Nick Ware
Ah, Millicent Martin!
One of my very first memories shortly after joining the Beeb, was working on TWTWTW, and being sent to MM’s dressing room to put a radio mic on her. You may remember those huge (by modern standards) hip flask-like things with big triangular ex-WD batteries. Well, suffice to say, MM was dressed in a skimpy Bunnygirl outfit, and when she saw me standing there, at a complete loss how to fit the damn thing, she said: "Well, if it was about nine inches long and an inch and a half round, I could tell you where to put it!" I, an innocent and naive Vicar’s son, blushed like crazy! How I actually did do it seems to have been mysteriously erased from my memory!
Needless to say, the crew 2 sound bast*rds were all up in the sound gallery listening and laughing themselves silly, and gave me hell when I went back upstairs.
Talk about being dropped in the deep end!
Pat Heigham
So, it was switched on, then!
I also had an awful occasion on the “Country and Western Show”, a summer replacement for the B & W Minstrels.
There was Shani Wallis – fitted up with the terrible hip flask R/M that Nick remembers – she had to dance and sing live: The R/M transmitters were so crap that they were switched off until needed.
Just before the entrance of Ms Wallis, I remembered that the TX was not on, so rushed to her and explained – she just hauled her skirt up for me to effect the switch.
What a professional.
Dave Mundy
A very similar comment was made by Ethel Merman on a Royal Variety Show, she said “I can take the length but not the width!”’. I think it was taped either to the small of her back or to her thigh – needless to say I allowed wardrobe to sort it out! I taped one to Lena Zavaroni’s thigh and one to Sue Lawley’s back with narrow floor marking tape, she was only wearing panti-hose! Down boy! Sound perks don’t come any better! PS. Don’t mention the Esther Rancid episode in TVT that some poor guy had to suffer!
The kalium batteries were not terribly reliable in the hip flasks and one dreaded any show using the TM3s, thank heavens for Microns!
John Howell
If short circuited they would get very hot and ooze beads of mercury ! Most unhealthy !
Tony Crake
I seem to remember you needed a sixpence to stick in line with the kalium batteries (for a good contact)… I always forgot to take them out!
Roger Long
I was fixing a radio to the inner thigh of a very glamorous Motown star round the secluded back of Bristol Cathedral for a 600mm shot.
I was knelt between her knees with her very skimpy dress held high. A bowler hatted gent walked by and barely glanced at us.
