Brian was born in Manchester. In 1946, he made his acting debut in Plover Patrol for BBC Radio in Manchester.
…Tomlinson, Peter
Peter was born in Bristol. He began his broadcasting career in 1965, whilst still a student at Oxford University, covering home matches played by Swindon Town FC for the BBC’s Home Service South West. He broadcast live a short report from the linen cupboard of the Goddard Arms Hotel in Swindon!
…Bance, Greg
By passing the 11-Plus, Greg gained entry to his local grammar school in north London, but education seemed to gain little purchase on his mind, which was focussed on tuning around the short wave, discovering the existence of offshore radio and determination to escape as soon as possible.
…Hobley, McDonald
McDonald was born in Stanley, Falkland Islands. He began his acting career in repertory theatre, under the stage names Val Blanchard and Robert Blanchard, using his mother’s maiden name. He toured before World War II in J. B. Priestley’s Time and the Conways. During the war, he served with the Royal Artillery and was involved in an ultimately abandoned plot to abduct Adolf Hitler and bring him to Britain. He also served in Ceylon with the British Forces Broadcasting Service and after being demobbed, he was selected as one of the post-war trio of BBC TV in-vision announcers. He appeared on screen from May 1946 until 1956 and was known as MacHobley. He once introduced the politician Sir Stafford Cripps as “Sir Stifford Crapps”.
…Young, Muriel
Muriel was born in Bishop Middleham, near Sedgefield, Co Durham. On leaving school, she worked briefly as a librarian. She attended art college, before deciding to embark on a career as an actress. She joined a repertory theatre in Henley-on-Thames, where her uncle was directing. She subsequently performed at the Gateway Theatre, London and the Theatre Royal in Chatham. Trying to get into the film industry, she did modelling for advertising agencies, including promoting products such as toothpaste. She also studied to be a dental nurse and used her artistic talents to paint glassware. Starting out as an actress, she starred with Rex Harrison and Kay Kendall in The Constant Husband (1955) and also featured in The Story of Gilbert and Sullivan (1953) in a segment featuring The Mikado.
…Pitts, Valerie
Valerie was an actress. She was RADA-trained (1955 – 1957) and worked in the theatre initially.
…Weston, Colin
Colin was born in London. He left school and joined the press and PR department of ABC Studios in Teddington and stayed for four years. After they lost their ITV franchise, he applied for various announcer jobs across the ITV network.
…Lithgoe, Lynette
Lynette started her television career as an in-vision announcer at Granada Television. She then moved to the BBC in the East Midlands as a presenter (1989) and later became a national BBC TV newsreader (February 1990 – October 1991), mostly on weekend bulletins and for BBC Two’s News View. She also presented the charity appeal programme Lifeline in the late-1980s. She left to join BBC World as a newsreader in 1991.
…Ashworth, Beverley
Granada TV in-vision continuity announcer in the 1980s and 1990s who went on to run her own voiceover agency as well as hosting corporate events.
Ford, Anna
Anna joined Granada TV in 1974 for a job on the company’s news desk. She was a presenter on BBC TV’s Man Alive and Tomorrow’s World (1977). She was a newscaster with ITN (March 1978 – March 1981), and also their medical correspondent in 1980. She left ITN to help set up TV-am, as one of the original ‘Famous Five’, but left in April 1983 after a bitter boardroom battle shortly after the company’s on-air debut.
She was a BBC TV newsreader from February 1989, working mainly on the Six o’Clock News, with occasional appearances on the One o’Clock News. She was a regular presenter on BBC Radio 4’s Today (1993 – 1998). She became the main anchor of the relaunched BBC TV One o’Clock News programme, from May 1999.
Anna retired from news presenting in April 2006.
Baker, Peter
During the 1980s, Peter worked at BBC West in Bristol, presenting news bulletins and filling in as co-host on the main Points West programme alongside Viv Creegor and Graham Purches.
In 1988 he moved to Granada TV In Manchester where he hosted the nightly Granada Action social information programme. He also presented the breakfast show on Key 103 radio.
…Le Moighan, Michael
Michael is a former Granada Television continuity announcer. He continued with his acting career after leaving the announcer’s chair.