BBC Plymouth Centenary celebrations

BBC Plymouth centenary celebrations

A little late in the year the BEHP, together with BBC Alumni and BBCPensioners’ Association celebrated the centenary of the BBC broadcasting from Plymouth – PY5 in BBC  BH Plymouth on 3 Dec 2024 .

There was a great crowd of ex-Plymouth members gathered to hear a presentation by Sue Malden about the  BEHP collection of interviews which focussed on interviews with  Bill Ward and Jill Craigie .Bill Ward was born in Plymouth Ain 1916, so he was just 81 when the interview was recorded. A local boy “I was entered for various contests in the  Plymouth Music Festival, which came up year after year. And on one year, I won a silver and I won a bronze medal for piano playing .” Bill joined  BBC Plymouth 5PY local radio in 1932, then moved to London to join BBC Television in 1936 .. This talk was illustrated with footage of early OBs that Bill had produced

 There are two interviews with Jill Craigie –the first three sides are from  two Imperial War Museum tapes with  Toby Haggith and the recording was made in 1993. Side four is an interview conducted by Rodney Geisler on 27.4.95. for the BECTU History Project. In both, Craigie recounts her writing and directing career and provides some interesting comments on the relationship between documentaries and the popular audience. Extracts from her n 1947 documentary The Way we Live on the reconstruction of Plymouth were shown The audience were enthralled to see this . In her interview Jiill recalls that it was whilst filming the 1945 General Election that  she met and campaigned for Michael Foot. Married him in 1949. 

Several people volunteered to work with the archive to be interviewed or as interviewers or recorders.

In the absence of Richard Collings ( sadly at a family funeral) Sue also gave a presentation on the benefits of BBCPA membership which attracted some new members. Richard later joined the group as they began tours of the old BBC studios and the new. He was able to collect the names of potential new members. We have emailed both of our website details to all who attended

Tony Byers had made a comprehensive compilation of the history of 5PY which took many down memory lane.  We closed with a visit to both the new and old BBC studios  (in the nextdoor Marjon university building.) 2 students are making a documentary about the event.

Additionally a visit to the Box where a lot of stories produced in the past by Spotlight are stored. Visitors were very impressed with the new home.

Here is a link to the video which students,Christine and  Alex Haynes on camera, at Marjon Uni. Produced about the event.   https://vimeo.com/1040862460/7fdf333c41?share=copy