Remembering Peter Fonda – the easy rider
I was sad to hear of Peter Fonda’s death, not just because he starred in Easy Rider, one of my favourite films, or just because he was unusual for a Hollywood star (in those days) to take an active role…
Tag Granada Television
Ray Fitzwalter, World In Action editor and Granada Television legend has died.
Ray Fitzwalter, editor of Granada Television’s pioneering current affairs series, World In Action. It definitely felt like the passing of an era, hearing about Ray Fitzwalter’s death. He was a truly decent person and a wryly funny one too,…
Tony Benn (1928 – 2014) – the British Labour Party's Saint Francis ofAssisi.
Tony Benn (1928 – 2014) I am sad to see the passing of that seemingly eternal ‘young Turk’ of British politics, Tony Benn. He lived long enough to survive the vilification and ridicule that was often thrown at him by…
Mrs Thatcher and Me
There is no question now that the death of Margaret Thatcher has been seen as a significant event worldwide. Britain’s only female prime minster and the country’s longest serving premier of the last century, was also Britain’s most controversial leader.…
Remembering my old Manchester flatmate, Geoff Hughes.
Geoff Hughes (1944-2012) It was sad to get the news that an old friend from my television days died this week. The actor Geoff Hughes was well known, at least in the UK, for his television comedy roles – especially…
Manchester – same old place with a bright new face.
I went back to Manchester over the weekend to the city where I lived for longer than I want to admit and where I had not only a very interesting and inspiring time working for the legendary and ground-breaking TV…
Manchester Revisited
It was fun going to Manchester last week – I hadn’t been there for about ten years and everyone told me that I would be amazed by the way it has changed in that time. Well, there are certainly a…
Manchester’s Bridgewater Hall: it was all in the name.
I went up to Manchester last week for a concert at the impressively modern Bridgewater Hall. I haven’t been back to the city for years but I lived there for a long time and my work meant that I got…
My life as a double agent in Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
We have all been well entertained by the new revelations about the Russians spies in America who are about to be sent home in a swap arrangement for American spies in a scene which reminds me of the great espionage…