The newspaper for BBC pensioners

Audibility issues on SS-GB Page 3

April 2017 • Issue 2

New home The BBC’s Local Radio for iconic first 50 years pilots – help red sofa in Scotland needed Page 3 Page 6 Page 12

NEWS • MEMORIES • CLASSIFIEDS • YOUR LETTERS • OBITUARIES • SUDOKU 02 BACK AT THE BBC New TV channel for Scotland A new TV channel for the BBC in Scotland will begin broadcasting in autumn 2018, director-general Tony Hall has announced.

he channel will have a budget of The key points of the new channel – which – £19m new money and £11m from £30m, equivalent to the amount will be called BBC Scotland – are: current BBC Two opts spent on BBC Four. • A ‘prominent’ slot on the Electronic • Integrated hour-long news programme at The plans for the channel include Programme Guide (the exact slot will be 9pm, edited and presented from Scotland Ta Scottish news hour at 9pm, which will subject to discussions with providers such • 80 new posts for journalists broadcast stories from Scotland, the UK and a Freeview, Sky and Virgin) Lord Hall described it as the biggest single the world. • Available on iPlayer in HD in Scotland and investment in broadcast content in Scotland There had been calls for a Scottish Six, The director-general also announced an across UK for more than 20 years. which would integrate the main BBC News increase of about £20m a year for Scotland to • Broadcast from 7pm to midnight Scotland should receive about £40m in at Six from London and Reporting make UK-wide programmes. every evening new funding annually – £19m for the new Scotland in a news hour that would He said this would be focused on drama • A £30m budget for the new channel channel and digital developments, and £20m provide UK, Scottish and international and factual programming. for making network programmes. stories from Scotland. It is hoped that spending on network The proposals for a Scottish Six were in programmes made in Scotland for a UK- response to criticism that the News at Six wide BBC audience will rise from about often featured stories – for example on £65m this year to closer to £90m over the education and health – that had little Baby iguanas steal next three years. relevance to Scottish audiences. Tony Hall said: ‘We know that viewers in The Scottish government argued the BBC Scotland love BBC television but we also needed to ‘catch up’ with devolution and to the show...again know that they want us to better reflect their give its Scottish operation greater control of lives and better reflect modern Scotland. budgets, staffing and decision making. ‘The best way of achieving this is a Responding to the latest announcement, dedicated channel for Scotland. SNP MP John Nicolson said he welcomed ‘It’s a channel that will be bold, creative and the new channel and extra investment ambitious, with a brand-new Scotland-edited for Scotland. international news programme at its heart.’ However, he said he was ‘disappointed’ The new BBC TV channel for Scotland will the BBC had ‘killed off’ the idea of separate broadcast every evening and will show Scottish Six news on BBC One. drama, factual, comedy and news He said: ‘Of course it is great to have a programmes made in Scotland. separate Scottish Nine O’ Clock News but I The development of a nightly news hour at think it is very important to have a separate 9pm means that the news output on BBC One Six O’ Clock News on the main terrestrial in Scotland will remain in its current form. channel, BBC One.

MYSTERY SUDOKU The thrilling ‘hurry up or die’ scene where ‘The brilliant sitcom Fleabag, produced by Two baby iguanas ran the gauntlet of being Brothers Pictures for BBC Three, won in two devoured by bloodthirsty snakes has been categories – ‘Best Original Programme’ and Complete the voted the ‘TV Moment of the Year’ at this ‘Best Multi-Channel Programme’. On top of grid so that year’s Broadcast Awards. that, the hilarious Mum was recognised as WIN every row, The incredible David and Goliath scene ‘Best Comedy Programme’. column and 3x3 from Planet Earth II was just one of the highlights BBC Studios took the coveted ‘TV Moment £10 box contains for the BBC at the Broadcast Awards, where it of the Year’ award with the truly thrilling Racer the letters won 11 of 19 available awards. Snakes & Iguanas scene from Planet Earth II. ADFILNORS in some order. Charlotte Moore, Director BBC Content, They also won ‘Best Music Programme’ for One row or column contains a said: ‘The Broadcast Awards were yet another Adele at the BBC. five or more letter word, title or great showcase of the distinctive quality of ‘Our colleagues in Children’s also received name with a BBC connection. content on the BBC. deserved recognition for My Life: The Boy on the Solve the sudoku to discover ‘Our factual programming featured Bicycle, which won ‘Best Children’s Programme’, what it is and send your answer: really strongly. The Real Marigold Hotel won and Topsy & Tim: Lovely Mossy winning ‘Best The Editor, Prospero, BBC ‘Best Popular Factual Programme’, Exodus: Pre-School Programme’. Pension and Benefits Centre, Our journey to Europe picked up ‘Best Documentary ‘And finally, the ‘Special Recognition Award’ Broadcasting House, Cardiff Series’ and Three Days of Terror: The Charlie Hebdo given to Later… with Jools Holland was a fitting CF5 2YQ by Monday, 8 May. Attacks was awarded ‘Best News and Current way to show appreciation for such a much- The winner gets a £10 voucher. Affairs Programme’. Swim the Channel was loved piece of music programming. Many thanks to Neil Somerville also highly commended in the ‘Best ‘Lots of awards – and yet again – plenty for for providing this puzzle. Documentary’ category. us to celebrate. Congratulations to everyone.’

Please send your editorial contributions, or comments/ feedback, to: Prospero, BBC Pension and Benefits Centre, Prospero is provided free of charge to retired Scheme Broadcasting House, Cardiff CF5 2YQ members, or to their spouses and dependants. Email: prospero@bbc.co.uk Prospero provides a source of news on former colleagues, Please make sure that any digital pictures you send are developments at the BBC and pension issues, plus classified scanned at 300dpi. adverts. It is available online at www.bbc.co.uk/mypension The next issue of Prospero will appear in June 2017. To advertise in Prospero, please see page 12. The copy deadline is Wednesday, 3 May 2017.

PROSPERO APRIL 2017 03 BBC Breakfast’s red sofa CONTACTS Visiting Scheme Available to BBC pensioners over 70, makes its way to Ramallah those recently bereaved, and anyone in poor health, the scheme is a method Walid Batrawi, Director of BBC Media Action, Palestinian Territories, explains of keeping in touch and operates throughout the UK. Visitors are BBC how one retired BBC Breakfast sofa found a new home in the Palestinian pensioners themselves. If you want to be visited, receive a phone call or meet Territories with BBC Media Action, the BBC’s international development charity. up somewhere mutually convenient, call 029 2032 2811. The contact is the he BBC Breakfast sofa is a TV icon. Five-year anniversary Being able to question public officials has same if you would like to become a visitor. During the show’s 34 years, For the past five years, the former Breakfast given our audience members greater countless presenters, politicians, sofa has been a fixture on two ‘Question confidence. One man in his 20s living in Queries musicians, pundits and members Time’ style TV debate shows, Aswat Min Felesteen Gaza told us, ‘I learnt not be afraid about For benefit and pension payroll queries, Tof the public have settled down on its bright (Voices from Palestine) and Hur El-Kalam questioning an official – and if they evade call the Service Line on 029 2032 2811 red upholstery. (Free to Speak). It has seen high-profile the question, I can ask it again.’ Others or email [email protected] When BBC Breakfast moved from London guests put through their paces by a lively thanked us for helping point them in the to a smaller studio in Salford in 2012, they studio audience – vital in a place that has direction of organisations that could solve Prospero needed a new sofa that would fit the space. suffered years of conflict and instability. their problems. To delete a name from the distribution list, The BBC was keen to donate the old one Guests have included former Prime ring the Service Line on 029 2032 2811. – and we needed to furnish the set of our Minister, Salam Fayyad who was challenged Prospero is provided free of charge to new TV shows in the Palestinian Territories. on his plans to plug the brain drain among retired BBC Scheme members only. Saved from the scrapheaps the iconic red sofa Palestinians, and Dr Anan Masri, Deputy ‘The iconic sofa continues Prospero is also available on audio was shipped, via the BBC’s Jerusalem bureau, Minister for Health who promised to look its life at the centre of a disc for those with sight impairment. to start a new life in Ramallah. into an alleged case of medical misdiagnosis. To register, please ring the Service Line. Alternatively, it is also available online project that’s helping the at www.bbc.co.uk/mypension, Palestinian Territories build under ‘Documents’. a more inclusive society’ BBC Club The BBC Club in London has a retired membership costing £3 per month or Since launching in 2012 with our partners £36 per year. Members can also add BBC Arabic and the Palestinian Broadcasting friends and family to their membership Corporation (PBC), we’ve reached 1.17 million for a small additional cost. Regional adults in Gaza and the West Bank helping clubs may have different arrangements. people understand their rights and hold Please call the BBC Club London office public officials to account. on 020 8752 6666 or email bbc.club@ bbc.co.uk for details or to join. Signature sofa Part of the project involved helping PBC train Benevolent Fund its production staff and upgrade its studios. This is funded by voluntary contributions ‘This is the first time I’ve seen nice set from the BBC and its purpose is to designs and a good selection of panellists,’ protect the welfare of staff, pensioners one media professional told us. ‘It looks like and their families. Grants are made the shows on international channels.’ at the discretion of the Trustees. I’m pleased to report that the iconic sofa They may provide assistance in cases continues its life at the centre of a project of unforeseen financial hardship, for that’s helping the Palestinian Territories build which help from other sources is not a more inclusive society. available. Tel: 029 2032 2811 Prospero Society Prospero Society is the only section of the BBC Club run by and for retired Viewers complain about SS-GB ‘mumbling’ BBC staff and their spouses. Its aim is to enable BBC pensioners to meet The BBC has promised to ‘look at’ sound TV critic Emma Bullimore told the BBC: sound like a grumpy old man but I think on a social basis for theatre visits, levels for its new five-part drama, SS-GB, ‘We are living in astonishingly ambitious muttering is something we could look at.’ luncheons, coach outings etc. after viewers complained about mumbling. times for TV drama, attracting world class Some have blamed actors, while others Prospero Society is supported by Set in a fictional London under talent to the small screen, and sometimes have pointed the finger at flat-screen BBC Club funds so as to make events Nazi occupation, the first episode got this means the basics of storytelling get televisions, which don’t have the depth to affordable. If you would like an 6.1m viewers. slightly overlooked – either in terms of encase larger speakers. application form, please contact: Around 100 complaints came into the audibility or making a story too complicated BBC in the first 24 hours of its broadcast. or difficult to follow (as Sherlock was Gayner Leach, BBC Club, BC2 B3 The BBC said: ‘We take audibility criticised for). Broadcast Centre, 201 Wood Lane, seriously and we will look at the sound ‘However, it does feel that mumbling is London W12 7TP levels on the programme in time for the the latest bandwagon for BBC bashers to Tel: 020 8752 6666 next episode.’ jump on and the odd muffled word gets Email: [email protected] The drama stars Sam Riley as an officer spun into a story. Actually, my enjoyment of working simultaneously with the Nazis and SS-GB wasn’t marred by sound issues.’ BBCPA the British Resistance. It’s not the first time the issue of The BBCPA was founded in 1988 to Some viewers took to Twitter to air their mumbling on TV dramas has been raised, promote and safeguard the interests views on the sound levels. with past programmes such as Jamaica Inn of BBC pensioners. It is independent One user, Luanne wrote: ‘I am 12 minutes and Happy Valley having hit the headlines over of the BBC. For details of how to into SS-GB & I’m turning on the subtitles. the audio. join, see the panel on page 5 All this tough guy, breathy, growling, Back in 2013, the BBC’s director-general, or download a membership form mumbling, I can’t understand you!’ Tony Hall, told the Radio Times: ‘I don’t want to at www.bbcpa.org.uk.

