boats 66 and Cooking on Gas are two that come to mind. I think that there was also Quad VTR on the OB truck. The Decca TVs were heavy and always needed convergence adjustment to align the colour dots (shadow mask tube) as well as white balance.

Finally, at Newcastle I was asked to organise the broadcast of the first Great North Run in 1981. As a small regional station we had to beg or borrow equipment to cover this race, which was a large OB for us to handle in those days. It required a lot of tech assistance and kit from many sources such as 91热爆 News, 91热爆 Manchester and even Tyne Tees TV!

Happy days!

Garth Jeffery

November Letters

Chitty chitty rock 鈥榥鈥� roll

A few editions ago you were asking for suggestions of objects, equipment and memorabilia which featured significantly in our days at the 91热爆鈥�

Please can I nominate a late addition to the memorabilia which formed part of 91热爆 broadcasting life in earlier decades? This one is more ephemeral than microphones, mixers, etc, so I doubt if any survive, but let鈥檚 not forget them. I nominate 鈥榯he EIC鈥檚 chitty鈥� 鈥� sent out to try and prevent cleaners, builders and others from spoiling live radio broadcasts with extraneous noise.

I remember a magnificently notable slip of paper I had to deliver in the spring of 1965.

I joined the 91热爆 as a studio manager in 1964, and one afternoon during my training spell at BH in London, I was allocated to a live Schools鈥� geography broadcast in a basement studio. There was a live presenter and some tricky tape inserts. During rehearsal, we heard odd thumping from some distance away, so we did our transmission check with Control Room early, and asked if the TO could hear it. 鈥榊es鈥� I鈥檒l send you a chitty.鈥� It arrived, and I was despatched to seek out the source and tell them to stop. This little slip of paper 鈥� the EIC鈥檚 chitty 鈥� was an order!

As I approached the biggest studio in the basement, I was intercepted by a 91热爆 commissionaire who looked at the chitty, laughed and held the fire door open for me. The next fire door had a policeman complete with helmet barring the way, but the commissionaire told him to let me through鈥� and suddenly I realised what was going on! The Rolling Stones were recording a hard negotiated session for the 91热爆 and it was their drumming 鈥� not just breaking through the a/c ducts, but actually making the walls reverberate down the corridor!

My senior colleague in the cubicle simply said, 鈥業 wondered how long before this would happen. I鈥檝e been telling Mick his foldback speaker is far too loud, but he鈥檚 not taking any notice. You鈥檇 better go and give that to him.鈥�

So I had to wade into the midst of the huge sound and energy of the Rolling Stones on full throttle, and present Mick Jagger with a little note which said, 鈥楶lease stop your hammering/hoovering/ drilling/banging until further notice, as it is interfering with a live broadcast.鈥�

Sorry, no camera to capture the look on his face. He couldn鈥檛 believe we could hear the bass all the way down the corridor. 鈥榃e鈥檒l turn it down a bit.鈥� Talkback rang out. 鈥楾oo late! That won鈥檛 do. We鈥檒l have to stop completely till they鈥檙e off air.鈥� How long? 鈥楪uess we鈥檙e having a half-hour tea break.鈥�

Thanks Mick鈥� Every time I hear a Stones track I still mutter 鈥極K to resume your hammering drilling banging now.鈥�

Celia Marks

It's not only the 91热爆 reaching 100 this year

We have just received the latest issue of Prospero, which prompted me to write in as I saw that the 91热爆 is celebrating its 100th anniversary.

My father, Ibrahim Maskall-Mustafa, worked for the 91热爆 Monitoring Service in Caversham from the late sixties until early eighties. He worked for the Arabic team. He celebrated his 100th birthday this year (in July) and was very pleased to receive his special birthday card from the late Queen Elizabeth II.

October Letters

Sports Report 鈥� a 75th anniversary history

The recent media hoo-ha over the 91热爆鈥檚 controversial decision to scrap the classified football results at 5pm on Saturdays threw a welcome spotlight on the world鈥檚 longest-running sports programme, Sports Report. 

A weekly fixture on 91热爆 Radio since its launch in 1948 (currently Radio 5 Live), its 75th anniversary in January* is marked by a comprehensive history written by former Midlands-based 91热爆 staff sports reporter Pat Murphy (Bloomsbury, 拢20). 

