Tony Currie writes: This is still not complete and probably never will be, but with a lot more research and the letters sent by 405 Alivers, here it is!

ABC TELEVISION

David Hamilton, Keith Martin, Julie Stevens, Sidonie Bond, Owen Oyston, Bill Steel, John Benson, John Edmonds, Philip Elsmore, Sheila Kennedy, Keith Martin, John McGavin, John Braban.

ASSOCIATED-REDIFFUSION

Michael O'Halloran, Leslie Mitchell, Redvers Kyle, Dick Norton, Tom Glazer, Robert Gladwell, John Charlton, Jon Kelley, Mel Oxley, Nick Worrall, John Edmonds, John Benson, Keith Martin, Muriel Young, Anne Every, Bill Steel, Chris Robbie.

ATV MIDLANDS

Dick Norton, Caroline Lloyd, Jean Morton, Jill Bletchley, Ray Moore, Patricia Cox, Peter Wilson, John Toye, Kevin Morrison, Mike Prince, Mike Speake, Trevor Lucas, Peter Davies, David Jamieson, Peter Tomlinson, Pat Astley, Simon Bates, Greg Bance, Keith Martin, David Bennett.

ATV LONDON

Donald Gray, Arthur Adair, Peter Cockburn, Shaw Taylor, Norman Tozier, John McCavin, Dick Graham, Maurice Kanarek, John Braban, Antony Parker, Noel Trevarthen, Trevor Lucas.

ANGLIA

Drew Russell, Newman Saunders, Colin Bower, Caroline Raison, Dick Graham, Colin Weston, Richard Barnes, Pain Rhodes, Keith Martin, John Benson, Patrick Anthony, Katy Glass, Helen McDermott, Mike Speake, David Clayton, Greg Bance, John Bacon, David Bennett.

BORDER

Mary Marquis, Derek Batey, Fiona Cunningham, Tom Edwards, Allan Cartner, Bill Steel, Clive Champney, John Duncanson, Keith Martin, Pat Doody, Clem Shaw, Colin Lamont, Colin Weston, John Phillips.

CARLTON

Graham Bannerman. Mark Lipscomb, Andrea McDowall.

CHANNEL

Gordon de Ste Croix, Jane Bayer, Alastair Layzell, Tony Scott-Warren, Jane Stuart.

CHANNEL FOUR TELEVISION

Paul Coia, Graham Rogers, Bill Bingham, Gary Terzza.

CENTRAL

Linda Cunningham, Su Evans, Helen Lloyd, Stewart White, Mike Prince, Simon Willis, Gary Terzza.

GRAMPIAN

Elizabeth Mackenzie, June Imray, Douglas Kynoch, Jimmy Spankie, Lesley Blair, Jack McLaughlin, Barrie Redfern, Kennedy Thomson, David Bennett, Lesley MacLeod, Anna-Maria Ash, Maggie Palmer, Colin Lamont, Ann Brodie, Anne Duguid, Jim O'Hara, Margaret Donald.

GRANADA

J. M. Mead, N. Somers, Miss R. Williams, Ray Moore, Charles Foster, Chris Kelly, Graham James, Bernard Youens, Sue Robbie, Jim Pope, Greg Bance, Colin Weston.

HTV

Don Moss Edward Cole, Eiry Lloyd Palfrey, Gwyn Parry, Sue Powell-Reed, Dilwyn Young-Jones, Annie St John, Daphne Neville, Vincent Daniels, John Stroker, Michael St John, Sally Alford, Mike Prince, Peter Lewis, Terry Dyddgen-Jones, Peter Marshall, Colin Weston, Arfon Haines Davies, Greg Bance, Elizabeth Carse, Colin Berry, Keith Martin, David Bennett, Gwyn Parry, Margaret Pritchard.

LONDON WEEKEND

Peter Lewis, Ruth Anders, Gayle Colman, Robin Houston, Pam Rhodes, Sue Peacock, Sarah Kennedy, Trish Bertram, Glen Thompsett, Greg Bance. Keith Martin, Colin Weston.

MERIDIAN

Hilary Osborne, David Bradford, Howard Pearce, Graham James.