PROSPERO APRIL 2017 04 LETTERS

Wartime broadcasting SS-GB Video tape Rolls Royce Here are some pictures more relevant Oh dear, here we go again. Last night I I was very interested to see your item to the article, ‘Wartime Broadcasting’, watched the first episode of SS-GB. I shall not scratching entitled ‘Rolls Royce-owning TV news published in Prospero, December 2016. bother with the rest. I have never read the With reference to Geoff Higgs’ letter in the cameraman’ (the obituary for Chris The collection shown in your book, so was looking forward to following last issue referring to 2” video tape scratching Marlow). Way back in the 1950s I sent photograph is of part of the equipment what promised to be an intriguing story. problems, he may not know that this is now an item entitled ‘Vintage Jobs from that I have managed to save from the Sadly that didn’t happen. The settings and the very easily completely fixable, and has been the Midlands’. This is shown below. BBC generally and moved to Kelvedon CGI were excellent, the production values for many years. The photograph was taken at the front Hatch. You were kind enough to cover were as should be but the sound was frankly When I was working on archive restoration of the BBC offices in Carpenter Road, my activities at Kelvedon Hatch in Prospero appalling. Once again we were treated to in the telecine section at TV Centre, we used Birmingham. Surely there must be more dated October 2005 with a front page, actors delivering lines and speeches in low a system called DVASC (Digital Vision proud Rolls Royce owners! where more is said. mumbles. Ironically the only clear diction Automated Scratch Concealment), which was John Wallis Thanks very much for the paper, came from the characters speaking in and is a piece of real-time video processing always interesting, keeps us in touch and German, who were of course subtitled. hardware which had been developed to long may it continue. How I wish that facility had been extended automatically conceal blemishes on film. Robin Cherry to the English speakers! This it achieves by analyzing the picture, and Please will actors and/or producers anything that it detects as being on only one accept that diction and clarity of speech film frame, and not on either of the adjacent are just as important as sounding ‘natural’. frames, it assumes is a blemish, and it I’m not asking for a return to the cut-glass automatically replaces that area with what was clipped delivery heard in the early days there in the same place on the previous frame. of broadcasting, although a brief study Like any automatic system it needs careful of the films and recordings of the time adjustment to prevent it causing unwanted might suggest that something approaching artefacts of course, but it works very well. that style could be seen as less anachronistic It can be successful with field-based tape in a drama set in 1941 than the loose dropout flashes too, and while experimenting lipped, flabby mouthed, slack jawed, with this one day in the late 1990s we Above: Commissioner 21st century delivery adopted in so many discovered that it can completely remove at Warne. recent productions. the diagonal pattern of white dots cause by Right: Lecture It’s not a question of sound levels, a loud 2” tape scratching! There are now restoration at Easingwold. mutter is just a mutter played loud. Even if I software packages too which will achieve the crank up the volume on my TV to anti-social same result, but not in real time. levels, and yes, I do have a sound bar giving I don’t know whether the tapes Geoff was good quality audio, I estimate that about referring to were passed through this or an fifty percent of the English dialogue in last equivalent system as part of their preparation night’s episode was incomprehensible. for DVD release, but if they weren’t it Fifty-five years ago I was taught that in certainly sounds as if they should have been! Proliferation speech the vowels convey the energy whilst Dave Hawley Local radio the consonants carry the intelligence. It’s the It was interesting to read of the 40th of credits consonants that are important. Long before anniversary of BBC Radio Cymru in your Re ‘Does anyone remember’, and the talking pictures and TV, people attending a Music levels February issue which also referred, in the proliferation of credits nowadays. In the days theatre for a performance were known as the letters column, to the forthcoming 50th of hour-long live television dramas, the credits audience, emphasising the fact that their prime anniversary of BBC Radio Sheffield. The were usually producer, director, and design, requirement was to listen to what was being anniversary of the opening of BBC Radio as well as film cameraman and sound recordist. said on stage. Performers were required to Leicester, a week before Sheffield, will fall In general the contribution by the latter enunciate clearly. Perhaps if producers on 8 November this year. two was for the opening scene setter, often thought more in terms of ‘the audience’, Ten years ago, those of us who staffed lasting at most 10 seconds, and for the and less in terms of ‘viewers’ they’d get the the eight experimental stations in 1967 closing scene, another 10 seconds; the rest balance right. and 1968 were invited to a reception in the of the 59 minutes and 40 seconds were If I can’t understand what’s being said, Recent correspondence about music levels 600-year-old Leicester Guildhall. It was a accomplished by a variety of unrecognised it doesn’t matter how close to real life the behind TV programmes stirred what’s left of welcome opportunity to see former colleagues people with no chance of a re-take. actors sound, my willingness to suspend my little grey cells on a related subject. for the first time in many years. I wonder Eventually other disciplines were promoted disbelief goes out of the window, closely Recently, on BBC 4, there was a Simon whether the BBC might be contemplating to being credited, such as lighting, wardrobe, followed by the TV set! Sebag-Montefiore series on Vienna: Empire, something similar this November? make-up, sound etc. I have often wondered if Phil Brooks Dynasty and Dream. It is interesting to be reminded by the the present interminable list of credits has I started watching the first programme, fifth and final volume of The History of been the film world’s response to the eventual but not for long. There was continuous music Broadcasting, by Asa Briggs, of the Station recognition of a few television personelle. Dialogue behind everything, and it wasn’t Mozart or Manager’s Charter. Autonomy was at its heart. On to Gardening Club with Percy Thrower. I have been following the correspondence Mahler or Schoenberg or Johann Strauss or Frank Gillard decreed that ‘Station managers While at Gosta Green, Birmingham, an on the quality of programme sound from even the Horst Wessel song! would be free to provide programmes which occasional program would be Percy walking Chris Cherry and others with great interest. They might have had some relevance I in their judgement best meet the needs of into his glassless greenhouse to introduce They are quite right. In much of the drama suppose, but this cacophony was continuous their communities’ and that ‘With local radio a film of somewhere like Clacks Farm. on television these days it is impossible to and so annoying, my wife and I switched off in BBC hands local papers would have no This was in the days of live TV of course. hear the dialogue. very quickly. anxieties…competition for advertising One day as Percy walked into shot, frantic Recently, in Paul Abbott’s wonderful No Conversely, after the death of John Berger revenue would not arise’. waving by the floor manager told him Offence, much of the conversation was inaudible at the beginning of January, BBC 2 aired Within little more than a year and telecine had broken down. in an ‘out of focus’ blur of noise. The clever The Art of Looking, produced in Germany by confined to VHF/FM the proportion of Totally unfussed, Percy picked up one of script and caustic one-liners were lost. Heino Deckert. listening, at that time of day, to the speech- the plants in the greenhouse and described Is it as simple as, in order to save money, Fabulous. based local radio breakfast programmes, in what it was and how to look after it, while producers these days cut back where they can No music at all (I think). Bliss. the eight areas covered, was 23%, higher the scene hands rushed out to his supply of – so no more sound assistants, no more So…documentary makers: Please understand than for Radio 4 (17%) and only just below plants out in the yard and were handing boom operators, no more wild tracks and no that music is one of the ‘high’ arts, like poetry Radio 1 (25%). them up to him from one side while other more carefully crafted recording. Just grab or dance? Don’t monkey around with it like As ever, light music on Radio 2 had the scene hands cleared the others away. what you can from a mic attached to the top business outlets do with Muzak! highest figure, 34%. This achievement of the Percy did a half-hour programme totally of the camera. In the Seventies and Eighties, Yes, music can add nuance and emotion to stations’ small but keen staff, who worked off the cuff while the cameramen offered up the BBC set the benchmark for quality sound. drama and wildlife programmes, and it can exceptionally hard, prompted the the shots that the director would expect to be Now, so often, it is of no consequence. It is and should be used with relevance and Government to approve a further 12 stations able to use. I suspect no-one, apart from the cheap, but at what price! discretion in documentaries but constant and which opened in most of the big cities studio crew, was aware that anything had Oh, and thanks to Chris for keeping us on totally non-descript? within the following two years. gone wrong. our toes! Vienna was teeth-gnashingly painful to me. Nigel Holmes Roy Bradshaw Dick Coles Dave Johnstone Carlisle

