Chris Eames
As far as the coffee is concerned (working for the Beeb in 2016), you get your Waitrose card, and go to John Lewis food hall on Oxford Street for your free cup!
Mike Jordan
Surely there is a fully subsidised BBC canteen for its hard working staff on site! Also perhaps a tea lady for those places that couldn’t leave their work for a break (Western House/studios/control room).
Open all day and into the night shift with a nice view from BH Extension 8th floor level looking down Regent Street. Sorry, someone told me once that there is now something called New BH.
Or even one in another BBC premises with 3 floors and waitress service looking out onto a nice garden with a children’s TV show area. (The garden that was to be preserved for rich flat dwellers seems completely dug over on latest photos/drone videos.)
Oh sorry just a thought/memory.
I am sure they would not have contracted all these things out to “Costafortune” or similar would they? (Tea 6d, coffee 9d)
Chris Eames
Apparently, when a major news story is running, and there is no time for meal breaks, the catering is provided by the producer phoning out for 20 pizzas from the nearest takeaway!
Pat Heigham
Ah! Who remembers the ‘second meal of the day’ allowance – 4/3d in the 1960s.
If you took all in cash it was taxed, but one could have a 3/- LV and 1/3d in cash
so the tax was less!
I do remember the waitress service ‘top’ floor at TVC canteen for the odd steak and chips if we were feeling flush, but much preferred a pie and pint in the 4th floor Club. Many will remember the side bar at that club, which seemed to be the enclave of LE producers/directors/writers – from that alcoholic environment was spawned the best of BBC LE shows and series.
Dave Plowman
Odd how such things matter so much. When I went for a job interview at Thames TV I wasn’t certain if I’d take it – if even offered. I asked to be shown round, and one Brian Moray got lumbered. I think he was on a GD day, and probably hoping to slope off.
I wasn’t too impressed with the equipment, etc. Nothing like so up to date as TC. Some of it looked positively ancient.
But then Brian asked me if I’d like some lunch. Which I did. Just the ordinary self service canteen. And what a lunch – a roast dinner as good as you’d wish and for pennies. That clinched it for me.
Mike Jordan
In the 1960s, there used to be a BBQ lunch option on the roof of BH Extension on the Hallam Street side (the proper one not the infill at the back on Duchess Street nor the covered hole in the ground that exists now). It was stopped when it was discovered that only one access/exit was available at the top of the staircase in case of fire or other danger!
Dave Plowman
Anyone remember the ‘Theatre Meals’ at BH? Idea was all BBC staff could pop in for a meal there on a night out in the West End. Had tablecloths and all. Sadly, much the same standard of catering. 😉
Bill Jenkin
I’ve been told that Ken Dodd used to use BH Canteen when he was appearing at The Palladium (he had a reputation for looking after the pennies).
