Bernie Newnham
Simon Vaughan of the Alexandra Palace Television Society (APTS) has passed on this picture from Norman Taylor’s effects. I’m sure I recognise these two ladies. Maybe Audrey and Linda?
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Roger Bunce
I too have been staring at that picture, convinced those two ladies looked familiar (full image attached). The sheets they are working on look like allocations schedules, rather than anything production related, but I don’t recall our Allocations Office being laid out like that. However, I was going to guess Valerie Mills and Lynn Butterworth. Anyone got any better ideas?
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Martin Eccles, Bill Jenkin
You are correct!
John Howell
The position in the foreground was for a time home of “Allocator Sound II”, later named “Allocator Sound Studios” The position within the office gave quick access to the Sound Office, the door for which is behind camera left. Useful when cash strapped productions wanted put an orchestra in the Second Floor Sound Studio. Note the NAB tea tray foreground right.
The first occupant that I remember was Peter Fitton others were a lady named Bailey and eventually Andi Stroud.
Roger Bunce
Anyone recognise any of the other characters? The wall chart on the right appears to give a date of 1975 (or 1976 or 1978). So their names may be on the attached front covers of the TODS (from 1975, 1976 and 1977).
(NO! I’m not some pathetic saddo who has keep every front TODS cover ever – I’m just a pathetic saddo who has kept some of the ones wot I illustrated.)
(Click on each picture below to see a larger or clearer version of the picture:
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Tony Lennon
Far left of shot looks like Jan Diamond, who subsequently moved to allocations at OBs.
Peter Cook
The 1975 TODS lists J Diamond, Jan who transferred to OBs at some stage. Jan and Steve Chilver went out together in the late 1960s when I shared a Northolt flat with him but they went their separate ways. Lots of water under the bridge and she married Steve Chilver a few years ago. Oddly when I moved to my current abode, Steve was living in the village too. Word got out and at Jan’s request I put them in touch and Cupid did the rest. They are still happily married and live in Slindon Common, Sussex, heavily invested in village life.
Jan Diamond
I have been forwarded the pic of the Allocations Office 1975 by a friend from OBs. I am in the pic – on the left of the pic in glasses, Jan Diamond Allocations Assistant Crews, my clerk was Lynn Butterworth talking to Valerie Mills, unfortunately I cannot identify the other three ladies in the pic.
I remember Maria Marshall and Andi Stroud who would have been on the left of the pic but they sat further over than me so I don’t recognise them as being in the photo, similarly I remember Audrey who allocated the TMs but I don’t see her in the pic. Hope it helps: happy days!
Bill Jenkin
I did wonder if it was Jan. So who’s the bloke f/g left?
Martin Eccles
I wonder if the bloke f/g is Brendan (Irish surname ) who was an allocator for a while?
Bill Jenkin
I can vaguely remember a Brendan in that office. Would that have been around 1975-ish? That’s when we reckon it is.
Nick Ware
This all sounds right to me, except that (bearing in mind it was the nineteen-seventies) I think two of the three other ladies are blokes with long hair!
The Allocations office was so much a part of my life in those days that looking at the picture I keep wanting to un-pause that nostalgic frozen moment in time. It’s quite a haunting picture, especially as none of it is there anymore.
Dave Jervis
…further to earlier answers, to the right of Lynn, in the far corner of the office is Marie Baldwin, Clerk (Vision), and I think she is talking to Dave Chapman…
Ian Norman
There is a photo of Lynn Butterworth with one of the “Love of Three Oranges” on the Tech Ops site taken about end of August 1979.