PROSPERO APRIL 2017 05 Dream of Gerontius A family connection I enjoyed reading the letter from Chris Rogers 80 years of family service in the December edition of Prospero in which - Dream of Gerontius My father, George Leask, was in service with the BBC for 33 years, as a handyman driver. he mentions the 1984 transmission of the Might I be allowed to add a little to the letter When he retired in 1969, I was interviewed for his job, by Mr Burgess, and Mr Keown. Three Choirs Festival performance of Elgar’s (Prospero, December 16th)) regarding BBC’s When I retired 34 years later, my boss then was the late John Cowie. He said ‘why The Dream of Gerontius. broadcasts of The Dream of Gerontius and don’t you do meet and greets?’ and so today, 13 years later, I still do them. I was particularly interested to read that also note something of my own personal My father didn’t like his photo taken, so the ones I have sent are the only ones I have. Chris Rogers was in the audience for the connection with the great composer. The one with my father was taken in Claremont Street, before they moved to recording of the concert on the evening of By the end of the 19th century most Beechgrove, and the ones with myself are at Beechgrove Ter. Saturday 18 August 1984, as both my wife public music making came from the So this month I will be 73, and that brings the total years of continuous service to 80! and myself actually took part in the growth of a plethora of choral societies of Ian Leask performance as members of the Three Choirs whom the best and most famous were the Festival Chorus. Huddersfield Choral Society and the 1 2 3 On 2 September I recorded the TV Birmingham Triennial Festival. The Chairman broadcast on VHS and a trawl through a huge of the Birmingham Festival, George Hope pile of audio cassettes has just brought to Johnstone (although my mother said that light two tapes labelled as being off-air he was always referred to as George Harry) recordings of the concert, including the decided that for the 1900 Festival he should short opening ceremony for the 257th Three commission a major work by a British Choirs Festival. I think the recordings must composer. Max Bruch, Gounod and Dvořák be almost complete, although I believe there had been the three immediately previous may be a short break around the start of commissionees, and his obvious choice 4 5 Part 2 caused by the need to change cassettes. was Edward Elgar. Although not his Unfortunately, in order to assess the original intention Elgar decided to set the present state of these recordings, I think I poem by Cardinal Newman, ‘The Dream will need to repair my remaining cassette of Gerontius’. player, the TEAC A103 on which they were GH Johnstone, who was my grandfather’s recorded having given up the ghost a few uncle, found that Elgar, as was so often the years ago. case, was unsure of both his ability to write Of course it is now some time since Chris the work and to have it ready in time. Rogers’ letter appeared in Prospero and by now Johnstone and his wife made many a he may have been successful in locating a 1 & 2: George Leask. journey to Elgar to bolster his confidence. good quality stereo recording. However it 3-5: Ian Leask in BBC days. The first performance took place on might be interesting to pass this information 3 October 1900, in Birmingham Town Hall on to him, and also to let him know that I and was a near disaster. The Chorus Master transferred the VHS Gerontius tape to DVD a had died during rehearsals and his successor, few years ago. The concert given on the second evening of the Festival, Sunday who had to deal with the difficult score, 19 August, was also transmitted later, on TV was not as competent as he could have been. What about the ‘mother’ of television? only, at least in part, and I have those extracts The tenor sang consistently one tone flat Further to the debate as to who was the ‘father’ of television – John Logie Baird or Alan also transferred to DVD. The quality is not and by the end Elgar was distraught and Archibald Campbell-Swinton (there’s a snappy name to conjure with!) – surely it was the brilliant, given the fact that the original the public were very heavily critical of the ‘mother’ of television who should be remembered? off-air recordings have passed through the work. However the conductor, Hans Richer, On Christmas Eve in 1252 at the Convent of Assisi, the nun Clare lay ill on her bed when VHS process, but they are certainly recognised it for what it was, and after on the wall of her room she watched the midnight mass taking place at the Basilica of Assisi, interesting for those of us who had the good several more performances ‘The Dream of some ten miles away. In 1958, Pope Pius XII declared this to have been the first example of fortune to be there, and to have taken part in Gerontius’ became accepted as the television, announcing Clare to become St Clare, the Patron Saint of television. that commemoration of the 50th anniversary masterpiece it clearly is. It’s just a thought, but being Christmas Eve, if Clare had changed channels she could have of Elgar’s death. By 1970 and 80 I had become a music watched The Sound of Music…although being in a convent, she might even have appeared in it! If Chris Rogers would like copies of my studio manager for the BBC in Birmingham Wilf Lower DVDs I shall be very pleased to send them, and as such I broadcast ‘Gerontius’ on and I will endeavour to see what I can find occasions with the City of Birmingham on the cassette tapes. Symphony Orchestra, but because of a My wife and I had joined the Hereford BBC directive, none of the earlier live contingent of the Festival Chorus in 1978, broadcasts were recorded. However there and continued to take part in Festival are four in the CBSO Sound Archive. concerts until around 1994. I became However the simultaneous broadcast of the Press and Publicity Officer for the Hereford opening concert of the Three Choirs Festival Festivals of 1985 and 1988 and Festival on 2 September 1984, to which Chris Rogers Secretary (Administrator) for the Hereford refers, was not with the CBSO but with the Festivals of 1991 and 1994. The time I spent BBC Welsh Symphony Orchestra, by which working for Three Choirs were certainly name it was then known. The conductor was among the most fascinating and rewarding Andrew Davis and the soloists were Janet periods of my life, and reading Chris Rogers Baker, Stuart Burrows and Benjamin Luxon. letter has revived a good number of memories In those days television and radio used (not least of which that of the extreme heat separate balances and the Welsh Sound in the cathedral during the BBC recordings!) Supervisor, Geoff Atkins, did the BBC2 mono John Harris balance whilst I did the one in stereo for Normandy, France Radio 3. I have a feeling that the stereo was recorded experimentally with the long Thank you John – we have passed your details on to lamented Betamax system. Chris and hope that he is in touch with you shortly. It was already a very hot day outside and with the huge array of television lights beating down it soon became unbearably hot for the audience in the Cathedral and some one, I have no idea who, decided to open all the doors. Unfortunately one small side door was directly opposite the lighting generators and as a result their hum is apparent on the broadcast. Alan Johnstone Ward

PROSPERO APRIL 2017 06 MEMORIES The BBC in Scotland: 1

the first 50 years by Mike Shaw Mike Shaw provides some highlights of the BBC’s first 50 years in Scotland, taken from the book of the same name by Pat Walker, which he helped deliver into print. (This was covered briefly in the December 2016 issue; space precluded us from

