from Richard Broadhurst
Dad’s Army, around 1972.
In addition to some rather well known faces, the picture includes Colin Reed, John Dailley, Mike Harrison, Ian Stanley, Ray Hider, and of course Richard.
As a man who now runs a lighting company, Richard points to the crew of six sparks as a sign of the times, but I guess that’s true of the camera crew as well.
TO 30 at Wood Norton
It’s name the youth time again –
Back Row: Jim Cadman, Cliff Evans, Brian Eastell, Richard Greene , Geoff Vian.
Front Row: Chris Watts, Peter Bailey, Richard Simkin, Peter Wesley, Robin Vallance, Richard Broadhurst
(Some names supplied by Brian Eastell)
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
from Brian Eastell
Brucie does the honours – “I was on crew 15 at the time as Dolly Op 1, with Ian Gibb in charge. We were doing the series of Gen Game from the TV Theatre and I normally swung the centre mole. I wondered why I was given camera 4 this particular week, had I finally been discovered? Nope, during the second recording break, Brucie fished into his inside pocket and brought out an envelope. Then he cordially invited me to step out in front of the entire audience in the theatre to have a little chat and present me with the cheque collected by the crew for my wedding present. Get the flaired jeans, and if I remember correctly the shirt was blue with a mustard yellow tie. See a man 25 years ahead of the fashion game!
Anyway I remember that it was the last show of the series and Bruce asked me what the crew was moving onto next, ‘Nationwide’ on Monday came the stunning response. Bruce did one of his embarrassed little giggles and ushered me back to my trusty steed.”
A publicity coup that the News Resources Ops managers hit upon in 1997 to publicise their newly discovered method of working. TEAMS! – Wow are they anything like CREWS I here you all say. Nope, they are totally, totally different.
Anyway this poster was put on all the News notice boards and sent to all editors & producers so that they knew who their points of contact were.
“The crew at Alexandra Palace in the second year of the Open University. I was asked if I would like to go there on a six month attachment by Laurie Duley and thought that I would give it a go. While I was there the operation expanded into a seven day a week affair and so they made a second crew. It just so happened that every other weekend was a maintenance weekend, and guess what, that was supposed to be my crews weekend on. So, as it was only half way in for me from Hertfordshire, getting every weekend off, working only a six day fortnight and the summer was coming I volunteered to stay on for a further six months. If this is the BBC give me more!
“The crew at Alexandra Palace in the second year of the Open University. I was asked if I would like to go there on a six month attachment by Laurie Duley and thought that I would give it a go. While I was there the operation expanded into a seven day a week affair and so they made a second crew. It just so happened that every other weekend was a maintenance weekend, and guess what, that was supposed to be my crews weekend on. So, as it was only half way in for me from Hertfordshire, getting every weekend off, working only a six day fortnight and the summer was coming I volunteered to stay on for a further six months. If this is the BBC give me more!
Line up, the few names that I can remember –
BACK ROW – ??, ??, Dave Wilson, Derek Firmin, ??,??, Tony Sturman, Gerry ?, Richard ?, ??, ?? MIDDLE ROW – Brian Eastell, ??, Wilf Eynon FRONT ROW – Dan Skala, Roger Francis, Pete Westley, Gordon Blockley”
[And more names from John Hulse –
Standing to the right of Tony Sturman and slightly set back is Sound Supervisor Gerry Lawrence (sadly no longer with us) and the hairy one next to him is Geoff Wheeler.]
“My Lighting Familiarisation course somewhere around the late ‘ 70s. As I remember this was John Farr’s sop to all us VO’s who had stagnated during the ’70s waiting to be sent on a proper lighting course. As the promotion prospects for all VO’s were practically zilch at this time, and as a twelve week lighting course would obviously cost a lot of money for us all, he sent us on this 2 week lighting familiarisation course. Better than nowt I suppose, but I don’t think any of us were ever sent on the proper lighting course.
Line up, BACK ROW – Trevor Hawkins, Bill Jenkin, ??
FRONT ROW – Richard Broadhurst, Steve Brody(?), Dave Chapman, Malcolm ?, Brian Eastell”
[And more from John Hulse –
Fourth from left bottom row is Mel Cross, who recently took early retirement from 3sixtymedia (Granada to you and me) being one of the ‘boat people’ cast adrift by BBC Manchester 3 years ago. He is still working as a freelance]