Murphy has been a reporter on Sports Report for 40 years and uses his own knowledge plus the vast 91热爆 archives well, with many interviews with staff past and present. He tells how the programme began in the postwar radio era, and its early success under the editorship of legendary editor Angus Mackay. There are tales from and about some of its presenters, from Eamonn Andrews via Desmond Lynam and Peter Jones to current incumbent Mark Chapman. 

The book also goes behind the scenes, unpacking how Sports Report is put together each Saturday by producers, studio managers and OB staff under every kind of pressure; the rows and controversies that happened; even how that enduring brass-band theme tune 鈥極ut of the Blue鈥� was chosen. For anyone remotely interested in sport, the 91热爆鈥檚 radio history or simply how a great radio institution lasts 75 years, this book firmly hits the back of the net. 

*An anniversary party next month held for past and present Sports Report presenters and production staff will be featured in the next issue of Prospero.

Charles Runcie

September Letters

Local radio audiences

Why am I not surprised to read that listening figures for local radio have fallen dramatically?

There are, allegedly, many reasons for this 鈥� changing listening habits, social media, more choice, etc. But the basic reason to my mind is that local has been taken out of local radio.

As someone who helped launch the then 91热爆 Radio Blackburn and gave almost 20 years to local broadcasting in Lancashire, Cumbria and the Midlands, I know the sense of pride which existed in station staff. We 鈥榦wned鈥� our station, and shared that ownership with our listeners, who were loyal to the extreme (cakes would turn up at reception on a favourite presenter鈥檚 birthday, for instance).

Programmes and their content were tailored to suit local needs. Local radio had to be innovative because it had limited resources. Broadcasting 鈥榣ive鈥� was the norm, phone-ins involved listeners like never before. Station staff became local personalities, invited to open fetes or give talks to the WI. Some did better than that and went on to make their names elsewhere in the 91热爆, thanks to their local radio grounding.

More seriously, local radio stations were politically useful because their relationships with local MPs and other politicians were second to none. They were invaluable providers of taped interviews on national matters, obtained on the politician鈥檚 home turf during constituency surgeries.

Local radio staff also had to be on the defensive, fighting against a 91热爆 establishment where some saw the stations as renegades, operating beyond central control, and costing more than they were worth 鈥� they said. We had our own Controller, Local Radio, so there was a supportive voice at the top table.

Nevertheless, transmission hours were cut back. Evening programmes were axed, unless it was sport. Then came regional hook-ups involving stations who had little in common. Localism was being diluted.

Familiar voices disappeared and their programmes often went with them. The local station was no longer recognisable to its loyal listeners, who felt let down.

The Chinese torture of a drip, drip, drip reduction in hours, cash and staff, slowly neutralised the individual identities.

This may seem to some to be an oversimplification, but to call something local, it has to stay local.

The really sad thing about all this is that with the loss of a genuine local radio station, the community it once served will slowly but surely lose its sense of local identify, pride, individualism and character. The mirror which showed listeners who they were 鈥� and why they mattered 鈥� has gone.

Allan Muirhead

Photograph from the past

In another life I was the Secretary of the 91热爆 Club Philatelic Society and each July we would have a stand when the Club held its popular Summer Festival at Motspur Park (alas sold off a long time ago with Television Centre by the 91热爆).

To promote stamp collecting, the Crown agents would supply us with some promotional posters and handouts, which we would use to help attract younger visitors to the hobby.

The photograph shows some of the posters supplied for the 200th anniversary of manned flight issues, together with Patrick Moore and Pieter Morpurgo (brother of Michael Morpurgo the well-known author). Pieter was our Chairman and the producer of Stars at Night, That鈥檚 Life, Crimewatch UK and many other 91热爆 programmes. He had invited Patrick to attend the Festival along with other TV and radio celebrities.

Somewhere I have a photograph of Patrick drawing tickets for our Society raffle. They were happy days.

Do any Prospero readers have similar photos and memories from these events?

Keith Lillywhite

Biddy Baxter biography: can you help?

I鈥檓 hoping the readers of Prospero may be able to help.

