Paul Daniels
‘You’ll like this … not a lot, but you’ll like it!’
In February 2016, Paul Daniels was diagnosed with a terminal brain tumour. He died on 17th March 2016.
John Vincent
Sad news.
I always found him easy to work with. When he stopped being the public ‘Paul Daniels’ he was a nice guy. He liked to share his love of gadgets and his mistrust of BBC bureaucracy with us.
He bought one of the first Sinclair C5’s and took great delight in driving under the barrier at TVC to wind up security.
And then there was Ali Bongo!
Howard Michaels
Yes I liked Paul too and as John rightly says, very easy to work with!
Paul Kay
Yes Paul was a super artist to work with always a pleasure to work with He gave me some advice and help about tricks I was trying to do. Every good wish to him.
Roger Bunce
Agreed. For some reason Paul Daniels gets a negative press, but he was always a pleasure to work with, very friendly, often joining the crew in the tea bar, and a great sense of humour. He was very appreciative of us Techies, and utterly contemptuous of our bosses. Nigel Taylor used to write spoof links for him during rehearsals. He loved them. I remember having a long conversation with him about ideas for theme-park rides, something we were both thinking about at the time. They involved false-perspective scenery, optical illusions – things that interested us both. The conversation even continued in writing, after the end of the series. He was always very encouraging and complimentary about my ideas. Sadly, neither of us ever got round to building our dreams.
In fairness to Ali Bongo – I once saw him doing his act. I think someone else had cancelled and he stepped it. He appeared as an Arabian Nights style wizard, prancing frenetically around the stage – completely unrecognisable and absolutely hilarious!
Vernon Dyer
I only worked with Paul Daniels a couple of times, not at the Beeb but at YTV right at the beginning of his television career when he was unknown outside the club circuit, and I agree totally with what has been said – he was very pleasant and easy to work with. I wish him all the best.
I also remember Ali Bongo, who if I recall was a very good behind-the-scenes developer and designer of magic, but also on occasion was a brilliant comedy magician in his own right.
Peter Cook
I worked with Paul Daniels doing a Magic show OB from a Ghurkha Rifles barrack near Aldershot. The main TV illusion was to make an elephant disappear, using a scissor lift in a pit and a collapsing marquee. The impressive stuff though was during breaks when the maestro entertained the Ghurkhas with card tricks. He would occasionally ask a soldier ‘what is the time’ and the guy would inspect his empty wrist with surprise. A number of the crew were watching with the soldiers and amazed that we saw nothing. We did a cooking programme with Debbie McGee at their home in Denham. Paul made coffee for the crew. Nice guy.
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Tony Grant
Paul, indeed, was a truly nice guy who loved kids, and did a huge amount of charity work for them (in my freelance days, I was filming for one of the charities and Paul was working with the kids, a real treat). One day, I’d taken our daughter Jane into TVC for a look round (she was about seven or eight at the time) and one of the studios had Paul’s magic show. We sat in the audience rostra for part of the rehearsal, and Paul spotted Jane, “Hey, blue socks.” he said to her (she was indeed wearing blue ankle socks) and insisted she joined him on set, and performed a card trick for her. For about the first time in her life, she remained completely dumb, and he was unable to coax a word out of her. Ah, memories.
Cliff Michelmore
Cliff died on 16th March 2016 (reported on 17th March 2016).
Peter Cook
I was in Cardiff when Cliff Michelmore (for BBC) and Brian Connell (for ITV) interviewed Prince Charles a few days before his investiture. On entering the studio, HRH made a beeline for the cameras, but was diverted by his minders to meet the ‘panel’. He shrugged as if to indicate that he would prefer to play with the cameras. I seem to remember that in the interview Cliff teased more out of Charles than Brian.
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Hugh Sheppard
Circa 1961 I was on Cliff’s camera for “Tonight” when, for reasons various to do with the backdrop behind him, he always looked as if he had leaves of a rubber plant growing out of his ears. I moved this, that and the ped, but the shot never looked right. At last I settled on a spot that seemed to work OK so, in the last run-through, I took off my cans and hung them on the panning handle and chalked about the 5th position I’d tried on the studio floor. Session over, Cliff came up to me and said, “What on earth were you doing?” Assuring him it will now be OK on transmission, he grinned. “But that WAS transmission,” he said….. Oooohh!
Peter Combes
By the end of 1962, Cliff had the habit of reading the final credits at a walk, and on the line “…the next ‘Tonight’ is tomorrow night…” he would just keep walking, right out of the studio, and, I suppose, right out of Lime Grove and on home. Does anybody know when this custom originated?