providing more details at the time.) 3 2

he greatest pleasure in delivering talent and ideas across all the genres. Just one into print Pat Walker’s account of example is that presumed, quintessentially The BBC in Scotland: The First 50 years, Home Counties’ broadcasting perennial was recording the real experience originally called Lift Up Your Hearts – A Thought Tof real staff in those earlier times in all their For The Day, which was in fact the invention glory, though never to forget their more of Scottish Controller, Melville Dinwiddie, ‘challenging’ moments as well. Otherwise, on the outbreak of World War Two. it would all have been lost forever. I suspect that even fewer people will recall Just think of the agonies experienced that this spiritual programme was accompanied by the Edinburgh 2EH production team by a further daily show designed to boost the responsible for Broadcasting The Barricades in nation’s physical health. Up In The Morning Early 1926. This world’s first ‘spoof’ programme, was the ‘Green Goddess’ of wartime broadcasting, heard throughout the UK, recounted the though the Ministry of Health had much 5 destruction of Big Ben by revolutionaries. earlier advised against this subject matter, It ended with the rebels ‘marching recommending that ‘attending to ablutions’ 4 on the BBC’, resulting in elderly aunts (not should be the priority at this time of day. just of BBC staff) throughout the country This view no doubt also crossed the mind of experiencing ‘the vapours’. Fortunately, the pianist called in on freezing Glasgow John Reith, the first General Manager of mornings to deliver the rousing accompaniment. what was then the British Broadcasting From a personal point of view, editing Company, decided that the programme had Pat Walker’s book threw up wonderful been properly ‘signposted’, those with ‘the challenges of its own. Tracking down the vapours’ were clearly (I paraphrase) daft, site of the first Dundee studio (established while it was rumoured in Caledonia that he along with Glasgow, Aberdeen and liked the rise in the sale of radio licence sales Edinburgh) had its ‘Hercule Poirot’ moments. that the publicity generated. Historic Scotland and Dundee University were extremely helpful in finally identifying an old jute factory office, which I have to say 1: Christine Orr, Children’s Hour. 2: John Reith. 3: Scottish Controller, Melville Dinwiddie. ‘Scotland gave John was a million miles away from being a 4: Edinburgh 2EH staff. 5: First Dundee studio. ‘no expense spared’ location! Reith to the BBC, Virtually all readers will also almost certainly identify with the revelations imbued with the values unearthed that within less than a decade of David Pat Walker: The BBC in Scotland: The First 50 Years is available at 20% off the published operation the four original Scottish stations price of £12.99 by using the discount code BBCPB2016 when phoning (0131) 225 4326, or by he himself declared were being subject to proposals for cuts ‘to visiting the publisher’s website (luath.co.uk) and entering the code on the shopping cart page. reduce costs, avoid repetition, etc’. were inherited from his But a local civic response to this will perhaps chime across the generations. Glasgow childhood’ Aberdeen astutely waved a message from the palace saying their recital from Balmoral had Lodgers and instamatics met with ‘Royal favour’. A cunning plan, But what then of the Scottish executives who some might say, and clearly very influential. Patricia Campbell, BBC Visitor W1, W2 and W5, writes: made a successful bid to relay the whole Earlier, Edinburgh had been shocked to its of the Scotland-England football match in refined roots by the suggestion that, as a I had been meaning to contact Lucy Patten But how did her camera get into my things? 1935 (London had suggested only the designated relay station, it should take its for years (20 to be exact). I came across an She told me we had the same lodger. She second half to accommodate the Boat Race)? sustaining service from the West of Scotland. instamatic camera with her name and very must have had this camera in her things They followed up this achievement for the Glasgow voices on the Morningside and old address on it. I wanted to return the and as we all know lodgers leave more than nation’s sports fans by turning their backs on New Town airwaves? Heaven forfend! camera to her and I knew the only way they take. It is then up to the landlord to get the very first edition planned for that evening The city’s councillors quickly moved into was through the BBC. rid of this unwanted stuff. With Lucy’s by the BBC in London of a new series that action, rail tickets were booked from However, I knew they would not just permission I will be getting rid of her turned into a world masterpiece…no prizes Waverley to London, and perhaps not give me this information over the phone. camera and more in an auction in Chiswick. for guessing when told that it was presented surprisingly, Edinburgh’s sustaining service Rightly so. I wouldn’t want the Beeb to Also, with her permission, I will give any by a certain Alistair Cooke. was switched to London. give my details out like that. money raised to charity. But we should never forget that while Thus the station opened with the chimes I have been a BBC Volunteer Visitor for delighting in the detail of engine room and of Big Ben, which perhaps ever so slightly a very long time. I was looking through bridge, Pat Walker’s book also succeeds in not explains why the city’s audience has always our annual update on visitors leaving forgetting ‘the big picture’. For example, that tended to have the greatest Caledonian the Scheme and those joining. Lo and Scotland gave John Reith to the BBC, imbued notion for London services. Not that the behold there was Lucy Patten’s name and with the values he himself declared were grumbles about ‘dominant accents and contact details! inherited from his Glasgow childhood. reporting from the Clyde’ do not persist to Surely there could only be one Lucy Scotland also provided the BBC with its first this very day on the nation’s national Patten? I rang her and sure enough it was head of drama, RE Jeffrey, and over the five network. But that, of course, must be another the Lucy Patten. decades that followed a veritable tsunami of story for another time.

PROSPERO APRIL 2017 07

Sadly, Norrie Paramor died in 1979, and in With the permission of the BBC and the Lazy hazy crazy days 1980 the MRO ceased to be a permanent Musicians Union, a new double CD of their in-house BBC orchestra. However, sessions music has been released containing 48 continued throughout the 1980s and into the tracks. It will be a limited edition and will early 1990s on a freelance basis, under the be available from the end of March 2017, The BBC Midland Radio Orchestra direction of many distinguished visiting only from the NDO project. arrangers and conductors, with the nucleus All those involved in the production of MRO players often being augmented by of this CD have given their time and Sadly so many memories were lost, together with possibly much additional freelance musicians and guest soloists. considerable expertise without payment, more, when Pebble Mill in Birmingham finally closed its doors Various small ensembles involving MRO so that the MRO can be heard again, and members were also given the opportunity the stunning musicianship of one of the for the last time in 2004 and was demolished. to broadcast. best of the BBC’s Radio Orchestras can be Bernard Herrmann of NDO fame joined appreciated some 25 years after it ceased the Orchestra in the mid-70s as flautist and to play. here were many excellent occasional conductor, with his wife on harp. All members of the band and those who programmes produced in the The exceptional tracks on the two new were involved in its production will receive Midlands, both for Radio and TV, CDs were recorded in Studio 2, which was a copy of the double album with our including those by the BBC custom designed and resulted in wonderful compliments – please contact us. TMidland Radio Orchestra (MRO). string sounds, with a great separation Ian C Reed The MRO was formed in 1973 and between instruments. included members of the disbanded The band would normally do three-and-a- Midland Light Orchestra (MLO). half days in the studio, producing around Originally formed in 1941, by 1953 the 30+ tracks a week for Radio 2. MLO had become a versatile orchestra of It is thought that these recordings 39 players, including a four-piece rhythm are all that remain of this great orchestra – section. It contributed to many radio even obtaining a photograph of them has programmes, particularly the variety shows been difficult! of the era. The MRO’s recordings were intended for The 32-piece MRO dispensed with no more than two broadcasts and were not the brass section and consisted of archived by the BBC. Following the second 20 strings, five woodwind and seven broadcast, the master tapes were routinely rhythm. Its original musical director sent to the BBC Tape Reclamation Department 10% discount was Norrie Paramor. for bulk erasure and re-use. It was thought available to BBC retirees Sessions of light music were recorded at that no recordings of the MRO existed. All BBC retirees will get a 10% discount Studio 2, Pebble Mill for national broadcast. However, a number of studio back-up off the price of these CDs, which will be Occasionally the orchestra emerged from copies and off-air recordings survived, and it a limited edition and not available in the studio to give public concerts that were is from these that this unique collection has the shops. also broadcast. been made. Hair & make-up memories: Doctor Who

When Joan Stribling read a letter in Stage Screen & Radio about Doctor Who memories, it prompted her to write in with some memories of her own – including the following photo of the TV Design Group which was published in Prospero four years to the issue.

like Lisa Bowerman, the chief one, were also on horseback. It was a lot to ask of the actors. Lisa said her past Indian film experience helped her cope. One walk-on, however, couldn’t. Stripped off with barely anything on underneath, he walked off the set! A replacement was soon found. Photo credit: Don Smith. An optician had to be on standby as these actors also had contact lenses fitted. s the hair, make-up and prosthetics Despite the challenging work, Joan was designer on 18 stories spanning congratulated on set by the producer, five Doctors, along with numerous the late John Nathan-Turner. other TV programmes, it’s safe ‘GHOST LIGHT’ was set in the Victorian toA say that Joan had some challenges along period (with some prosthetic make-up the way. required). It featured Sylvia Syms, Ian Hogg, Her last Doctor Who was with Sylvester Michael Cochrane, Katherine Schlesinger McCoy, with Sophie Aldred as ‘Ace’, his and Frank Windsor. assistant (pictured far right). ‘SURVIVAL’ Joan remembers: ‘I was at a London the ‘spiky’ Eighties hairstyle and make-up was the last of the ‘original’ Doctor Who stories costumiers fitting postiche when Sir Paul I created for her. to be broadcast on BBC1. McCartney walked in. We exchanged hellos ‘When asked, I take part in Doctor Who It was filmed in up to 100 degrees and I continued to read my script! conventions and contribute to Doctor Who Fahrenheit in a Dorset ‘white clay’ pit, ‘One of the other three Doctor Who series DVDs and CDs. I was recently paired with where they had to cope with reflections (18 episodes) I worked on was ‘TERMINUS’ Eric Saward, one of the main writers, and in the intense heat. with Peter Davison, Beryl Reid with her with some of the actors, one of whom had Joan’s work included seven prosthetics insisted-upon red wig (many cat flown in from L.A. There are huge numbers make-ups for the ‘Cheetah people’. Some, conversations!) and Lisa Goddard with of Doctor Who enthusiasts!’