I鈥檝e been commissioned to write the biography of Biddy Baxter, which is due to be published next year and follows my previous biographies of notable 91热爆 producers John Nathan-Turner and Verity Lambert.

The Biddy project is closer to home as I also worked on Blue Peter for ten years (four of them as Editor) but long after her time on the programme.

I鈥檇 be delighted if any former staff reading this who worked with or for Biddy felt they wished to contribute and would love to hear from them. My email is richard.marson@hotmail.co.uk

Richard Marson

Monthly pension payslips

The 91热爆 Pension Scheme has, in its infinite wisdom, decided that future monthly pay notifications will be online only (except April and May) and claims that it will increase efficiency and reduce carbon footprint.

Those may be laudable aims but this unilateral directive does not take account of the inconvenience it will entail for many elderly pensioners.

There are a lot of pensioners, aged 80+, who are not 鈥業nternet savvy鈥� and I know of two that do not even own a computer. Setting up MyPension online is a no-go area for them and by definition they do not have online access to their current accounts.

We oldies were brought up to watch the pennies and we meticulously record income and outgoings in our current accounts. Not by computer but by using a double-column ledger book, and such people rely on postal communication for information about their finances. It may be old fashioned but it works, does not break down or suffer from glitches.

The vast majority of those who are inconvenienced are from the upper age limit of our pension community and that makes this unilateral directive a form of age discrimination that must be challenged.

The 91热爆 Pension Scheme must revise this diktat to make provisions that will accommodate the needs of those pensioners who are not computer literate. Surely, in this technological age, it only requires a box to be ticked to inform the pensions computer that a particular individual has requested monthly payslips to be sent by post. It鈥檚 not rocket science!

The pension scheme should also be aware that its raison d鈥櫭猼re is not just making payments. It has a duty of support and care for all pensioners, computer literate or otherwise. It should be helping pensioners with problems rather than riding rough-shod over them by issuing unilateral directives, without even the courtesy of any prior consultation.

Oliver Dyer

Paper copies

I note in the July 2022 Prospero of a contributor鈥檚 delight that this will be the last year paper payslips are posted. I also note that the Trustees agreed to send paper pension increase letters and P60s to members in 2022 but this will be reviewed early in 2023.

I find this situation most unsatisfactory as not all pensioners have the internet or may not be computer literate, but this is not being considered. With the current cost of living increases and forthcoming steep energy costs, pensioners will want to keep a close eye on their pension income, therefore, paper copies of payslips, etc. should be offered to members.

Pauline Johnston

Paying for post?

Regarding David Setchfield鈥檚 comments in the July 2022 edition of Prospero, I feel that I must write in.

Of course it would be preferable to cut carbon emissions but what is sometimes not taken into consideration is that the older one gets, the harder it can be to use technology. For many pensioners, the only way they can receive information is by post.

For those pensioners who do use technology, problems with this can often occur. They then have to rely on possible help from family members, providing they live nearby, or they have to try to find a company that can attempt to sort out the problems, which can be very expensive. Technology is also often changing, necessitating frequent updated purchases, again incurring expenditure. In order to avoid additional stress, many of these pensioners prefer to receive information by post and really appreciate having this option.

Pensioners should not be made to feel inadequate if they are not able to use technology or find it difficult to use. They are aware that times have greatly changed and that technology now plays a big part in younger people鈥檚 lives, but surely at their time of life, after working hard for many years, they should be enjoying their retirement, not feeling pressurised to spend hours in front of a computer, trying to use a complicated smartphone or attempting to get through to a constantly busy help-line.

It is very important to have one鈥檚 data kept private, which doesn鈥檛 happen when this is accessed fraudulently by computer hackers. This is now unfortunately happening quite often. In today鈥檚 digital society, it is becoming much harder for anyone to maintain their privacy.

Many people are aware that technology can be beneficial and I personally appreciate having this for some purposes, but I would also like to be able to use alternative choices for other purposes. One of these would be to continue to have paper payslips, the annual pension increase letter and P60s sent by post for the foreseeable future and not to have this option phased out as David suggested. If some pensioners are concerned that this paperwork may get lost in the normal post, they should then have the option to be able to pay for this to be sent securely in the post.