Pat Heigham
In the early days of my career, I was often in the old Lime Grove studios, on the crew for “Tonight”, boom operating over Cliff’s desk. A thoroughly professional man and delightful to work with.
I did not realise that both of us were natives of the Isle of Wight! I was born in Ryde, on a December 7th, quite close to Cliff’s day – different year though! He was born in Cowes.
His son, Guy, and I share the distinction of both being old boys of the same school in Leatherhead, and I was delighted to discover that Cliff had been the organising force behind the school’s Centenary Ball several years ago – what a superb evening that was! I was amused that he had secured Mike Bentine for the entertainment. Mike’s cabaret routine was his “Square World” warm-up which I knew very well, having also worked on that show.
In the nineteen seventies, I was then in the film industry and working on “The Little Prince” in Tunisia, when Cliff visited our unit, having been filming for the “Holiday” programme. He recognised me from the TV studios, but was intrigued when I mentioned the School.
A last story – filming Cliff at his Reigate house for a presentation video, we were kindly supplied with tea/coffee etc. but left only a few crumbs in Jean’s tin of biscuits – I still feel guilty at having demolished the lot!
Tony Grant
On one series of the “Holiday” programme, the set consisted of huge triangular ‘blocks’ surrounding the main ‘stage’ area where Cliff presented the programme. The opening shot was to track in between two of these blocks to MS Cliff, with obligatory lighting change. The closing shot was the reverse, track out, supposedly at top speed, to reveal blocks foreground and obligatory lighting change whilst the credits rolled. However, the gap between the two blocks was barely 6 inches wider than the ped base, and on the one I did, Cliff waited till after I’d done the opening track on rehearsal, and proceeded to tell me, with a wicked gleam in his eye, that so far in the series, no one had managed the track out without hitting one of the blocks, with associated crash/wobble. As you may recall, the studio links were live, so no chance of a re-take.
Well, it’s only television, so on the night, on cue, I zipped backwards at full speed, and as luck would have it, sailed straight through the gap with nary a wobble. “Jammy,” said Cliff with his broad smile. “Skill,” I replied, sticking my tongue firmly in my cheek.
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Tony Brieselden
I have a memory which was not prompted by the current thread. Nevertheless I am now wondering whether my memory that the story I am going to tell was Cliff Michelmore or somebody else although I don’t really think so. Perhaps someone will confirm that he did direct some programmes before he appeared on “Tonight.”
I was vision mixer on a children’s programme in Studio E and Cliff was directing, I don’t remember what the programme was about. It was getting close to transmission and Cliff was not in the gallery but came up with about four or five minutes to spare. As he sat down he said to his secretary, “Have you got all the script changes?” to which she replied, “Yes”. I said, “What changes?’ It would appear that cameras, sound and everyone else who needed to know had been told but not me, the vision mixer. A frantic 2 or 3 minutes while I got all the changes and marked up my script as the previous programme was ending.
I got a gracious apology after the programme.
Sir George Martin
Died 8 March 2016
English record producer, arranger, composer, conductor, audio engineer and musician.
He was referred to as the “Fifth Beatle”.
Dave Mundy
Gentleman George was a frequent visitor to the sound gallery of Studio G in Lime Grove during TOTP. He sat and listened to what Dickie Chamberlain was producing and left with no complaints!
There was a record shop in Shepherds Bush market (RIP), where I found an LP of George and his orchestra called “By George, it’s British” or “British Maid” – one was a re-issue of the other. When I got into computers I managed to download all the tracks and make a CD. It is still one of my favourites! Most of the tracks are Beatles tunes plus George’s own compositions of the Radio One theme tune “Theme One”, and the “Frost Report”.
Keith Wicks
I had no dealings with The Beatles but, as a journalist, I first met George Martin at his original AIR Studios at Oxford Circus, when he was organising the construction. On another occasion, I joined him on a recording session — he was producing for the group America.
I met numerous members of the music industry, well-known and obscure. Sir George was one of the best — in every way. I won’t list all the superlatives — that would take too long.
Martin Kisner
I worked at EMI Abbey Road studios for about two years 1963-1964. A good time to be there.
I recall being present in the control room for Cilla’s recording of “Your my World”. I’m sure that took place in the very large Studio One. The microphone used by Cilla is likely to have been a U47 or U67.
I was present at a number of recording sessions with George Martin including a number with The Beatles. I never saw him doing the sound balance for a recording. Talking cars, George Martin drove a white Triumph Herald at the time. I remember the registration number letters were WAR!
BTR 2s and the upgraded BTR 3s (sprayed grey) were the studio recording machines, built like tanks and originally designed in Germany. The sound desk was quadrant fader made by EMI.
