BBC 2 Opening Night

Chris Wickham

On the opening night of BBC2, I was at Lime Grove, D or E doing Panorama when the lights went out. Instant panic all round. A young sound assistant called Peter Tolman had bought a battery portable TV which he had brought in to show everyone. Such things were a novelty in those far off days. This turned out to be the only working TV in West London and was commandeered by the programme’s Editor, Paul Fox who took his presenter and production team together with Peter’s TV to Alexandra Palace which was still on the air. The programme eventually went out from there. Peter Tolman was later tragically killed in a motoring accident some time later. I don’t know if he got his TV back or if Paul Fox thanked him.

In the Lime Grove goods lift were two live kangaroos who became imprisoned there for the evening and were not best pleased but they could be heard banging away at the sides of the lift. I don’t know for how long they were imprisoned. For the rest of us in the studio there was nothing left to do so we went home. Outside in the streets it was eerie. No street lighting, traffic lights or lights in shops and houses

Two important things happened at TC the next day. First several industrial generator units were hired and parked in the ring road. These were to replace the non-existent emergency generators which everyone believed were installed somewhere in the basement. Red faces all round. Secondly, a nice wreath was delivered to TC reception with the sympathetic message “ BBC2 RIP from all at ITV”. The ITV companies had never forgiven or forgotten the Beeb’s spoiler on their opening night when Grace in the “Archers” was killed off. The champagne was probably flowing on the South Bank.

Ian Hillson

Hullabaloo and Custard seem to have been trapped in a lift at TVC according to [a newspaper] article and not LG – or was the Beeb engaged in animal cruelty on an industrial scale in its London premises on that night?

Geoff Fletcher

TO19 ran from 13 April 1964 to 17 July 1964. Opening night of BBC2 was 20 April 1964. BBC Evesham had a raft depicting Hullabaloo and Custard entered in the annual raft race on the river – it gradually sank as it progressed erratically down the course – kind of prophetic I guess.

Lots of us on TO19 settled down to watch the opening night of BBC2 – we couldn’t believe what we were (not) seeing! The general opinion was that we should go away and down several pints of ale to get over our disappointment.