Please could this request for information to continue to be sent by post please be passed on to the Trustees.

Anonymous

August Letters

Picture this

I was interested to see the piece about Judy Joel鈥檚 magnificent painting of TV Centre. During my ten years on Blue Peter, we often used a meeting room in which one of the prints was displayed. I liked it so much that when I became Editor I obtained a copy for my office, which I was given when I left the programme. It still has pride of place in my home office (pictured below); a happy reminder of the many happy years I spent at TVC. I only hope the original is safe somewhere.

Incidentally, back in my AFM-ing days I worked with Judy鈥檚 husband Paul, a hugely talented designer himself. It is a very small world!

Richard Marson

Lynn Griffiths also has an update for Judy: While I would love to be able to tell Judy where her original painting is, I just thought I would let you know that I have one of her signed reproductions. It鈥檚 number 11. It was hung on my landing wall for nearly 20 years and is currently wrapped up and in our spare bedroom until we move to our new home, where once again it will be hung as a lovely reminder of my days in Television Production Design.

Field cars

The other reason we were instructed not to mention Land Rover was that the Austin Car Company produced a four-wheel drive utility which was called the Austin Gipsy and the Corporation was accused of being unfair.

Robin Hicks

Paper pension increase letters

With reference to the item on posting the pension increase letter/P60 in the July edition, there is another category who need printed documents: after a trabeculectomy some years ago and more recently a trabeculoplasty (eye operations), I was advised to substantially reduce my computer use. Even writing this email has added to the strain.

Rodney Mantle

Not on the internet

Not only have OAPs to pay now for a TV licence (I鈥檓 84), we no longer get a monthly pay slip in the post which I find most annoying. Not all pensioners are on the internet or can get access to their bank statements when on the internet!

Roger Fleming

The 91热爆 experience

I was privileged to be presented to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II back in 1997 when she came to open the 91热爆 Experience and talked to Her Majesty about the history of Radio Comedy and Light Entertainment.

I helped create the stand in which we had an animatronic Tony Hancock on a recreation of the set from The Radio Ham. As his arm and hand tuned through the radio dial, we heard the clips I had selected to represent the 75 years of Light Entertainment鈥檚 output!

Until recently I had never seen a photographs of the event except this image from the 91热爆 Digital Archive, the only picture they hold of this event. I know many photographs were taken, including one with me speaking with The Queen. So I wondering if anyone has any personal pictures of that day or know where I might find any? As I said, the 91热爆 seem to have only one photo.

If anyone has any information, please contact me by email: andyaliffe@yahoo.co.uk

Andy Aliffe

Crowded out

It takes a lot to get my better half (Ruth) at all interested in TV sound (it always has). Norrie鈥檚 quarter-final match was one such though, as I got an 鈥榦fficial鈥� complaint. Ruth was being fair, however. If I had to sum up the mix in one word, it would probably be unprintable.

It's true that the umpire didn鈥檛 do much to control the spectators鈥� rather undignified yelling, however, the sound mixer had mics in helpful positions, faders, and, one hopes, also some discretion. Neither of the latter two seem to have been used.

There were several points that the umpire ordered to be replayed for reasons unknown (he was unintelligible). On other occasions, the commentators were also unintelligible, because of the yelling (from separate crowd mics 鈥� commentators are, after all, probably using 4104s and are behind glass).

If I wanted to be deafened by uncouth people, of course I鈥檇 go there in person.

I really don鈥檛 need the sound super to imitate the 鈥榖eing there鈥� discomfort to the fullest extent possible. I expect if I had 5.1 surround I could make out where each individual hooligan was sitting, etc. What a great technical improvement.

I obviously haven鈥檛 鈥榞ot鈥� with the modern age, where evidently-drunk fools鈥� utterances are more important than the actual tennis. I鈥檓 afraid I come from a past where one routinely made sure the important stuff could actually be heard. Does anybody else remember checking for mono compatibility, and using 鈥榮quawk-boxes鈥� (often Auratones) to confirm how things sounded on smaller speakers? We used to think it mattered that the bulk of our audience could hear the important things clearly.