PROSPERO APRIL 2017 08 LIFE AFTER AUNTIE Shouting at the telly

(and the radio) by Alec Sabin

Alec Sabin, former World Service announcer from 1990 information, not enjoying the articulacy of art, sport, gardening, documentaries, history, their own interviewing technique, not art, sport…And so we end up only getting to to 2003, is a freelance voice and presentation trainer. hectoring, not hypnotising us with their dark see and hear a handful of people. Or it feels brown velvet treacle nurtured on twenty fags as if we do. Isn’t there any new blood? With the furore over mumbling in the BBC’s new drama, a day. They are getting something across and The senior managers responsible for who here we come to the first of their obligations ends up and stays on air move in mysterious SS-GB (see page 3), he understands how people feel – to be focussed on their material – what they’re ways. Their highly paid jobs involve juggling talking about. It’s not how you say it it’s what you say. the often even more highly paid talent and when they sit down to watch the telly of an evening. This is what I tell my trainees – not because moving them around the airwaves. And how you say it is not important (of course it others are involved, like agents and bookers, But it’s not only mumbling that gets people going, is) – but if a broadcaster focuses on how s/ which creates a labyrinth that only they he’s saying it instead of what s/he’s saying understand in this competitive field, which is and it’s not only drama. then it will be all about how, not what, and as much to do with marketing as it is with the audience will be focussed on that too. editorial. And marketing one should perhaps What did she say? leave to marketeers. hat do listeners and viewers techniques make you (the audience) like Something else broadcasters need to think But, I will say, the more a broadcaster most hate about the them more, or annoy you less? about is whom they are talking to, in their broadcasts and gets their feet under the table presentation and vocal I sympathise with those that shout at the need to engage with their audience. the easier the relationship is with the mannerisms of those behind screen because I do it myself. And I often Journalists usually have a shrewd idea of who audience. They start talking to us, not at us. theW microphone or in front of the camera: turn the radio down between music tracks reads their copy and these days they are We get to know each other. And like our the professional presenters and news readers? because I don’t want to hear the presenter’s responded to (and in below-the-line comment nearest and dearest we bicker a bit and we Hard to know where to begin. Sing-song over-modulated delivery. These are my sometimes abused) by their readership. have our good days and bad days. Sometimes style, misplaced emphasis, accent, trailing reactions as viewer and listener. As voice Maybe that toughens them up – and if their we fall out. Sometimes we kiss and make up. off at the end of sentences, monotone, coach I can suppress these responses to colleagues on broadcast media get some of But they are there in our living room, car, shouty, high pitched, patronising, listen for mannerisms that can be dealt with. the same treatment, will they perform bedroom, even bathroom and on the train faux-enthusiastic…one could go on. But I can’t deal with the whims, prejudices differently? And if they don the flak jacket, and bus too – and there’s not much we can Some presenters just get up your nose for and judgements of the audience. It’s usually will their performance be affected? Well they do about it, is there? Well we can reach for no better reason than that they remind you the case that if something annoys you on the still have to reach out to us, and at least they the off button and go somewhere else, which of your sister-in-law or that bloke in the media then it’s not for you – you’re too old, can’t hear us shouting at them on the TV. – if we are numerous – may worry those advert. Then there’s that one who’s too posh, young, educated, ill-informed, male, female, But how do they engage us? Well one way marketeers into firing and hiring. northern, estuary, Welsh, Scottish, Caribbean, A, B, C1, C2, D, E. But then a new announcer is for them to have that imaginary conversation Meanwhile I will be there, working on the Aussie…one could go on (again). turns up on your cherished Radio 4, that with us, however diverse we are and however over-modulated, monotone, speedy, highly Likewise, similar positive judgments are gardener, ex-politician, sports personality, many of us there are watching or listening. pitched, boring, slurred, pompous, wrongly handed out to those we love, on presumably z-list celebrity starts appearing on Classic FM, They need to engage us as individuals, not as stressed delivery style of those that come to the channels, networks and stations we listen Radio 2, Sky News, BBC1, 2, 4, Dave, a group. So they need to speak to me as one me. And encouraging them with – yes that’s to regularly, for no better reasons – oh I ITV18…someone must like them, or then person and you and you, even though we much better. Only to go home, turn the telly always like so and so – he’s got such a maybe they’re having an affair with the may be in our thousands. Indeed, when I on and shout at it. beautiful voice; she can come round to tea – station controller. Still one man’s meat is was broadcasting it was to millions. she reminds me of my sister-in-law. another woman’s poison. And we will always At the BBC World Service radio in English What are these vocal qualities that get us turn away from pet hates – in my case those during the Nineties where I was working going and why? If you are a broadcaster or who I regard as pompous, egotistical, at the time, we had a huge audience want to be one, or just an occasional over-modulating (ministers of funny voices) (45 million regularly tuned in weekly), contributor, how can you acquire the skills to or who think they have beautiful voices the majority of whom were either in the turn your audience on – or at least avoid sometimes defined by adjectives like Indian sub-continent or west Africa. So my turning them off or, more importantly, avoid ‘golden, deep brown, velvet, smoky, lived in, imagination allowed me to focus on one being turned off? no-nonsense’. individual representative of this multitude As a voice and presentation trainer to Two things that I look out for in those on that would fill 900 football stadiums, based broadcasters, I am asked to tinker with radio and TV is whether they are focussed on a very sketchy demographic gleaned from delivery, pitch, warmth, clarity, speed, accent, on their material (which must interest me), audience research: young, male, educated, intonation. Broadcasters often have problems and whether are they speaking to me. middle-class. So I started addressing myself with getting through long sentences, being Sounds obvious really, doesn’t it? But it is to a 26-year-old Indian post-graduate nervous on live radio and TV, getting it off something broadcasters are apt to let slide science student, who I imagined was writing the page (if they’re reading a script), because they’re too busy, they’ve been doing his PhD thesis on metallurgy at the kitchen hesitations and structure (if they’re not). it too long, they think they’re getting away table in his apartment in Delhi listening These are all things I can help with. Then with it, they’re wedded to a delivery that has to me on the radio. 45 million into one. there are those I can’t or won’t help with – worked for them well for a long time or Hi Deepak! lisping, weak ‘r’s, regional and foreign they’ve been told they have a voice with an But back to those we love and hate. accents to name a few; or giving them a adjective attached to it. Sometimes people say to me, ‘Can’t you do beautiful voice – whatever that is. Let’s look at how broadcasters can ‘speak something about so and so? S/he’s got that The issues I do help with that come up a to me’ – the audience. Broadcasting emulates accent, emphasises all the wrong words, lot are pitch, speed and intonation. Even a conversation in some (but not all) ways. It’s doesn’t know what s/he’s talking about, short training session can make a difference. like a dialogue where one person (the trails off etc.’ and then a few months later Women can deal with their often wrong audience) is mute. If it sounds like a these bêtes noires become household names Alec’s book You’re On! The Broadcast perception that a higher-pitched voice lacks monologue where the audience is missing and are not only acceptable but loved. What Presentation Handbook is an instruction authority. Nervous or adrenalin-fuelled then we, the audience, are apt to switch off happened there? Do we now love them for performers are encouraged to slow down to and go missing. We don’t want to be talked drawing out those prepositions? manual for anyone appearing on the keep their audience with them and prevent at. If however we are being engaged then And then there’s another problem – the media. It’s available at £9.99 in major stumbles. Dry monotone can be spiced up the broadcaster is talking to us. S/he’s airwaves are full of the same voices and faces bookshops and online retailers. with vocal variation to give meaning to telling us something. Not reading to us, – the ones we supposedly love; the same people ISBN-13: 978-1539512189 sometimes uninspiring text. But will these not over-dramatising boring lists – tracts of get to do everything – news, current affairs,

PROSPERO APRIL 2017 09 Cancer in a foreign country

The BBC Pension Scheme has around 1,000 beneficiaries living abroad, with 180 members in France. One of our ex-pat members called our attention to a charity operating Club Western House is now called in that country – Cancer Support France – and asked BBC Club W1 Please note the BBC Club Retired that we provide some publicity for the incredibly helpful members’ lunch at the special rate of £5 work it does. for one course and £6.50 for two courses is available Monday to Friday 12-2pm. ancer and its treatment is difficult ways to English-speaking people living in enough in your own country but France who are touched by cancer. We BBC Club, Connect Groups in a new land and in a strange support cancer patients themselves but also One of the oldest Connect Groups is the language it can be very, very, their carers, families and those closest to Golf Society, whose new season kicked Ccomplex indeed. Can you imagine how you them. We are all volunteers, many of us speak off on 31 March. See the website for more would cope if you had to face the diagnosis fluent French and, vitally, we have extensive details: www.bbcclub.com/connect/ of cancer while living in France? knowledge of the French healthcare system. golf or contact [email protected] Perhaps you have just retired to France ‘Many of us have experienced cancer BBC Rambling Club organises rambles and you are still struggling with the first-hand and understand the emotional (usually circular) of between 6 and 12 miles language – would you understand what the effects of the disease and its treatment. CSF aims to: every 3rd Sunday in the Home Counties. doctors are telling you? Where would you All our volunteers are fully trained and abide • Provide you with support which is Lunch will be at a local pub, or bring go for the information you needed to by our strict confidentiality policy. Over the confidential and free of charge your own. All abilities welcome! manage your illness in a way that is best for past 13 years, CSF has made a real difference • Offer support to you, your family and See the website for more details: you? Would you understand the French to the lives of nearly 2,000 people and today, your carers by telephone, in person or www.bbcclub.com/connect/rambling healthcare system? our network of affiliated, but independent, by email or contact [email protected] Cancer Support France is an organisation associations throughout France supports • Help you to ask the right questions Or why not join BBC Riding Club? Riding that offers the emotional, linguistic and around 400. Our aim is to ensure there is no • Accompany you to consultations and is a great way to keep fit without even practical help and access to the information English speaker of any nationality in France provide language support if needed realising it! The Club night is on a Thursday that you may need. who needs us but who is not aware of us.’ • Guide you to other sources of in North London. See the website for details: Originally set up in 2002, it is today a appropriate advice www.bbcclub.com/connect/riding or network of 15 independent associations • Provide access to information in email [email protected] throughout France that provides support for CSF relies on volunteers and is always English about cancer and its treatment Canal cruising English-speaking people touched by cancer, keen to welcome new members and in France Bookings are now being taken for whatever their country of origin, gender or supporters. For a list of associations visit • Visit you at home or in hospital when religious affiliation. this is possible the BBC Club barge. Moored this www.cancersupportfrance.org, or for year in Northamptonshire, all Club As Penny Parkinson, the national cancer support and advice call the national • Welcome you to ‘drop in’ days or support President, explains: ‘CSF offers emotional group meetings at an association near you. members can enjoy a narrow boat life, helpline: 0800 240 200. and practical support in many and varied and training is given at the start of your week! See the website for details: www.bbcclub.com/connect/canal

