Alex joined the Met Office in 1974 as an observer at Glasgow Airport and after training as a forecaster, he worked as an operational aviation forecaster at various defence sites and airports.
…Westwood, Stephen
Stephen was a Carlton TV (London) announcer (1997 – TBC). He also covered the ITV Nighttime service.
Longdon, Erica
Erica was a Carlton Television (London) announcer (January 2000 – 2002). She also announced at Channel 4 (1988 – 1992), The Family Channel (1993 – 1996) and The Disney Channel (1997 – TBC).
Holden, Hilary
Hilary was a Central Television and Thames Television announcer (1980s). Later, she worked for Carlton Television (London) as an announcer (1994 – 5th February 1997).
Hilary now lives in France.
McKenzie, John
John is a former in-vision announcer with Granada TV. He also announced for Carlton Television (London) (May 2000 – October 2002). He went on to study to be a journalist.
Lipscomb, Mark
Mark started his television career as a cameraman and moved into continuity with TVS before joining Thames Television as a continuity announcer in the 1980s. He stayed until Carlton took over and was the only member of the Thames continuity team to move to the new station at its launch on 1st January 1993. Mark was Carlton’s senior announcer until October 2002 when the Carlton identity was dropped. However, Mark continued to present weekend bulletins for Central News (South) – a role he had been performing since 1991. He has also presented the main early evening news programme during the week.
Mark spoke to Showreel in January 2006: “Over the past three-and-a half-years I have had the opportunity of working on a number of projects at Central News. I was assistant producer on a few outside broadcasts including Central’s pan-regional Britain on the Move campaign and the Fairford Royal International Air Tattoo. More recently while our studio was being redesigned for the ITV rebranding, we took Central News outside and presented the programme from five of the region’s hospitals. I helped produce this and was also the roving reporter each night taking on a variety of tasks, from sampling the hospital Christmas dinners to being a cleaner for the day and hospital porter. My skills were also put to the test one night when due to sickness with one of our directors, I ended up directing the outside broadcast. It was a great week and well-received by the viewers. That together with some radio presenting and voiceover work, I have been a busy man since leaving Carlton.”
Cooper, Mike
Mike spent the first four years of his career at BBC Radios WM and Shropshire. He was also a freelance continuity announcer for Central (1993 – 1996). In January 1994, he moved south to work for SSVC (now BFBS) as a self-op announcer and transmission controller.
Mike says: “Having moved south I contacted Carlton and freelanced as an announcer for them from March 1994 until March 1997, then jumped across to the other side of the glass to become a transmission controller for ITV 1 working for LNN. I’d actually started as a transmission controller on a freelance basis in December 1996, then became a staff member in May 1997. To round things up, I stayed with LNN until October 2002. In that time I tried unsuccessfully to move into the newsroom as a director, and my frustration eventually led to finding an opening as a freelance director at ITN alongside my full-time job! I eventually left LNN a week before the rebrand to ITV 1 took place and Carlton/LWT disappeared forever.”
Later, Mike worked at the BBC as a news director. He then went on to spend almost three years doing the same at Sky News. In 2008, he moved back behind the microphone to work full-time as a voiceover artist. In addition to voicing TV programmes, he has returned to continuity: for a time at Film24, and on an ongoing basis for History.
Tompkins, Peter
Also known as Peter James for a brief spell. Peter was one of the main announcers for ITV’s Nighttime service from 1997. He was also a Carlton Television (London) announcer (January 2000 – October 2002). Peter left Carlton in 2002.
Bannerman, Graham
Graham has a wealth of live broadcast experience.
…Goldman, Fiona
Fiona was a TVS announcer (early 1990s) and then a Carlton Television (London) announcer (1993 – 2002). She was also the voice of cable channel Carlton Cinema.
Kerr, Sue
Previously known as Sue Peacock. Sue was born in Welling, Kent. She was a drama tutor for the Women’s Institute and an announcer at LWT (1981 – 1987).
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