I am also reminded of the mythical 鈥榙irectors鈥� boxes鈥� in dubbing 鈥� with unused knobs they could twiddle pointlessly, while the mixer got on with the real job. There must be room for something similar in those modern trucks with the clever expanding sides, surely?

I know: experienced hands retire, and in the brave new freelance world, I fear the directors get what they ask for, without any counter arguments being put to them. Nobody dares any more.

The 91热爆 managed to do this well for decades. Now, quite frankly, it should be ashamed of itself.

Simon Muir

June Letters

Robin Hicks鈥檚 letter about trade names mentions the directive that 鈥榝ield car鈥� be used instead of the brand name Land-Rover.

As I understand it, there鈥檚 actually more to that story. It arose when the newly-crowned Queen Elizabeth and HRH Prince Philip made their tour of Australia and New Zealand. The Rover Company had been tasked with designing a review car that Her Majesty could use 鈥� more on the background to that later 鈥� and so whenever there was commentary on the stops along the way of the royal itinerary, she would be described as travelling in a 鈥楲and-Rover鈥� (spelled with a hyphen in those days).

And it was this that caused the 鈥榖rand name鈥� controversy, so commentators used what they regarded as the generic term 鈥榡eep鈥�. The Rover Company was very quick to point out that not only was 鈥楯eep鈥� also a brand name, but it was one of their direct competitors, and American to boot. The description 鈥榝ield car鈥� was the resulting compromise.

But those Land-Rover review vehicles have a story in their own right. When I was making my 鈥楽top Gap鈥� DVD about the early history of the Land-Rover, I was able to interview Arthur Goddard who was the Project Engineer at the time the new 鈥榝ield car鈥� was being designed. He had the task of turning the drawings into real, driveable vehicles, and is the only survivor of the original team who did it in 1948 in an incredible nine months!

Arthur explained that a few years later he got the call to prepare a dozen or so special-bodied ones for the Australia tour. Protocol decreed that the Queen should look as though she was standing up in the car, but that a way should be found to allow her to steady herself and take the weight off her legs. Arthur鈥檚 team designed an upholstered bar that Her Majesty could 鈥榩erch鈥� on鈥�but how high should they make it?

To get royal approval for the car, Arthur and his team took one up to Holyrood House in Scotland, where the Queen and Prince Philip were staying. He said, 鈥榃e arrived there, and we were let in quite early, and we were parked on a bit of lawn, and a few minutes later these French windows opened, and the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh came out, in their dressing gowns, would you believe, and slippers, chewing a piece of toast! They thought it was marvellous.鈥�

But there was still the height of the perch to work out. 鈥業 thought 鈥業鈥檓 in luck here, because I鈥檝e got the Duke of Edinburgh鈥�, so I got the old Duke on one side, and I said 鈥楲ook, this is the problem, you see, with this thing鈥�it鈥檚 got to be set right, and we鈥檝e got to get the Queen somehow to sit on it and try it, and we can move it a bit.鈥�

And he said, 鈥楳y dear, Arthur wants to find out how far your bum is from the ground!鈥�

And I thought, 鈥榃ell, so much for protocol!鈥�

A lovely story that I very much wanted to use in the film, but I wasn鈥檛 sure whether it would be regarded as lese majesty, so I sent a copy of the transcript to Buckingham Palace Press Office to see if I could use it. They didn鈥檛 say 鈥榊es鈥欌��but they didn鈥檛 actually say 鈥楴o鈥� either! So I took that nod as being as good as a wink and kept it in the film. There鈥檚 been no repercussions.

Graeme Aldous

May Letters

Judy Joel's missing painting

My husband, Paul Joel, receives Prospero every month and it鈥檚 nice for me too because I also worked at the 91热爆 in the sixties 鈥� it鈥檚 where we met!  Paul was a Production Designer, and I was a Producer鈥檚 Assistant. Paul was there for a great deal longer than I was, as I left to look after our family in 1971. Then I began to paint.  I have had some good success over the years and once painted a picture of the Television Centre as a Christmas card design for the 91热爆 Design Department in 1991.

I have often wondered where it ended up and if it is in anyone鈥檚 house now or was accidentally thrown away when the building was no longer the 鈥楳agic Doughnut鈥�.

