Edwards, Barbara

Barbara was born in 1939.  She joined the Met Office in 1957 and until 1962 worked in the library and editing department at Harrow, sub-editing and proofreading meteorological publications; in 1962, she moved to Bracknell HQ to undertake similar work.  From 1963 until 1970, she worked as a forecaster at Gatwick and Heathrow Airport.  Barbara was based at the London Weather Centre forecasting for commerce and industry (1970 – 1979) and has the distinction of being the first female national BBC TV forecaster, appearing from January 1974 until June 1978; she was also heard on BBC Radio during the same period.  She was the BBC One Christmas Day weather presenter once, in 1975.

Prior to leaving the Met Office in 1980, she worked in the public services department at Bracknell’s HQ, dealing with enquiries and guided tours.  Barbara left the BBC TV team, as she disliked the constant criticism of her dress sense, which the male members of the team didn’t have to contend with.  She joined past colleagues on Nationwide to celebrate the 25th anniversary of BBC TV Weather in January 1979, in which Bob Wellings interviewed past and present weather forecasters.  She also attended a get together for BBC TV Weather’s 40th anniversary in January 1994.  Barbara returned briefly as a relief weather presenter on BBC TV’s Breakfast Time (1984).

Personal information

Clips of Barbara on The TV Room

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Acknowledgements