Prospero Society events LIFE BEFORE AUNTIE Planned outings for May include visits to the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Museum and then the Cinema Museum. We venture outdoors in June for an informal visit to Afore ye go Kew Gardens and also hope to attend a West End show. Further details are in the newsletter: http://www.bbcclub.com/ ‘Afore ye go’ is my favourite slogan first noticed in connect/prospero/newsletters

Dundee on a bottle of Bell’s whisky and I still use Prospero Society AGM The Prospero Society AGM will be it as a heading of my hand-written list of ‘musts’ held in BBC Club W1 on Tuesday, prior to every trip to the Czech Republic, the 25 April 2017 at 11am. It is open to all BBC Club Prospero Society members. country of my birth. We would particularly welcome anyone willing to get involved in however small or started in Bonnie Dundee in 1969 At the time when only short contracts wait for that announcement. I remember large a capacity with the running of the with my girlfriend from Prague came my way, fate stepped in. BBC External the evacuation of the theatre: absolutely Prospero Society. who became my wife there. It was Services in London’s Bush House advertised no panic, a quiet crowd walking, only one year after the tanks of the Warsaw a job of a Czech programme assistant in stern faces betraying the tension of BBC Club competitions IPact invaded my home town Liberec. their Czechoslovak Section. Since there the moment. Don’t forget BBC Club members can Many of us thought the tanks were in was a chance for a permanent position, A few weeks later, on 21 November, enter the monthly competition! Recent fact manned by Germans, which is why I decided to apply. Following a series already working in London, we learned prizes have included a £200 voucher swastikas appeared on the walls throughout of tests and interviews I became a with horror the details of explosions in for Oliver Bonas stores or lunch with the town. In Dundee we witnessed the broadcaster in 1974. two Birmingham restaurants, Mulberry wine for two! April’s competition is for a demolition of houses built during the It was the year of increased IRA terrorist Bush and Tavern, in which 21 innocent floatation experience with FloatWorks. industrial revolution more than two activity and bomb alerts were quite frequent. people were killed and 182 injured. We also have an Easter Egg giveaway via centuries before. Shortly before moving to London my wife Reporting these horrible events from the website BBCCLUB.COM and will be After our graduation we moved down and I were enjoying the sounds of Madame Bush House for the Czech listeners I giving away tickets for the House and south. I intended to enter a postgraduate Butterfly in a Birmingham theatre. When part fully realised how tough it was for a Garden festival at Olympia in June. course in England and become an academic. one finished, the audience were kindly journalist to be detached and objective Having spent a year at the University of asked to look under their seats, leave the as far as possible. BBC Club Broadcast Centre, BC2 B3, Essex, we both found interesting posts at building and wait outside for a further Milan Kocourek 201 Wood Lane, London W12 7TP the University of Birmingham. announcement. We had no inclination to Czech Section, BBC Bush House, 1974-1998 020 8752 6666 [email protected]

PROSPERO APRIL 2017 10 OBITUARIES

Welsh Head of She started dressmaking from home as ‘Lisa My father had a fascinating earlier life as a Lighting up Mastermind of London’. After a brief spell of secretarial journalist/linguist (he was fluent in nine documentaries work she joined BBC TV in the early 1960s languages) at Radio Free Europe in Munich, John Wilson, best known as an engineering as a costume supervisor – and stayed for translating the human rights document manager in Outside Broadcasts, and who lit and drama 30 years. Her credits included Compact, Charter 77 and later contributing to key Mastermind for many years, has sadly died, The Very Merry Widow, Bergerac, Rentaghost, Bluebirds papers on nuclear, chemical and biological on 19 January 2017, after a year-long fight and Bad Boyes. warfare reduction at the Arms Control and against cancer. With treatment he seemed to Lisa was fearlessly outspoken, famously Disarmament Department at the Foreign be making a good recovery, but unfortunately tactless. Director Jeremy Swan affectionately Office under Minister Lord Chalfont in the suffered a relapse in December. recalls: ‘She could be a holy terror but Wilson Government. John joined the BBC in 1963 as a Technical always dressed the cast with great flair and He also had a passion for botany Assistant and moved to Television News at boundless enthusiasm, coping daily with (publishing books on the flowers and fungi Alexandra Palace after his initial training highly charged temperaments that entirely found in Northern Cyprus), classical music course, transferring to Outside Broadcasts matched her own.’ ‘This frock makes my composition and mathematics. in 1965, and spending his first few years in bottom look big!’ ‘That can’t be helped, dear, He will be much missed by his sons Kevin Radio Links. your bottom IS big!’ and Tony who now inconveniently have In 1968, by now a Grade C engineer, I worked as Lisa’s assistant on several no-one else classically trained to turn to for he joined Roger White on one of the two productions including Birds of a Feather and checking the spelling of a difficult word or Mobile Video Tape Recording vans, and by Eastenders. Always fiercely protective of her its etymology! 1970 had become a VT Editor in his own Television producer and film-maker, Richard team, her endearing traits included kindness Kevin Viney (son) right on MVT3, covering a whole range of ‘Dic’ Lewis, was born in 1938 in the Rhondda and remaining serenely oblivious to teasing. actuality programmes, including the Party Valley village of Ton Pentre where, as son of Costume designer Barbara Kronig Conferences, during the Seventies and a Methodist minister and crowned Bard, he recollects: ‘When she was barely 20, she The BBC Radio 4 early Eighties. was brought up in a Welsh-speaking, non- once asked me, quite seriously, what school He became an Engineering Manager in conformist tradition which imbued him was like in my day! As there were only five producer Tel.OBs in1985, and planned or lit a wide with a life-long commitment to Wales, its or six years between us I burst out laughing. Michael Ember was born in Hungary, where range of programmes, including several language and culture. From then on she was always ‘Young Lisa’ to his father had been a lawyer before falling air shows, and, in 1988, a sequence shot In 1961, he spotted a BBC advert for a my ‘Old Crone’.’ foul of both the Nazi and Communist on Concorde during a return flight to ‘temporary assistant floor manager’ at the Over a period of 25 years she handmade regimes. After the 1956 occupation Michael Washington and Miami. BBC’s rudimentary, black-and-white 405- 52 patchwork quilts. Respecting Lisa’s wish came to England, where he joined the BBC In the middle of 1989 he was again line studios in Cardiff – built in the shell of for ‘no cut flowers’ one of these beautiful World Service to read the News in promoted and became the lead EM on an old Methodist Chapel. By 1963 he was quilts was laid over her coffin throughout Hungarian. He also presented a programme Mastermind, on which he worked, and lit, a studio director working on frenetic news the Humanist Funeral. of pop music, which was seen as anti- until his retirement in 1997. There followed programmes like Wales Today and the Welsh- Lisa Benjamin was truly a formidable, government propaganda, leading to him a short spell as a freelance EM, during language magazine programme Heddiw. unique character, full of contradictions, but being declared a Public Enemy in his which period he planned the OB coverage However, it was in 1974, as Head of very much part of that fabulous melting pot homeland, and prevented him returning of the Westminster Abbey Service as part of Documentaries and Features in Cardiff that of creative talent which first gave BBC TV a to it for many years. the coverage of the funeral of the Princess Richard’s work began to make an impact worldwide reputation par excellence. He moved to Radio 4 to work on the of Wales. beyond Wales. There followed a succession of Maggie Partington-Smith launch of The World Tonight in 1970 and a few He was for several years a member of the network dramas such as Dylan (about Dylan years later took over another new-ish BBC Yacht Club, and enjoyed being part of Thomas); Nye (about Aneurin Bevan); The programme called Start The Week. He and his the crew of Ariel on many occasions. Extremist (about Welsh terrorist John Jenkins, Doctor in the colleague Hugh Purcell evolved it into one of John was meticulous in his work, paid written in collaboration with Paul Ferris); the most successful weekly programmes of great attention to detail and was very popular and the BAFTA-winning Shadowlands in 1985 Czechoslovak section the time. At its height it had some three with both his OB colleagues, and production (written by William Nicholson). million listeners. Under his stewardship it staff. He was a really nice man, a dependable After 27 years at the BBC, Richard moved became a live magazine programme, colleague, and a good friend. to an independent production company, becoming the model for much breakfast- Geoff Taylor Opus to produce award-winning Welsh time television when it came along. dramas for S4C including Y Palmant Aur Because of its success, Michael was asked (The Golden Pavement), the drama Nel to invent an equivalent programme for the Absent-minded and Y Weithred (The Act) about the terrorist end of the week – Stop The Week. Despite the bomb blast at the site of the contentious fact that ‘nobody seemed to know what the science producer Tryweryn Dam. new thing was supposed to be’, it took to the Peter Beer was a senior producer in the World He died on 15 December 2016 leaving air waves…and quickly became something Service Science Unit from 1966 to 1987, a widow Bethan, and three children – Elen, of a broadcasting institution. where he produced Science in Action, Discovery and Sion and Gwenllian. In 1982 Michael oversaw the launch of a variety of features, especially on his favourite David Morris Jones Midweek – and it was a regular item on that subject of astronomy. programme which led Michael to conceive Peter was born in Hamburg, where his In The Psychiatrist‘s Chair. Dr Antony Clare was father, Arthur, was a renowned astronomer. Outspoken costume Dr Deryck Viney died peacefully in his sleep on the Midweek panel the morning when Arthur had to flee Germany in 1934, on 27 December 2016 but will surely be Angela Rippon’s guest in her weekly when Peter was four, and got a post at the designer remembered by BBC colleagues who worked ‘Birthday Interview’ spot had been Enoch Cambridge Observatories thanks to a letter Lisa Benjamin was diagnosed with cancer with him in the Czechoslovak section (later Powell. In the production office afterwards of recommendation from no less than in April 2015. Always feisty, in true ‘Lisa closed in 2006) at Bush House in the Sixties Dr Clare gave a 20-minute monologue to Albert Einstein. style’ she fought hard with the cancer and and Seventies. the production team, analysing Powell’s Peter began a maths degree at Cambridge, allegedly also with the doctors. She died at As BBC Programme Organiser, Deryck character on the basis of what he had moving to Manchester to complete a degree home aged 82, on 7 January 2017. covered the dramatic period of the Soviet witnessed. In The Psychiatrist‘s Chair went on to in physics. He went on to do postgraduate Born on 15 September 1934, she invasion of Czechoslovakia and was run for 18 years and won a Sony Gold Radio work in Edinburgh where he met an arts remained in the same house in West amusingly named as Persona non Grata Award in 1996. student, Barbara, who was to become his Hampstead throughout her life. (a spying euphemism) in 1968 in a famous Michael Ember is survived by his wife devoted wife for more than 60 years. Her father loved theatre and amateur list of 2,000 people published by the Soviet Elizabeth and three sons (an orthopaedic In 1966 he applied for a science producer dramatics; her glamorous mother had embassy in Prague. surgeon, an executive in management and a post at World Service and, to his surprise – enjoyed success as a child actress and dancer. He and his family felt this quite an legal adviser in the Cabinet Office). given that he had no broadcasting experience Lisa attended Hammersmith Art College honour and he continued regardless during He died on 14 February 2017 following – was the successful candidate, producing his from the tender age of 15. Her first job this Cold-War period to recruit journalists enduring complications which followed a first programme five days after joining. in conservation was for The London Museum and broadcasters to keep the World quadruple bypass operation in 2011. Peter was very modest about his skills – later, she boasted ‘guarding Queen Service transmissions as accurate and fresh Ian Gardhouse and achievements. Not many of us knew Victoria’s knickers!’ as possible. that he also edited a journal – a journal