The original in its frame would be about 40" x 25". Long and narrow鈥� not easy to throw away 鈥� but you never know. If I was to paint it now, I would charge about 拢900 unframed.

I am prompted to find out about it because I am entering the Landscape Artist of the Year competition this month and would like to include the image of the Television Centre as one of my images from my portfolio that I am particularly proud of.

It was bought and paid for by the Design Department (copyright staying with me), as were about 100 signed limited-edition reproductions. I have only one left.

Does anyone know the whereabouts of my original painting?

Judy Joel

What鈥檚 happening 鈥榚h?

When I was working for 91热爆 News, journalists were urged to write how you would speak, and when presenting or recording commentary speak as you would do naturally to a member of your family. We were talking to our audience as individuals, and not just reading a script.

So what has happened in recent weeks? Suddenly the indefinite article 鈥榓鈥� (normally in natural speech pronounced as a 鈥榮var鈥�, which is more of an 鈥榰h鈥�, as in 鈥榦nce upon a time鈥�) is being pronounced like the name of the letter, 鈥楢鈥� (Aye). So correspondents, particularly those reporting economics, are saying, 鈥楾here is aye mounting pressure...鈥� or 鈥楢ye report is due鈥︹��. And even the best newsreaders are getting infected by this usage: 鈥楾he Russians are building up for aye major assault...鈥�

I think this unnatural way of talking to people is designed to give emphasis or importance, but is certainly not the way people talk to each other, and I hope the senior editors will take aye firm view. Indefinitely.

Rick Thompson

Early days at 91热爆 South

Following the recent passing of Bob Wellings, it gave me cause to reflect on my short time at 91热爆 South based in the old South Western House hotel in Southampton.

It was back in, I think, 1965 that I was a trainee on a six-week secondment, and Bob Wellings was a reporter/presenter.

As I recall, the staff consisted of 10 or so people, and so an extra person added another 10% to the workforce, and I duly rotated around the various duties. I particularly remember being in charge of the film processing machinery for one whole day, which was a bit nerve-wracking as it was processing all the cinefilm for that day鈥檚 news, and one slip would be a disaster. In those days, all the reporters鈥� cameras were cinefilm and of course only used black and white film. Mercifully all went well.

The station鈥檚 output went, as I recall, via a one-way link to the transmitter at Rowridge, and in the 91热爆 South studio the S Tel E could throw the switch to swap the London feed to Rowridge, to send the 91热爆 South output live instead. There was one time when all did not go according to plan; there was to be a 鈥楥hristmas Special鈥� when a whole 60 minutes of output would come from 91热爆 South. For this occasion, the normal two cameras in the studio were to be augmented by a third, which was normally in a rather dis-assembled state as it was cannibalised for use as spares to keep the two elderly cameras functional. So having got all three cameras operational, yours truly was the third cameraman on the day. All was going nicely, until just 50 minutes into the programme the S Tel E announced that he was 鈥榞oing to switch back to London鈥� as that was on his engineering schedule; and so we crashed out straight back to London mid programme! I had to quickly move my camera to point at the hastily prepared weather map so at least that went out. A case of left hand and right hand not conversing? But it was an enjoyable experience all told, with many fond memories.

Ian Hare

Glazunov

Andrew Maywood asks in the April edition if the Autumn movement of The Seasons by Glazunov was used as theme music before 1972.

I selected it then as title music for the Dimbleby Lecture (later called The Richard Dimbleby Lecture), an annual 91热爆 One event which I produced for the first 10 years. When I chose it, I could find no previous use of this catchy theme as title music.

Edward Mirzoeff

Radio Guernsey鈥檚 40th birthday

I wondered if Prospero online might be interested in this 鈥� a Guernsey newspaper, usually a rival of the local 91热爆 radio station, put its adversarial instincts aside to cover the 40th birthday on 16 March of 91热爆 Radio Guernsey, which was also the subject of an exhibition at the island鈥檚 Candie Museum.

Tony Talmage

Wanted 鈥� can anyone help?

Does anyone have an unwanted copy of an E&O Recruitment brochure entitled 鈥楥limate Of Change鈥� dated 1991/1992? If so, please reply to Mrs Susan Glew at: sueatthegardens@hotmail.com

Roy Glew

Going green...but

I was heartened to read in the April edition of efforts by the Trustees of the 91热爆 Pension Scheme to cut its carbon footprint and save money at the same time.