SCOTTISH

Jimmy Nairn, Michael O'Halloran, Arthur Montford, Elaine Wells, Douglas Cameron, Gordon Roddick, Drew Russell, Bill Simpson, Raymond Boyd, Ivor Phillips, Morag Hood, Bob Christie, Pat Trevor, Alec Monteith, Hamish Wilson, David Chalmers, Clem Ashby, Kate Matheson, Marion White, Tony Currie, Steve Hamilton, Jimmy Spankie, Mike Gower, Brian Ford, Pauline Muirhead, Jay Crawford, Paul Coia, Dave Marshall, Bryce Curdy, Alison Forsyth, June Andrews, Ann Brodie, Maggie Palmer. Jim Symon, Cohn Lamont, Liz Kristiansen, Maggie Lavender.

SKY TELEVISION

Tommy Vance. Peter Davies.

SOUTHERN

Martin Muncaster, Julian Pettifer, Meryl O'Keefe, Sidonie Bond, Malcolm Brown, Aline James, Clifford Swindells, Michael Alexander, David Hamilton, Richard Davies, Nicholas Tresilian, Christine Webber, Brian Nissen, Chris Robbie, Phil Elsmore, Martyn King, Vanessa Thornton, Bill Flynn, Lesley Judd, Sarah Kennedy, Colin Weston, Su Evans, Ian Curry, Greg Bance, Keith Martin.

TELEDU CYMRU

Meurig Williams.

TELEVISION SOUTH

Malcolm Brown, Jennifer Clulow, William Flynn, Judy Matheson, Brian Nissen, Gordon Radley, Anna Maria Ash, Fred Dineage.

TELEVISION SOUTH WEST

Fern Britton, Jennifer Gavin, Roger Shaw, David Rodgers, Judi Spiers, Ian Stirling, Jilly Carter, Andy Archer.

TWW

Bruce Lewis, Peter Lewis, Maureen Staffer, Ivor Roberts, Earl Bailey.

THAMES

Tom Edwards, Bill Steel, Phil Elsmore, David Hamilton, Sheila Kennedy, Peter Marshall, Mark Lipscomb, Evadne Fisher-Martin, Keith Martin.

TYNE TEES

Tom Coyne, Jon Kelley, Mike Neville, Adrian Cairns, Andy Craig, Bill Steel, Pat Curtis, Phil Elsmore, Allan Cartner, Pat Doody, Cathy Secker, Colin Weston, Phil Martin, Neville Wanless, Judi Spiers, Pat Judy, Annie St John, Jane Jermyn, Lyn Spencer, Andy Archer, Greg Bance.

ULSTER

Adrienne McGuill, Jimmy Greene, Brian Durkin, Peter Marshall, Ivor Mills, Ann Gregg, Ernie Strathdee, Johanne Woods, Keith Burnsie, Keith Mayes, Ewen White.

WALES WEST & NORTH

Alan Taylor.

WESTWARD

Roger Shaw, Stuart Hutchison, Penny Bowles, Ian Stirling, Sheila Kennedy, Judi Spiers, David Rodgers, Helen McDermott, Fern Britton, Colin Weston.

YORKSHIRE

John Crosse, Redvers Kyle, Paul Lally, Graham Roberts, Paul Kaye (died 4.11.80), Keith Martin.

This list is not complete and it probably never will be, but if you have any additions or amendments, please let Tony know.

For sources, Tony says he used his own memory, old editions of Who's Who In ITV, the Equity Television Announcers List and the recent book Pop Went The Pirates by Keith Skues. The beauty of this last book, say Tony, is that the many biographies in it are all written by the people concerned, so they presumaby have got their facts right! Many pirate disc jockeys went on to television continuity announcing.

"Next, it's the BBC!" Well, I shall swear I heard Tony say that, but he'll certainly need help. So if you would like to contribute to the ultimate list of BBC continuity announcers, please send your list to

Announcers, PO Box 600, GLASGOW, G41 5SH.

Tony and your fellow readers of 405 Alive will be most grateful to you and with a bit of luck we may expect the first listing later this year. [Editor]

FEEDBACK

From Brian Renforth, Sandyford:

Another for Tony Currie’s list: TYNE TEES, Judi Lines. Finally, who was the lady announcer, presenting the weather forecast for TVS, who announced the forecast for the Southern region in 1982?!?

Also, HTV West & HTV Cymru/Wales had their own continuity announcers. On West the HTV WEST symbol was to the left of the announcer whereas on Cymru/ Wales it was to the right. The Welsh announcers would first announce in Welsh, followed by English. The VHF ‘General Service’ usually used continuity from HTV West.

Last word from Brian Renforth: Is STV's Tony Currie the same Tony Currie?!? To which the inevitable answer is: Could there be more than one Tony Currie?!?