PROSPERO APRIL 2017 MEMORIES 11 with only one issue a year, but a top quality, Bob Shennan, Director BBC Radio and internationally recognised journal, Vistas in A Television BBC Music (and former Controller of Talented cameraman Astronomy. It had been founded by his father. Network stalwart BBC Radio 2) said: ‘Desmond was a warm, In July 2015 Andy Peter had some of the likeable caring and generous man who was much Payne was characteristics of an absent-minded professor. loved by the Radio 2 audience and all diagnosed with On one occasion we were interviewing those who had the pleasure of working Leukaemia and was the President of the British Association, with him during his illustrious career. admitted into the Sir Alistair Pilkington, when I noticed a He was a natural broadcaster and a key QE Hospital in surprised look on Sir Alistair’s face. I followed part of the BBC Radio family. Our thoughts Birmingham. A his eye-line down to Peter’s ankles where, are with his family and friends at this very year of treatment sticking out below his trousers were the sad time.’ including a bone ends of a pair of striped pyjamas. Discretely Lewis Carnie, Head of Radio 2 said: marrow transplant questioned about this later, Peter said it was ‘Desmond’s weekly Friday evening sadly failed and he rather cold when he got up! programme, The Music Goes Round was full of died in July 2016, After retiring from the BBC, Peter musical gems and treasures, and he will be with his family continued to write and produce audio tapes very much missed by his listeners. He had a alongside. and built his own home in Soham, where he long career and we are so glad he was part of Fred Smith joined the BBC in 1958 with an He joined Pebble Mill in 1980 and was became a town councillor. He also became engineering degree from Sutton College. the Radio 2 family for so much of it.’ allocated to crew 4 under disciplinarian an enthusiastic amateur pilot. He was assigned to Central Areas (later Tony Wigley – he quickly became a valued Sadly, Parkinson’s disease grounded him Television Network Department) at Television crew member. Like his father David, then eventually. A colleague flew Peter’s plane in Centre, where he worked for all his time News reporter whose Assistant Audio Manager, he was a true BBC tribute over the cemetery after the funeral. at the BBC, in Central Apparatus Room, man and proud to be so. From day 1 he set I and many, many other broadcasters, build belied a Presentation Studios, and International his standards very high. Camerawork came writers and friends owe him more than Control Room. In due course he was sensitive side easily to him; if he was ever stressed or we can say. We will miss him deeply. promoted to senior engineer, supervising For such a combative-looking man Denis flustered he never showed it. Shot cards Martin Redfern operations in these areas. Frost was at heart a gentle, solitary soul. were always clean, using only arrows/hints His expertise was put to good use Denis, who was a radio reporter and where necessary. He memorised the detail Key figure in Late Night working for EBU covering major correspondent from the mid-Sixties to the of shots and positions with ease. He had international sporting events. late Eighties, died at his home in Taunton in great confidence in his own abilities. Line-up He was a conscientious and reliable December aged 84. Redundancy was imposed in 2001 and he went freelance. The new Doctors programme I knew Mike Fentiman almost exactly colleague, never flustered, and always willing He relished the fact that his build gave 40 years and he was an inspirational figure to help others. He was a good organiser of him the look of a prize fighter. A well- took him and this suited him perfectly. This in my life, as I am sure he was for many various events, especially the Christmas party, turned-out pugilist, to be sure, as he was new programme style wanted new talent. others. His death in February will be deeply where he arranged the beer supplies, and something of a dandy, but his muscularity This meant there was no travelling mourned. When you think of people at usually cooked the turkey for all to enjoy. gave no hint of the sensitivity he worked countrywide. He could now maximise relatively senior levels in the BBC it’s hard Appropriately he was born on Christmas Day, hard to conceal. precious time with his family and play his to think of many like Mike, who always so his birthday was well celebrated. As a journalist he was a master of his beloved cricket at weekends. remained true to his vision of opening up He was a keen philatelist and member craft. He knew he wanted to write for a He played in the BBC Birmingham team the airwaves to an ever greater diversity of of that Club section, with an extensive living when still a grammar schoolboy. for 25 years, often as captain. Home life to experiences and viewpoints, both in the personal collection. His career began on a range of West Country Andy was paramount, a super husband to name of social justice and to make TV much Regarded by friends and colleagues as papers and as the Guardian’s West of England Kate and brilliant dad to Jenni, Tom and more interesting. a life-long bachelor, to the surprise and correspondent. For the BBC he worked Nicola. Above all else family life came first He was a key figure on the legendary Late amazement of all, after his retirement in in the harsh worlds of civil war reporting, for him. He had achieved the perfect home Night Line-Up (later Line Up) on BBC2 in the 1994 he married Elizabeth, who he had met of industrial strife and the political rough life/work balance. late Sixties and early Seventies, which, if that at the Club philately meeting. He also learnt and tumble of Common Market wrangling. Later, DOP on Doctors stretched him was Mike’s only contribution to TV history to drive. Yet his private pleasures were solitary and but he found it rewarding. Gardeners’ World one could say he’d had a great career. It’s He enjoyed horse racing, especially at the sedate. He was at ease in the bar-room wanted his services and here was the interesting to compare Line Up with The Late nearby Epsom race course, snooker with world of daily journalism but his passion delight of working in a small crew Show, the equivalent magazine programme on friends at Motspur Park, and canal trips. was for music. He knew his stuff: he wrote environment. This he loved and made BBC2 in the Nineties, which always seemed His wife died in 2016, and sadly, Fred about music for the Guardian. He treasured great new friends, particularly with Monty to assume the existence of an unstated died at home in November 2016, shortly his membership of the Garrick Club but Don’s dogs! Andy advanced non-sync elite, which was cool and hip – but an elite before his 77th birthday. his company of choice was his extensive working on Gardeners’ World, giving them nonetheless. That would have been anathema Fondly remembered for his eternal to Mike, who treated everyone the same, record collection. Only black discs, important extra freedoms – retakes became optimism and wicked sense of humour, Fred and implicitly fought for a more open and of course. Denis just didn’t do modernity. rare. The programme placed a memorial to was someone you would always want in democratic society. He wouldn’t even have a computer. him at the end of the closing titles on his your team. It was through a Line Up item involving As a general reporter he made many trips funeral day. Doctors did likewise one week workers at the Guinness factory in London Brian Elliott to Northern Ireland in the bloody Seventies. later. Such a rare recognition afforded to talking about BBC TV output that the He became a sensitive interpreter of the very few. path-finding public access series Open Door industrial strife of the Thatcher years. After At his funeral, Kings Norton church was was launched, leading to the creation of Long-standing several years attachment to the Today overfilled – about 500 people attended to the Community Programme Unit in 1972. BBC presenter programme he was appointed Radio’s say goodbye. Mike was involved from the start and became agriculture guru. Even though he had little Farewell to a special all-round top man. Tributes have been paid to Desmond the third Editor of the CPU, where he fought experience of country matters, he was Rip Andy. Carrington who has died aged 90 after a long and hard to keep the unit alive in the elegantly equal to making sense of the wine John Moorcroft and David Payne face of considerable hostility at higher levels long battle with cancer and Alzheimer’s disease. lakes and butter mountains that puzzled the in the BBC. Mike was brilliant at encouraging After his death, Clare Teal presented a rest of us. staff and creating the feeling that we were all documentary celebrating the life and career As retirement neared, Denis felt he needed Rosalind Pool on the same side. of Desmond. The programme was recorded to earn some real money. So he left the BBC Ros died peacefully on 21 January in the Towards the end of his life Mike became before the news of his death. and turned his formidable writing skills into Princess Alice Hospice, Esher after a short something of a recluse, an improbable The programme included contributions ghosting adventure yarns for Alistair illness, aged 90. ending for such a sociable and dryly amusing from Petula Clark, John Alderton, Jim Moir, MacLean, one of which made it to the She worked in TV Drama for 40 years, man. I prefer to remember the endless long Mark Radcliffe, Ken Bruce, Jeremy Vine, silver screen. from 1946 at AP and on to Lime Grove and canteen lunches with Mike and so many his long-time producer and partner Dave In retirement he and his brother were others, when the time spent together was Aylott among others, plus archive clips of TV Centre until 1986, when she retired. regulars in the members’ enclosure at She lived in Twickenham for many years always life-enhancing and conducive to Desmond’s work on the BBC and the Armed Somerset’s county cricket headquarters a shared commitment to the values Mike Forces dating back to 1945, including his and will be remembered with affection by at Taunton. many friends and colleagues. embodied throughout his BBC career. memories with lifelong friend, the late Mike Chaney Giles Oakley David Jacobs. Joy Barrett (nee May)