The article stated that this year will be the last that paper payslips are posted 鈥� I stopped mine some time ago as, like most pensioners, I can access the information via myPension Online.

So far, so good. But why on earth is the Scheme to continue sending out the combined annual pension increase letter and P60 by post? For those who can鈥檛 access the internet, fair enough. But for the majority of us who do, it rather negates the aim of cutting carbon emissions.

It also makes us vulnerable to identity theft 鈥� with all the financial threat that entails 鈥� as the correspondence contains the National Insurance number as well as name and address.

I鈥檓 told the Trustees are unable to accept any responsibility for any correspondence lost by the postal delivery services. So why not eliminate the risk by phasing out that option?

A comment from the Trustees would be appreciated.

David Setchfield

The Trustees agreed to send paper pension increase letters and P60s to members in 2022.  This will be reviewed early in 2023. 

April Letters

Trade names

In the 60s and 70s, the 91热爆 was troubled about casual trade names getting on the air and I remember the occasional memo urging us to use 鈥榝ield car鈥� instead of Land Rover. I must confess I never heard 鈥榝ield car鈥� making it on air. I don鈥檛 recall any issue about Hoover but who knew Rotovator was a trade name? No one seemed at all worried until, in a drama, someone lost their leg using the said rotary cultivator. The programme had been aired once so I had to concoct a suitable on-air announcement to explain that the 91热爆 in no way would suggest the Howard Rotavator Company of America鈥檚 fine cultivator caused damage in this drama.

On Farming Today I often covered new product launches and would be able to balance the new wonder drug with a vet or academic鈥檚 warning about some aspect or another 鈥� until a drug called Panacur was launched, which seemed to be perfect, safe, effective and even cheaper than any other product. I interviewed a professor from the Glasgow vet school, which had tested the product, and it was hard to present the drug as anything other than some sort of miracle. So I thought I would be clever and not use the trade name but its chemical one 鈥� fenbenderzol, I think.

After the programme, I did my usual return to bed in Kentish Town, had a kip and got back into the office at 10.30, where the word panic would be too mild a description.

What I didn't realise was that BH did not have an infinite number of incoming lines, and that vets and farmers had started ringing the BH number as soon as I had left for my morning kip.

I am still not entirely sure what call or calls were blocked but I guess some important ones because I was phoned to say I had to give the trade name out on air.

Meanwhile the PBX supervisor came to the office and insisted I give her the trade name, which I did. Later that day I received a memo from the controller鈥檚 office with 鈥榞uidance鈥� which explained that in cases where to withhold a brand name would be a barrier to information, or similar, then it was important not to do so.

So the next morning I sounded a little like a commercial radio station as I announced the amazing wormer was called PANACUR!

Robin Hicks

Mugs

Thanks to Prospero for printing my request for suggestions to re-home a collection of Local Radio mugs. Thanks also to one of Prospero's readers for suggesting the Written Archives. My enquiry to them was unsuccessful: 鈥楿nfortunately we aren鈥檛 able to take in your mugs as we have very limited space available in our heritage collection at this time.鈥�

Does anyone have any alternative ideas?

Rodney Mantle

Earworm

A slightly daft inquiry, but I find the Autumn Bacchanale from Glazunov鈥檚 The Seasons running repeatedly in my ear. A Google search says it was used for The Dimbleby Lectures from 1972 onward, however I seem to remember it from rather further back. The 91热爆 tends not to recycle themes but, was the Bacchanale used before?

Andrew Maywood

Rewriting history

The Telegraph and The Guardian recently published some details of items edited (i.e. removed) from the 91热爆 Archives.

I find this profoundly disturbing, as it distorts some records of events or people, and therefore by omission creates misinformation.

This is the antithesis of balanced and accurate reporting for which the 91热爆 has hitherto been respected worldwide.

Would you be able to elicit an authoritative response from the 91热爆 regarding this, please?