I wrote an article about my time at Abbey Road (“Crossing Abbey Road”) for our community magazine. Its online at www.martinkisner.com .
Nick Ware
I can’t claim to have known him as such, but I did meet him on several occasions, one of which was a request to advise his local church how best to improve their PA system.
Air Studios, Lyndhurst Hill is a studio of huge historical importance, set up by Sir George in 1991, but it’s under serious threat of closure because immediate neighbours have planning applications in to build massive basement excavations. Because local houses can’t extend sideways or upwards, they are digging bunker-like basements that seriously undermine their neighbours. Several have collapsed in the process. It’s the building works noise that threatens to make one of London’s most popular film-scoring orchestral studios unusable.
Dave Plowman
Air Studio is a magical place. One of my sound crew from the Thames days went on to be a staff engineer there, and I got a conducted tour (and some work). The chef used to come round and ask what you wanted for lunch. Thought I was in heaven…
Victoria Wood
Died 20th April 2016 after a short illness (cancer).
Roger Bunce
My favourite Victoria Wood line will always be, Suzie Blake as the Continuity Announcer:
“The BBC would like to apologise to viewers living in the North . . . it must be awful!”
Mike Giles
I think it’s the most inspired one-liner of all time and so beautifully delivered.
Hugh Sheppard, Bill Jenkin
Ah! the deadpan Suzie Blake. Always wonderful. Totally useless fact –Susie Blake is the granddaughter of Annette Mills (of “Muffin the Mule”). I think that’s about par with Harry Corbett (of “Sooty”) being the nephew of Harry Ramsden (fish and chips) .
Alasdair Lawrance
Victoria Wood: this from “Dinner Ladies” –
“She’s got pregnant with a turkey baster on the internet.”
Terrific talent, and style with it.
“Beat me on the bottom with me Woman’s Weekly” – Who else could’ve done that?
Ian Hillson
And made it rhyme!
Sadly, we’ll now be deprived of more great one-liners like these:
On the morning of the wedding, she was in a complete panic. She said, “Something old, something new – I’ve got nothing borrowed and blue!” I said, “You’ve got a mortgage and varicose veins, will that do?”
I went to the doctor and I said, “Look, why am I not pregnant? I’m doing all of the right things – I’ve stopped drinking, I’m taking vitamins and I’m putting a pillow under my bottom.” And he said, “Are you having sexual intercourse on a regular basis?” I said, “I can’t do everything!”
When you’re in the middle of having a baby, it’s a bit like watching two very inefficient removal men trying to get a very large sofa through a very small doorway. Only in this case, you can’t say: “Oh, sorry, bring it through the French windows.”
Midwives have got this obsession now, they want to show you the baby’s head coming out. And they’re always getting a mirror to try and show you. And it’s just like being at the hairdresser’s when they show you the back of your head – and you feel obliged to go, “Oh yes!” And you’re thinking, well it looks terrible but it might be all right when I’ve run it under the cold tap.
They said, “We’ll have to do an internal examination, do you mind if we bring in 16 students?” I said, “Well, it depends what they’re students of. If it’s mechanical engineering, yes, I do mind.”
I can never really believe wife-swapping actually goes on. I can’t imagine an orgy going on in Bridlington: “Eh, now, steady on, mind my barometer!”
Louis Barfe
That’s perfect. I was watching her early Granada series “Wood and Walters” last night, and a lot of the lines made me choke with laughter.
“My uncle had a metal plate in his head. If he sat with his back to the aerial, we could get Welsh television.”
“The most original mince recipe was developed by Mrs Seabrook, Betty, for her banana surprise.”
“She’s so nosey that at night she puts her teeth and hearing aid in the same glass so she can hear what they say if they chatter.”
“54% said they stopped loving their husbands when they started keeping their socks on in bed. 45% said love had ceased for them when their husbands began keeping just their socks in bed, hoping that the familiar odour would delude their wives into thinking they were there too.”
I had a phone call from the Sunday Express this morning asking if I could do a 1000-word appreciation of her for this week’s paper.
John Vincent
Nearly 30 years ago I did a six part series of Victoria Wood playlets. It was one of the first times us studio lot were allowed out to do the location shoot!
Crisp precise dialogue meant no mumbling. Even on the Yorkshire Moors sound was always precise. Down to a robust Sound Supervisor (Keith Mayes) and his assistant Nick Roast who once disguised himself as a sheep to get a good mic position. He whiffed a bit from the sheepskin after.
Lit by dear old Mike Manning, it looked and sounded good and never distracted from the clever dialogue.
We’ve lost too many good’uns this year!
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