Bernie Newnham
See also
pictures-from-brian-white/
Crew 3 Christmas card and Drawing
Film from Brian White
The Black and White Minstrel Showl
Ken Twitchen
John Howell
Ken Twitchen lived in Southend (the popular rumour being that he owned most of it!).
I remember a drama in TC1 when I was on Grams & Tape. Ken appeared behind me late into one of the evenings and said “Could you do my boom old boy, I’ve got to catch my train” then clutching his little leather suitcase was gone.
Maurice Fleisher
Brief story of Ken Twitchen (Twitch). We were on the same crew for a while., probably 6.
He hadn’t driven in to LG one day and had used the tube from Fenchurch Street station (Southend line). I offered to drive him to Shepherds Bush underground, the one at the far end of the green. He got out without a murmur of thanks.
Some days later he had driven in but I hadn’t. I asked him if he could drop me off at the underground station (it WAS on his way)….which he did but as we got there and I thanked him and prepared to open the door he asked me for petrol money. I thought he was joking but no, he wasn’t. And it is true he wasn’t short of a penny or two as he had inherited from his father many properties in the Southend and Westcliff areas. What was the distance involved, perhaps half a mile. I guess that’s how the rich stay rich and the poor get poorer!
Hugh Sheppard
A memory of Ken from Crew 6 circa 1960-1 was his buying a brand new Vauxhall Cresta in de luxe trim with FOUR headlights! We all took him to task on that and I’ve still not forgotten his response, “I don’t need 4 headlamps, but whoever buys it from me probably will!” There’s marketing for you.
Jack Belasco
Mike Giles
I certainly remember Jolly Julius Jack Belasco, one of the two EMs in Bristol whilst I was there from 1965 to 1974. He had a pilot’s licence and frequently arrived at venues on wings, especially race courses ~ a literal flyer. However he travelled, he was usually subtly late in the mornings, so that he need not be aware as to which of the crew had been doing the more usual “flyers” for OBs (travelling to or from an OB on the day, or going home overnight, when Schedule A expenses were being claimed, for those unfamiliar with the practice, not that I ever indulged, of course!).
Jack was an extremely affable character, unlike the other Bristol EM, who was always trying to catch people out, by reading their speedos night and morning, examining the dead flies on the windscreen, or feeling the heat of the car bonnet, when the “hotel” was just next door. But he softened noticeably after accepting an offer from Jack to fly him home overnight, so that he could attend a function at his son’s school. (When there was significant lighting involved, we usually had both EMs, one to answer the phones and the other to brighten things up.)
I also recall a Bristol Admin Assistant, a single lady who was an absolute stickler for accuracy and proof when expenses were claimed, until she went on a course at London BH, when she stayed “very economically” in a flat with a couple of the London Radio SM’s who often had attachments to Bristol. She returned to Bristol a changed woman ~ we could not decide which had had the greater effect ~ Schedule A for three weeks with virtually no outgoings, or the surprise encounter one morning when she opened the bathroom door to be confronted by a very large (in every respect) stark naked African gentleman, standing in the bath and drying his back in a Chubby Checker sort of way! The previously tight lips were ever after creased into a smile!
Jimmy Cellan-Jones
Dave Plowman
I worked with him several times on “The Bill” and he always gave himself a ‘walk on’ part. A true gentleman.
John Howell
Another director who cast himself into his own productions was Victors Ritelis. I think he appeared in all his episodes of “Codename”.
Bill Jenkin
One of his sons is Rory Cellan-Jones, the BBC’s Technology Correspondent.
The other is Simon Cellan-Jones – another TV & Film director.
I was working in News with Rory on one occasion and the floor manager was Dave Batt’s daughter Caroline, I was able to say that I had worked with both their fathers.
Dave Baumber
Mike Cotton
Dave Baumber was at TVC for about 10 years before going to Birmingham as a tape and grams operator.
Geoff Hawkes
Like many people, I was sad to hear the news about Dave. He was on the same TO Course as me (18) and I remember him as a cheerful outgoing person in the days of our youth when we were filled with hope for a bright future at the BBC. While I can’t say I knew him after he left TC or that I was ever a friend of his, I sometimes saw his name among the Sound credits on various shows and was glad to know that he must have been doing well.
Now for me at the grand old age of seventy and seeing all the posts on here about what are often points of trivia on how things were done technically, I think however interesting these are, it will always be the huge panoply of people we knew during our careers that were the most important things to us – and memories of them will remain with us till the end.