MORE ITV CONTINUITY ANNOUNCERS

Sent in by Simon Gough, Malcolm O’ Neill and Brian Renforth

ANGLIA

Graham Bell, Tom Edwards, Phil Fothergill (from local radio, now with the Family Channel), Paul Lavers (from Medway Cable TV, now on the QVC shopping channel, also a television actor), Peter Marshall, Simon Prebble.

ATV (MIDLANDS)

Jill (or June) Palmer, Peter Tomlinson.

CARLTON

David Allen, Sue Peacock.

CENTRAL

Andy Marriott.

HTV

Tom Edwards, Stuart Freeman (now with Blue Danube Radio, Vienna), Graham Miller.

LWT

Pat Doody, Tom Edwards, David Geary, Dick Graham, Barry Haynes, Derek Hobson, Bruce Lewis, Valerie Martindale, Hilary Osborne, Clive Rosiland, Alec Taylor, Simon Willis, Nick Worrell.

REDIFFUSION

Not listed last time but included along with Associated-Rediffusion.

SOUTHERN

Simon Prebble.

THAMES

Simon Bates, David Belin, John Benson, Guy Blackmore, Sue Denny, Len Jackson, Sally Maclaren, Graham Miller, Jane Probyn, Christopher Robbie, Richard Skinner.

TVS

Christopher Robbie.

TYNE-TEES

Judi Lines, Ian McNair, Simon Willis.

WEST COUNTRY

Trish Bertram, Bruce Hammell.

Now we turn the list on its head and offer this listing of commercial and ex-offshore radio disc jockeys who went on to become continuity announcers on ITV:

Andy Archer (Radio City, Radio Caroline, Radio 199, RNI and Radio Seagull), Greg Bance (‘Arnold Layne’ on RNI), Colin Berry (Radio Caroline), Edward Cole (Radio 390), Tom Edwards (Radio City, then Radio Caroline), Paul Kaye (Radio London), Jack McLaughlin (Radio Scotland, Radio 355), Keith Martin (Radio Caroline), David Rodgers (RNI and Radio Atlantis), Tommy Vance (Radio Caroline, Radio London), Dick Norton (Radio Luxembourg).

Credits: Hans Knot in the Netherlands and Chas E. Miller.

Page 62: The lady announcer on ATV was Joan Palmer. She married a programme director named Sam Fairhall.

THE ULTIMATE LIST OF CONTINUITY ANNOUNCERS... goes on and on!

Please add two names; they are Michael Piper and Guy Corey who both worked for Westward from the beginning, and who left just before Sheila Kennedy left to work for ATV in Birmingham. [Bob Netherway]

Westward Television had produced their local magazine right from day one; it was entitled Westward Diary. I wonder how many people remember the opening music. I do not know what it was called, but it was the same as that used by Anglia. Presented by Reggie Bosanquet for a while, the Diary soon got its own anchor man called John Pett. The early continuity announcers were Guy Cory, Michael Piper, Sheila Kennedy and Roger Shaw. Later Del Cooper and Stuart Hutchinson joined.

From Tony Currie, Glasgow:

Richard Bell asks about the original Thames ident. When they took over from Rediffusion in 1968, the logo was about as simple as you can get – the word THAMES in white on a black background. No animation. No music. No frills. It was some months before the London skyline with Tower Bridge and the dome of St Paul's first appeared and initially it was in monochrome. Likewise when LWT started, their ident was the words London Weekend Television in white on black, again mute. The first animated version – with a revolving stylised laurel wreath in white on orange – was used for the start of colour in November 1969.

Mark Jurkiewicz is evidently on the receiving end of some of a handful of instrumental tracks which the original owners – Pye Records – have flogged to death on countless compilation albums ever since. The Z-Cars recording by Johnny Keating was never used on air in the BBC police series. This version was the 'hit single'. The transmitted version was arranged and recorded by Bridget Fry and Fritz Spiegl and was based on the traditional folk tune Johnny Todd. The theme for Top Secret on the other hand was indeed the Laurie Johnson version of Sucu Sucu (rather than the Johnny Gregory one), and it accompanied the Associated Rediffusion series that starred William FrankIyn as Peter Dallas, Patrick Cargill as Miguel Garetta, and Sam Kydd as Orlando.

Keep those continuity announcers coming! I can tell you from experience that however complete a list we produce, there will always be another name to add, since freelance announcers would often do 'the odd shift' on a neighbouring ITV station not always with the knowledge or consent of their main employers! For example, I remember doing illicit voice-overs for Channel Television in Jersey when a strike had paralysed the rest of the ITV Network.

I look forward to reliving the Autumn of 1995 some time around July, by the way....

