Rob is a former BBC Wales TV continuity director/announcer (dates TBC).
Stein, Gary
Gary combined in-vision continuity for Grampian with radio presenting for Northsound 1, having previously done in-vision work for the local cable distributor in Aberdeen. When Grampian was taken over by STV he was left with only the radio work and subsequently left Aberdeen to join Clyde 1. He later reportedly left Clyde to go into radio management.
Crowest, Richard
Richard started his broadcasting career as a researcher and reporter with BBC Radio Humberside, after which he moved on to run the audio arm of a corporate communications company in his native Norwich. His voice skills were spotted by Anglia Television where he spent eight years as a continuity announcer (1990 – 1998). During these years he also wrote for BBC Radio 4, produced a pilot for a radio game show and edited guide books for Jarrold Publishing.
In 1998, he moved into the area of heritage interpretation, attending an MA course at St Mary’s College, Strawberry Hill, where he went on to graduate with distinction. Since then, he has worked for the likes of the National Trust and the British Library.
In 2003, Richard co-founded Corvidae – an internet venture focusing on the museum and heritage sector.
Taylor, Alan
Eccentric, jovial, avuncular HTV West continuity announcer and programme presenter on both HTV West and HTV Wales who also found fame on the national ITV network, first as the presenter of one of the many incarnations of Mr and Mrs, and, secondly as Nancy Kominsky’s eager assistant in HTV West’s almost cult-status Paint Along with Nancy. Locally, he was well known for his Tinker and Taylor children’s slots. The Mr and Mrs programme went on to be produced by Tyne Tees Television, and, most famously, Border Television, when the host was Derek Batey.
Former colleague Guy Thomas told us: “Alan was the most popular and best-loved television personality in Wales and the west of England, establishing himself as a versatile, all round entertainer and he was admired as much by his colleagues as by the large audiences he won for the television programmes in which he appeared.
“After working in his family’s Cardiff electricity business and seeing active Navy service in the Mediterranean war zone he began entertaining in amateur variety bills, turning professional by appearing all over the country in pantomimes and music halls, including London’s West End. He joined TWW as an announcer in 1959. His popularity started to rise with an afternoon 10-minute slot for children which he shared with a glove puppet (a kind of not too distant relation of Sooty) for a birthday greetings show called Tinker and Taylor. TWW had a large audience for television quiz shows, most of them the idea of the Canadian TV personality Roy Ward Dickson. Alan became the ideal host for these shows, starting with Three Little Words, Try for Ten and the blockbuster of them all, Mr and Mrs, which ran year after year. It is probably true to say it was the most popular programme series TWW transmitted, rarely missing the number 1 spot in the ratings.
“For HTV, Alan began a series of programmes in which he learned to paint (his interest was already there) called ‘Painting With Nancy’ and the demand for the return of ‘Mr And Mrs’ was so great, the company, which had dismissed the idea of repeating their predecessor’s liking for the quiz show format, bowed to the inevitable. The success was repeated and HTV also brought back, again with Alan, ‘Try For Ten’. In 1982 Alan retired to open an antique shop in Bath and then went to live in Spain where he died in 1997.”
Graham, Dick
Dick was an ATV (London), Anglia Television and LWT announcer who went on to voice programme trailers for the BBC in the late-1960s.
Hampshire, Susan
Susan was an Anglia Television continuity announcer and presenter of The Midday Show (1959 – early 1960s).
Burke, Rodney
Rodney was a BBC East TV announcer (mid-1970s – late-1970s).
Donald, Margaret
Margaret was a Grampian Television (relief) in-vision continuity announcer (1980 – TBC).
Saunders, Michaela
Michaela studied at the London College of Music.
…Thomson, Kennedy
Kenny was a senior, long-serving Grampian TV in-vision announcer and programme producer. Kennedy died in 1997, just before the takeover of Grampian by SMG.
Bentley, Marcus
Marcus was a Channel 4 announcer (2001 – 2011). He is better-known as the voice on the Big Brother daily highlights programmes on Channel 4 and Channel 5. When the programme moved to Channel 5 in 2011, Marcus also did some continuity announcing work for the channel.
Gibb, Claire
Formerly Claire Dickinson. Claire has been the female voice of Film4 since 2006, when the channel was relaunched. She also announces on Channel 4, More4 and E4. Prior to her career at Channel 4, Claire was a presenter on XFM.
Claire had a baby son, Laurence, in March 2009.