Presenter Alan Towers with contributor and Golden Eagle. Photos by Bhasker Solanki, no reproduction without permission
Alan Towers presenting an episode of Midlands Today from Studio B at BBC Pebble Mill, accompanied by a handler and Golden Eagle.
Copyright resides with the original holder, no reproduction without permission. L-R back-row: Brian Conway, David Waine, Steve Lee, Gary Hudson, Sue Beardsmore. L-R front-row: Kay Alexander, Roy Saatchi, Rick Thompson, the late Alan Towers.
Thanks to Jonathan Dick for sharing this article from the internal BBC newspaper, Ariel, featuring Midlands Today winning the Royal Television Society award for Best Regional Programme in 1989.
Alan Towers BBC Midlands Today resignation broadcast 1997 from Mark Davies on Vimeo.
Copyright resides with the original holder, no reproduction without permission.
Alan Towers presenting Midlands Today in 1997, and resigning live at the end of the show. Apparently he asked to say something at the end of his final show, but no one realised that he was going to explain why he was leaving. His timing was impeccable, as usual.
The following comments were left on the Pebble Mill Facebook page:
Becky Towers: ‘My LEGEND of a father! He’s been gone 9 years this month. Funny that you posted this. He always finds a way to let us know he’s still around!’
Robin Latchem: ‘I wish someone had the recording of when the VT went down on a Saturday sports show I was producing and Alan had to busk several minutes with no spare copy. He breezed through the empty time while I in the gallery could only thank someone’s God that he was presenting.’
Gordon Astley: ‘I remember watching this one Saturday afternoon. We all thought,”Hero”. The suits thought “Unprofessional “. Later on I interviewed Alan on my show after his return from from a motorbike trip abroad. After the show you couldn’t move for ‘suits’ welcoming him back into the building.’
Martin Fisher: ‘He was helpful to us in local radio for both news and sport and I am personally grateful for the assistance in my early years in broadcasting from Pebble Mill.’
Copyright resides with the original holder, no reproduction without permission.
These stills are from Children in Need from the early 1980s. These would have been from the Midlands contribution into the national Children in Need show. The presenter was Alan Towers, who was one of the Midlands Today presenter. The first still shows the volunteers taking the pledges of money on the phones.
Thanks to Stuart Allen for sharing the photos.
The following comments were left on the Pebble Mill Facebook page:
Ann Gumbley Williams: ‘Worked with Alan as assistant on the very first Children in Need. I was in the Gallery on my own when London said they were coming to Birmingham in 30 seconds. Had to run around to the newsroom and grab Alan and all those involve. Just about got there in time! Such memories, the first one was so crazy and laid back and hairy! If you can be both.’
Gary Hudson: ‘I knew Alan before I worked for the BBC, and on my first day he took me to one side:”Staff job, eh? Find yourself an empty office on the fifth floor and stay there till you collect your pension.”
Variously called everything from Beckenbauer to Uncle Barmy, he was a great character, loyal friend and I miss him. His wicked sense of humour wasn’t confined to the infamous farewell speech. Who remembers the Christmas studio decorations sign-off? As I recall, it was something like: ‘Do you like our Christmas tree? The fairies put it up in the middle of the night. Thanks, boys!”
Steve Cram & Marie Phillips
Marie Phillips & Alan Towers
Photos from Marie Phillips, no reproduction without permission.
‘Children in Need’ has enjoyed some high profile supporters over the years. In these photos Pebble Mill ‘Children in Need’ co-ordinator, Marie Phillips, is joined by middle distance runner, Steve Cram, and Midlands Today presenter, Alan Towers.
The following comments were left on the Pebble Mill Facebook Group:
Ruth Kiosses: “Guessing this was c1990 because if the plain blocks under Pudsey? The following year the blocks were coloured ! Sad to know this info but I remember the sweatshirts I bought each year. Still got my Pudsey on this design 22 years old and still taken into school every November!”
Marie Phillips: “Gosh Ruth, well remembered ! This was an athletics event at Alexandra Stadium where we were invited to take CIN merchandise to sell and Alan Towers was there to help with promotion and Steve Cram came over to the Stall – can’t remember if he bought anything but he attracted a crowd who did!”
Ruth Kiosses: “I started PM in 1990 and I knew that it was the first sweatshirt I bought! Loved CIN the busiest week of the year in Wardrobe. Light entertainment stuff arriving in van loads, long hours, but great fun. Loved doing the OB from the front lawn always such a great atmosphere.”
Marie Phillips: “I retired in 1998 Ruth, but as every November arrives I remember those nights – such fun, such hard work, such adrenalin and then twice a year being so proud to be able to allocate the fruits of all the effort. Hapy, happy days.”