Some additional continuity announcers for Tony Currie:

TYNE TEES

David Hamilton (in a TV interview many years ago claimed he was at Tyne Tees during the 1960s; however, I must admit, I don't remember seeing him).

The regular team from circa 1975 was:

Neville Wanliss, Pat Doody, Lyn Spencer.

WESTWARD

By 1973 the regular team was:

Stuart Hutchinson, Roger Shaw, Colleen Gray.

GRANADA

Colin Weston has been at Granada since c. 1985.

From Roger Bunney, Romsey:

A quick response on Southern TV. One popular announcer was Christopher Robbie. He had the tearful task of closing down Southern TV on the last night prior to the loss of franchise and the take-over by TVS. The next morning the tearful Christopher Robbie was re-incarnated as the laughing, joyful Christopher Robbie opening up the new TVS service! Another wonderful Southern announcer was Ian Curry. He was the one that during a break between programmes – when real people were seen in presentation – displayed an apple pie he had bought in the canteen. He said it was a solid lump and returned it to the canteen. "And this, ladies and gentlemen, is the replacement!" He held up an app le pie in a dish, inverted it and the pie remained motionless, stuck upside down to the plate.

TVS went through a lot of announcers including Anna-Maria Ash, who also shows up on Grampian. Malcolm Brown also did a lot of pres. work on commercial station Ocean Sound. Fern Britton appeared in the very early days of TVS as the anchorwoman on 'Coast to Coast' and stayed there until mid-1992 when she left and went to London News with hubby Clive Jones. Fred Dineage also has worked in presentation when short for TVS though he was anchorman for Coast as well. There was also a beautiful girl called Lizzie something on Southern in the early days, I have her photo somewhere. She became browned off with it and went back to teaching. Brian Nissen was Southern's senior announcer for many years, a lovely bloke.

From Brian Renforth, Sandyford:

I'm afraid there were a few omissions from my announcer's list. Here they are:

TSW – Jilly Carter

TTT – Lynn Spencer.

We will pass on all these updates to Tony Currie and he can then have the fun of recompiling a complete list! [Editor]

Back to Roger's feature on Southern TV. I seem to recall one announcer (male) expressing his disgust following one of those foreign 'Late Late Show' film specials (introduced by Guardian critic Tom Hutchinson I think)! A certain Lesley Judd spent some time on the station as continuity announcer, around 1980 I think. Colin Weston, also on HTV West, ended up on our TTT screens in 1984! These announcers certainly moved around a bit...

From Michael Coxon, Derby:

I enjoyed Issue 22 very much – I'm glad that so much information about ITV announcers is coming to light.

Just as Mark Tinkler says, Peter Tomlinson was the regular ATV announcer during their Saturday mornings, going into and out of 'Tiswas'. I remember seeing him drenched with water on at least one occasion. Peter was also the usual announcer for ATV's Friday night programmes in the mid-1970s. At this time they showed horror films after 'News at Ten', under the generic title of 'Appointment with Fear'. Having told the viewers that he was completely alone in the tiny presentation studio, one viewer took pity on Peter and sent him a toy panda. This kept him company on Fridays, appearing on camera with him before the film.

Another ATV announcer from about 1974 till 1980 was Peter Davies. He worked the morning shift on weekdays and didn't usually appear on camera at all. Does anyone know what happened to him?

FROM THE PAPERS

Philip Elsmore: the actor who took time out to be an announcer.

For many years he appeared in front of a mural of London landmarks, but latterly he was simply a disembodied voice, although the magnetism lived on. Much of his last night on duty was spent fielding calls from viewers enquiring what he would be doing après Thames. The answer was acting and voice-overs. What's more, his disciples will be thrilled to learn, he is to appear in a forthcoming episode of The Bill, playing a solicitor.

"I've really been an actor who took time out to be an announcer, and has simply gone back to what his real job is anyway," he says. "It was very nice at Thames while it lasted and I made some good friends, but it's over."

In a way, it was as much the voice of the Capital as the one imploring Tube passengers to mind the gap. "This is Thames, from London," Philip Elsmore would say as he introduced the next TV programme for the viewers. Philip was the continuity announcer who ushered in Thames Television's first show in 1968 – and its last one just a year ago, when Carlton took its place as from 1st January 1993. Now, at 56, he has gone back to his first profession – acting. He had spent eight years treading the boards before becoming a TV announcer on a number of regional stations, finally spending 25 years as the face of Thames.

[Adapted from an article in the London Evening Standard, date unknown]

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