PROSPERO APRIL 2017 12 ODDS & ENDS Reflections Putting it to Pilkington By Olive Crowe Do you remember BBC Local Radio’s pilot projects? I have just been re-reading an article in a recent Prospero about ‘Dementia Friends’, by Paul Hayes of which I am one, and it occurs to me that you may be interested in a small book to be BBC Local Radio reaches a golden milestone published on 31 March. this year, with November marking 50 years I am a retired social worker who is too since the first stations went on air. elderly to run a marathon or abseil a cliff but At BBC Radio Norfolk we were slightly who wishes to raise money to support late to the party, not arriving on the scene research into dementia, an illness tragically until 1980 – but we don’t want to miss out experienced at first hand in caring for my on the celebrations! So, as part of the effort beloved husband, Len Crowe. to commemorate the history of Local Radio, Len worked for the BBC from 1939 for years after he took early retirement, which is we are working on a documentary telling almost 40 years. Sadly now, at the age of 91, when he felt called into the priesthood, the story of what happened a few years he is confined to a nursing home with being ordained after training at Salisbury before the official launch in 1967 – the BBC’s dementia. Theological College when he was nearing Local Radio pilots, conducted in 1961-62. He started as a paper boy at Broadcasting 60. He served in this area for over 20 years These were closed-circuit tests of House, then after service in the RAF he in his ‘second career’. dummy programmes, but made as if they returned to his work in electronics – Reflections is a compilation of mostly were live with full schedules of real guests Alexandra Palace, TV Centre – outside brief but thought-provoking and helpful and features from the local area. The taped broadcasts of many ‘firsts’, then on to being quotations that may perhaps be kept at the output was then used as part of the BBC’s capacity in the late 1950s or early 1960s a project engineer involved in the setting up bedside, dipped into and mulled over from evidence to the government’s Pilkington and could talk about what the radio set-up of Birmingham, Manchester, Aberdeen etc. time to time. Committee on why they should be allowed there was like at the time, we’d also love to He enjoyed his time with the BBC immensely, It is available from your usual book to operate Local Radio stations. hear from you. choosing without question to remain supplier or direct from the publisher Some archive fragments from the ‘Radio Anybody willing to be interviewed for when offers were forthcoming from ITV (www.ahstockwell.co.uk). RRP £6.95. Norwich’ test in June 1961 survive, and the programme, or who could suggest any and kept in touch with many colleagues for ISBN 978 0 7223 4745-4 we’d really love to speak to anybody who possible leads for tracking down anybody was involved in it. And even though our who might have worked on the 1961 programme will focus on the Norwich Norwich pilot, is very welcome to email Grace Wyndham Goldie (BBC) Trust Fund pilot, we’d also be very keen to speak me via [email protected] to anyone involved in any of the other You can also call me on my direct line – application window now open 15 pilots that took place across the country, at the BBC in Norwich, on 01603 284798. to hear about what the process was like. The finished documentary should be Applications are invited for grants for write for an application form to: BBC Additionally, if you worked for the broadcast sometime in the latter half of educational and hardship purposes from the Pension and Benefits Centre, Broadcasting BBC at All Saints Green in Norwich in any this year. Grace Wyndham Goldie (BBC) Trust Fund. House, Cardiff CF5 2YQ or visit the website The Trust Fund exists to help those where you can download an application engaged in broadcasting or an associated form: activity, now or in the past, as well as their www.bbc.co.uk/charityappeals/about/ children and dependants. grants/gracewyndham-goldie The Trustees of the Grace Wyndham Application forms should be returned by Graphic Design Archive Goldie (BBC) Trust Fund, in their discretion, 31 July. Applicants are considered annually will consider giving assistance towards in September and in no circumstances can I would like to bring to the notice of title sequences, channel identities, educational costs in small ways, such as continuing help over a number of years Prospero readers the planned creation of an programme promotions and editorial travelling expenses, school outfits, books and be promised. Archive dedicated to BBC TV Graphic Design. content for programmes. additions to educational awards. This Archive will be a collaboration between If any former colleagues have any such The resource of the Fund is limited. So the BBC and the University of the Arts material that they feel should be conserved that help can be given where it is most CLASSIFIEDS London and seeks to conserve the work and would like to donate it to the Archive, needed, applicants must be prepared to give, produced by designers working for BBC please contact me to discuss this at: in confidence, full information about the Television from 1958, when the BBC [email protected]. circumstances supporting their applications. Menorca. employed its first art school trained graphic Michael Graham-Smith Those wishing to apply this year should Detached secluded villa with private pool designer, to 2005, when the in-house in Es Castell, Mahon. Sleeps 2-7. Aircon. Graphic Design Department ceased to exist Brochure: 01621 741810 or visit and responsibility for the work passed to an www.menorcaholidayvilla.co.uk external agency. WIN Venice, Giudecca. The Archive will be conserved by UAL in Beautiful apartment in quiet, private its Archives and Special Collections at the £10 courtyard, sleeps 5, fully equipped. CAPTION competition Experience the real Venice. London College of Communication under Tel: 07513 455655. state-of-the-art conditions, alongside other Email: [email protected] important collections, such as the Stanley Pizzo Beach Resort, Calabria, Kubrick Archive. Southern Italy. It will reflect not only the excellence of Two-bed, two-bath apartment, fully the creative work produced by successive equipped. Direct flights. generations of designers for BBC For information and brochure: programmes of every genre in London and [email protected] the regions but also the cultural changes West Dorset. and technological advances made in the Comfortably furnished 3-bedroom cottage industry over five decades. in gardens in quiet village close The Archive will be a unique and valuable to Beaminster and Lyme Bay coast. resource for academics, researchers and The winner of a £10 shopping voucher is Tel: 01420 564264 students at art institutions around Suzanne Croxon who submitted: ‘Right lads to [email protected], with ‘caption when I say ‘NOW’ take a deep breath in and competition 2’ in the subject line. Please the country. Prospero Classifieds, BBC Pension and hold.’ Kay Ennals came a close second include your BBC pension number. It will comprise a digital Archive of Benefits Centre, Broadcasting House, audiovisual material searchable by designer, with: ‘Everyone here is a brave fighting man Good luck! Cardiff CF5 2YQ. – if you shoot me each man is ready to take Picture shows K9, Tom Baker as the fourth programme title, genre or date, as well as Please enclose a cheque made payable to: my place!’ Doctor Who and Lalla Ward as Romana, in related physical artefacts, such as storyboards, BBC Central Directorate. drawings, models and animation cels used in Post your entry to Prospero by Monday, the Doctor Who episode ‘The Leisure Hive’. 8 May 2017. Or, you can email your entry Rate: £6 for 20 words. In a covering letter the preparation, planning and shooting of please include your pension number.

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