David Birt

91热爆 Archive responded: There is a really important distinction Mr Birt is missing here 鈥� nothing is 鈥榬emoved from the archive鈥�. Those re-using archives will make editorial decisions about whether programmes are repeated in original or edited form. If an edited version is thought appropriate, a new version is created (and that will also be archived). The archives do not alter the original version of programmes. We keep them safe. His complaint isn鈥檛 for Archives, but for editors of the channels, iPlayer, etc.

War and Peace

I read with interest the article on War and Peace in the February edition and can claim a very small part in the post-production of this show.

I recorded some of the studio sessions onto 2in videotape and also assisted in a few episodes of the edit. Along with the director John Davies, the editor, the late and much missed Roger Harvey, put together all 20 episodes. When I joined VT in 1969, Roger was one of the foremost tape editors in the country, wielding his razor blade with amazing skill and dexterity.

As non-destructive dub editing replaced cut editing, Roger鈥檚 skills were easily transferred, and in 1972 a new editing system called EECO (Electronic Engineering Company) from California was installed in the TVC basement. The system used the recent introduction of time code to synchronise the VTRs so that the edit performed was exactly the same as the rehearsal. Previously, the 鈥榯ake鈥� was subject to the way the VTRs locked up and could be two frames or so in either direction. This added accuracy, and machine control meant that three machines could be used in the edit to perform vision mixes.

The third machine used during the edit was an Ampex AVR 1. This machine was also revolutionary in that, instead of taking 6 or 7 seconds to lock up, it did so in less than a second. This was due to large vacuum columns which enabled the 2" tape to be moved very rapidly and not rely on capstan and pinch roller. However, performing a vision mix with associated sound needed at least three hands, sometimes four, so the assistant often had to do either the sound or the vision.

I operated the AVR 1 on a few episodes and the speed of lock up of this machine was soon utilised in sport with the birth of 鈥榓nalysis鈥� after a football match, notably the FA Cup final.

So Roger was requested for the series and he was assisted on every episode by my good friend and colleague, Mick Goodenough. Just like sound supervisor Hugh Barker (obits February), Roger was requested by the 鈥榖ig beasts鈥� of light entertainment at the time, notably Evonne Littlewood. I learnt a great deal from Roger, which stood me in good stead when I later became an editor.

The February issue of Prospero also mentioned Z Cars being 60 years old. I edited the last ever edition of that programme, 鈥楶ressure鈥�, which went out in September 1978.

We look back on those days in the 70s now with great nostalgia, for me certainly the Golden Age of television.

Ross Archer

February Letters

Tannoy - Actor's ahoy!

Reading Neville鈥檚 letter about new staff being asked to tannoy Andy Pandy cast members reminded me of a similar situation.

As the full-time official from Equity responsible for national negotiations with the 91热爆, after one such negotiation my team of actors retired to the Langham bar to recover.

Over the tannoy came a message paging Michael McClain. Michael was part of my team, so when he returned I told him he鈥檇 been paged. To which he replied, 鈥楾hat was me, so that the radio producers know I am here.鈥�

It worked 鈥� the great Bobby Jay appeared and booked him and two others. Great memories of that bar and doing good deals for members. Glen Barnham

Local Radio mugs

Regarding the letter from Rodney Mantle about passing on his collection of Local Radio mugs, he might like to try the 91热爆 Written Archives Centre who do collect these and may be interested in taking them.

Chris Howes

Technical Trainees

Straight into a four-year 91热爆 Technical Trainee 鈥榮andwich course鈥�, clutching my 3 A-levels from Hastings Grammar school, I was at the start of an amazing career in the 91热爆.

I too did the full four-year course, reaching Chartered Engineer status, which included seeing how teams worked at the various 91热爆 centres that we were posted to for the six-month 鈥榦n the job鈥� training each year, was particularly valuable.

That was only the beginning, starting work in Film Recording in TVC basement taught me the importance of the operational role, and how as I ran engineering and later software projects, always to remember the guys at the sharp end.

Also the 91热爆 offerred great scope to contribute across a wide range of areas from Film Department to Television, World Service and Radio as well as Regions, ENPS and more, all of which areas I enjoyed working delivering projects jointly with their teams. And all of this due to the start the wonderful Tech Traineeship gave me - yes, well done 91热爆.

Ian Hare