from Tony Nuttall

Tony sent a long letter telling of his career and memories of people he’s worked with down the years.
Here it is, only slightly censored so we don’t get sued…

Thank you for a superb web site. Although I was only with Tech Ops in London for about eighteen months your site brought back such happy memories. The welcome that you, my great crew 16, & other dolly ops like Neil Dormand etc. gave us young “spots” as Ken used to call us, will always be remembered.

I joined Tech Ops, I think in 1968, via TO28 along with John Brocklebank, Dave Skerry, Len Moss, Esmond Kelway, Geoff Layton, Peter Smith, Alan Walsh etc. Other names will come to mind as I progress. We were a large course that included regions tech ops. I remember starting in the September with a rather surreal first few weeks staying at the YM in Tottenham Court Road, Notting Hill Gate, Upper Harley Street, the BBC Ravensbourne Hostel and then finally Gordon Road in Ealing. Upper Harley Street was the most weird, sleeping in a bath, having the Rolling Stones, our neighbours, peeing on my three wheeler every night and a parking ticket from Betty Battenburg every morning!

Ken’s crew was then Alec Wheel, Pete Clevely, John ? (he got married and moved crews ) and Curly Burrell (left for a Senior post at Grampian, remember going to Pres with him to ask Bert Ford if the weather would be OK for his departure the next day to Aberdeen!) finally but certainly not least John Smith! The staple diet was Sit Coms, Drama and a bit of Current affairs. The progs I remember being “Not In Front Of The Children,” “Marty Feldman,” “Walker Bros,” at the Hippy Drome, “Softly Softly,” “Ice Show,” at Riverside with Kendal Ave Colour OB , “Simon Dee” etc. etc. All great telly.

Due to family reasons, in Bolton, I transferred to Manchester and spent one year in the control room at BH MR, two years in the Audio Unit, Radio & TV, and finally got back to cameras and lighting in 1973. Did Senior Tech Ops, Stereo, London Studio Managers (Radio), Lighting Familiarisation and finally the Lighting Training Course. Warwick Fielding and Derek Slee were my lighting mentors who were both superb in different ways. I learnt a great deal from both of them.
In 1980 after being told too many times what a great board I had done, but this chap from Scotland/Bristol/Wales/Birmingham needed to transfer and so best of luck on the next occasion, I left. I joined British Aerospace at Warton & helped set up and improve their TV production facilities. Love aeroplanes and as BAe had one or two I thought it would be a good move. Good jollies to Munich, Paris etc. etc. The only problem was the salary, as good as the Beeb at £8k, but even the supremo of BAe Warton only got £16k with a free Ford Granada, and free house in Lytham St Anns – and responsibility for 300 aircraft to be produced at a cost of £30M each!
Border TV advertised for new staff to help improve its image and one job was as a Lighting Director with occasional camera work caught my eye. A very good combination! I got the job and eventually became the Head of Lighting. Programmes “Mr & Mrs,” “Krankies,” “Highway,” “Bliss” with the lovely Janet Street Porter, “Get Fresh,” ‘Ghost Train,” “ITV Morning Service” etc. etc. In 1989 as ITV was being gobbled up by the sandwich makers of GTV I decided that I would pursue a new direction and changed a hobby of Horology into a full time job. Hence Cumbria Clock Restoration. (Tony’s current career – www.clocks-cumbria.com Link not valid 2024)

My memories of Ken Major are being called “spot”. Removing old camera tape from the camera cables, the only senior camera man I ever saw do this task with his junior crew, himself. Watching him climb any thing, any time, any place! Being the best senior camera man I ever worked for.

Pete Clevely for his ability to mutter at the f—ing director, shake his head, so the cans came off, kick the said cans as they fell so they wrapped around the panning handle. All with perfect timing! Learnt all there is to know on how to chat a girl up with a piece of Origami.

John Smith for always looking “smart” in his tie and jacket! Curly Burrell for looking even smarter, just like the commodore of the yacht club!

From the beeb in Manchester I remember the many who escaped to Manchester for a “better life.” These would include Wayne Mottershead, Terry Reeve, Mike Baker, Keith Swadkins, Keith Bradsaw etc. One of the more senior cameramen who also had escaped from London was Tony Taylor who used to work on “The Grove Family.” Paul Loosley was another more senior cameraman I remember. Taught me how to make a “Duck Hooter” from a shot card. A very necessary skill for a cameraman. Keith Swadkins – topics of conversation were hiring deck chairs in Blackpool and all things 70 mm! A true “Squire” protégé’

Keith Bradshaw went to Granada. His interest in life seemed to be lighting, photographing & organising fashion shows! He did a few days for Border after leaving Granada as a freelance. His mobile rang all the time, very busy man.

Geoff Layton worked in sound, then became a sound supervisor and now is, I believe, an EM!

Mike Baker was a racks supervisor who eventually escaped to Glasgow and then on to Wales. Did a great double act on OBs with an elderly Scottish racks engineer (who was once EIC Newcastle! and ate his meals with his fingers! ) The pair would eye up any new racks guy and tell him what a lovely bum he had! It would be a bit dangerous to do that sort of thing now. No doubt some one would think you were for real!

It was nice to find a picture of myself (page 103) LH with Dave Taylor RH from Manchester OBs rigging a LDK3 in Wrexham, my camera 4. These are the pictures from Steve Edward’s. The crew were bollocked all through the match by the “gentleman” from the sports department who was purporting to be a director. He apologised after the match to all after the EM tipped him off that we were recording his talk back. Yes LDK3s were heavy! but great for OBs.

And here are some pics from Tony’s years in tv….

Not too many people get to take a picture like this….

Tony’s crew at BAe

BBC Manchester Dickinson Road

Sound and vision at Dickinson Road

It’s a Knockout! (If this is meaningless to you, you’re either too young or not from the UK. In either case, don’t worry about it)

A rare Playschool OB

As Tony says, these cameras – Philips LDK3 – were HEAVY, and I found out the hard way once when I was sent to my first cricket OB.
I was attached to the Welsh Unit for the day operating exactly this setup with the camera on this tiny lightweight dolly. If you panned round too far, the centre of gravity went over the edge and the whole thing tipped over.
I was only saved by a fast moving rigger (who perhaps could have warned me beforehand, now I come to think of it)

his is Radio 4 Con in Manchester – you can tell that the regions always got all the latest kit (not!) This is late ’60s with what looks like early ’50s gear

The Langham in London