Incidentally, Chas Davison was on the same TO Course too and we shared a room at Hampton House along with Bob Powell who didn’t stay long at the BBC and John Chappell who was among those who sadly died young. I’m glad to know that Chas is still going and I hope, strongly.
Peter Cook
I too was on TO 18 and remember Dave as a friendly ‘lad’. Don’t forget that there are 2 team photos of the course on tech-ops site if you care to look. You might like to spare a thought or two for Bob Everitt, also on TO 18. I paid him a visit in Exmouth where he lives now a couple of weeks back. He is not a well man, and as well as suffering a number of illnesses (including a stroke) reckons he has early Altsheimers’. Typically we chatted about old times with clarity. However we had other conversations about recent events 3 times in 2 hours.
Jerry Clegg
There’s an obituary of Dave Baumber, by Vanessa Jackson, who used to work at Pebble Mill.
The link is :-
http://www.pebblemill.org/blog/dave-baumber/
Dave Sydenham
Martin Kisner
Dave Sydenham, former TM1 / Lighting Director has died. He was a good man and a very fine Drama LD.
John Henshall
On the day he died – Tuesday 12 August 2014 – Dave Sydenham’s lighting of Moira Armstrong’s “The Girls of Slender Means” was being shown on the big screen by the BFI at the National Film Theatre. The quality was incredible, even though this was originally meant for home TVs. A fine tribute to a lovely man.
Peter Combes, Pat Heigham
Dave was TM1 for Crew 3 who did “The Black and White Minstrel Show”. Whether he was in the chair at the time that “The Black and White Minstrel Show” won the Golden Rose of Montreux is not clear, but here [ref PDF] is the page of the commemorative book that Pat Heigham managed to get signed by some. Dave is shown, so he probably was indeed TM1 at the time of the win. Tom Moncrieff was the Lighting Supervisor.
Brian White
Dave Sydenham – always pleasant, thoughtful, quietly spoken but would take on all points of view. Sadly missed.
Len Shorey
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Hugh Sheppard
I bet everyone who worked with Len has a picture of him in their mind’s eye. Such a pro.
Here’s a photo, complete with ciggy between the fingers.
Pat Heigham
I recorded a programme at the London Palladium where I had copied his approach to setting a balance.
Several memories – in the TVC club, I was standing on the barrail, with my back to the counter, and realised that I was now the same eyeline height as Len!
Recording the sig. tune for “Top of the Pops” (“Topsy Popsy”). Laying down one layer, then playing back and adding further overdubs. I still have a master tape of that session in TC4.
And my favourite story with Len:
Riverside Music Studio
Evening session for music for an LE show – Len on the desk, me looking after the Studers and score reading. Taking the last number, Len suddenly exclaims: “I’ve missed the clarinet entry!” There was about 5 mins to the end of the session – not enough time to re-take from the top of the number (overran meant a complete whole extra session fee). I looked at the score, thought I could edit from 5 bars before letter F, but please don’t alter the strings fader setting (quivering strings under the main melody). Retake canned, band went home at 11pm. No extra session fee. Len says: ” Are you going to do the edit now, or tomorrow?”
I decided to make a copy and test it. Shaving microscopic bits of 1/4″ I eventually made it work, and went home at midnight, ready to work on the master tape next day.
Keith Mayes
A ‘True Gent’ He was a great friend, top Gooner, golfer and obviously a fantastic mixer. I was lucky enough to gram for him often over a few years; he taught me so much, which I am still using and trying to pass on to the ‘Youngsters’ as he did to me. His mixing and especially music mixing, I try to emulate, but I fear I still fall short of his standards.
Louis Barfe
I mentioned to Len that one of his old Dusty Springfield shows had been repeated on BBC4. He replied that he’d seen that it was going to be on, but hadn’t watched it because “I’ll only hear all my old mistakes”;.
John Howell, Dave Plowman, Jeff Baker, Barry Bonner
Len was one of the gentlemen for whom we had great respect, he produced superb balances that conveyed a sense of occasion, often with what seemed like minimal rehearsal. Len had a true gift for music balancing. Many strive to be OK through hard work – but he made it look oh so easy. He was not only gifted and talented but modest as well, quite apart from being a really nice guy. Would that we had half his ability. I learnt a lot from Len in my career but never could match the amazing sound he got from the brass section. A really nice guy and a pleasure to work with.
Alan @ aspal
Although I didn’t often work with Len, I had the greatest respect for his talent. He was a gentle man and, as has been said by others, so modest. We all owe him a debt of gratitude. It is good to know that some of his work is, hopefully, still in the archive, If I had ever had half of his talent at the faders I would have been a happy bunny.
Dave Wagner
I watched Len quite a few times setting up a balance and he seemed to know just what was needed before hearing the band. Once heard, with a few tweaks he had a really good natural sounding balance and he could then go back to watching the golf, often much to the annoyance of the Gram Op!
Paul Kay
I worked with him over many years. Always highly professional, good natured a true gentleman. He loved his two “horse names” Hollyhock and The lamplighter.
Michael Cotton
Len was also a good boom operator, a dab hand with Ronson Lighters and was worried about what Rose would say when he bought his Trombone and Golf Clubs. I think they stayed in the garage until he plucked up courage to tell her!
He did his best when I did SS training with him but I failed miserably perhaps because I was over 30 and local bye laws said that was too old
Geoff Hawkes
Len was a huge, colourful and very likeable personality. The catalogue of his achievements at the BBC and even more so I like to think, the array of fine furniture pieces that he made (he was a cabinet maker par excellence), leave ample testimony to him.
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Roger Davis
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Brian White
So it’s farewell to Roger ‘Inlay’ Davis – like many others I’ll remember the friendly arm round the shoulder and his “Now then old boy, how are you “ as he regaled you with his latest wheeze. Captions, conundrums, clocks and the latest TV chatter – always entertaining, never underhand. I was fortunate in the early 1960s when my lease ran out in Chiswick Village (148) to be offered house share in Woodside Wimbledon with Roger and landlord Frank Rise.
Good mates from then on until Rog set off to sunny Southfields with new wife Gillian and they have been a wonderful caring family ever since. Eventually moving out to the idyllic Great Bookham they set up their annual garden parties to which All were invited – and usually did.
After several years Roger suggested somebody else should have a go – nobody forthcoming so they did a few more! I think that these friendly get togethers prompted Bernie N & others to organise the ‘disorganiseds’ which started in March 2005! I managed to get Roger & Gillian to come along to the second event at ‘The Cricketers’ outside Guildford in September 2005.
Pictures at http://www.tech-ops.co.uk/lunch2.html
Mike Cotton
I once mentioned to Roger that we had visited the Clock Museum in Rudesheim. He went apoplectic but later conceded that the Germans did make cuckoo clocks.
Patrick Heigham
Roger was brilliant at anything clockwork. He restored a Swiss pocket phonograph I had, fixing the spring, and making a new knurled knob to hold the needle in place, plus supplying me with some steel needles (apparently used to pin together various bits of clock mechanism).
He also repaired a 2″ gauge clockwork model loco by Bing, and used to service the clockwork gauge 1 locos belonging to my old school’s outdoor model railway layout (this was sadly vandalised during one summer holiday period, and never rebuilt).
Graham Giles
I was colleague of Roger’s on Inlay when he was No.2 to Laurie Macdonald. At that time we had an Inlay workshop at Lime Grove presided over by Cam. – the famous D.R.Campbell. (Baird, Birkinshaw and Campbell for those who remember). We did many opening iris wipes (using an old lamp iris) on the Hancock shows at Riverside, as well as on the David Nixon Show in TC3 on the opening night of Television Centre.
Roger was noted for his Summer garden parties and here are 2 pictures of him taken in 2006 – remembered with affection.
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Bob Tate
Geoff Fletcher
Bob Tate – I remember Bob well. He was the first to tell me the story about the carelessly tossed sugar cube pack falling end-on into the take-up spool on a Levers-Rich (or maybe a TR90?) and the problems that followed as the reel gradually became more and more elliptical. Another fond memory was doing Camera 4 on the “Cliff Richard Show” at the TV Theatre. I was invariably on the right of the stage with Bob on a boom just behind me. There was a particularly stunning young lady in the dance group (Terry Robinson) whom we both admired from afar and Bob used to lean down as she danced/walked past and inform me, “I’m getting that purple haze again Geoff!” This purple haze affliction continued to occur from at intervals as occasion arose throughout our time on Crew 8 together doing the “Dave Allan Show” and other epics. Bob was excellent company, and if you were lucky enough to be invited round to dinner at chez Tate, invariably the food was excellent as was the vino and brandy!
I think Bob was at Bush House in the Arabic section before joining TV Tech Ops?
Mike Cotton
What about Bob Tate who once came rushing in to TV Theatre and said, “I’ll be a little late as the flight I met with my coach was late and I have to get the tourists to their hotel in central London.”
He also told tale of taking parties of sub continent people and their dixies of curry in the coach which we he had to fumigate afterwards to get rid of the smell.
