Thanks to thanks to Sarah Tongue, Carole Howell’s daughter, for sharing this photo of, and invitation to, Sue Farley’s retirement party in 1988.
Beryl Thompson (left), Myles Lang (centre), Barbara Wrigley (right in black patterned dress), Margaret Barton (right).
Sue Farley was PA on the Farming programme, as well as in the Asian Programmes Unit and John King’s unit.
John was my mentor over the years from 1967 when I came on an attachment from BBC Bristol for three months as a Production Assistant. The three months became six, and eventually I stayed on in the Unit as an Assistant Producer until 1972. It was the most exhilarating experience – John let me have full rein very quickly at a challenging time when the UK was in the throes of entering the Common Market! Agriculture was in a period of considerable adjustment as a consequence, and our programming always tried to reflect that.
Much of the knowledge in production that I gained working there is due in no small way to the guidance and encouragement that John gave me. He was also extremely tolerant of the fact that I was a non-golfer! The photo below was taken on an EBU Farming tour in the Netherlands in 1971, and shows many of the BBC’s Agricultural Radio and TV Producers – including John Kenyon.
Mike Marshall
John Kenyon
Really sorry to hear of John’s death. He was one of the youngest Exec Producers in the BBC and ran the half-hour Sunday farming programmes 52 weeks of the year. He had a very small staff just two directors, I think 3 Pas, plus two well respected farming presenters, John Cherrington, later his son Dan, and David Richardson. Later, he was joined by Ken Pollock.
It was specifically aimed at farmers and took a look at food production across Britain and Europe including the Common Market. One crew a week would be allocated, which took us around the country and it opened my eyes to the wonders of food production from the abattoir, to growing watercress and our Christmas dinner, be that turkey or goose!
Later on in my career I would often talk with him about broadening the programme, but it never happened although in my mind his programme was the forerunner of the now very successful Countryfile programme that goes out Sunday nights.
John regularly gave me the chance to direct, by offering attachments; one I remember especially was on Dutch-Elm disease, a disease that has devastated the country of these fine trees. He was a good friend.
The following comment was left on the Pebble Mill Facebook page:
Andrew Thorman: ‘I never knew him but would like to think that those of us who followed in his path were walking a well trodden way.’
(Jim Dumighan has shared the information below about John Kenyon)
John Kenyon has died, at his home near Skipton, Yorkshire. He was 83.
John headed the Farming Unit at BBC Midlands for two decades before Gardeners’ World was added to his CV. His stewardship of the weekly Farming programme over such a long period was testing, given that his output was always closely scrutinised by the powerful farming lobby, led by most rural M.P.s.
In 1978, John took over Gardeners’ World, but still retained responsibility for Farming. Eventually, he opted for the single post of Executive Producer, Gardening Programmes, and remained there until retirement.
Away from farming and gardening, John enjoyed a lengthy attachment in London with the Horizon programme.
A Tynesider, John joined the BBC in Birmingham after graduating in agriculture at King’s College – which later became Newcastle University. He will be remembered as an energetic and resourceful producer, as well as being a loyal and supportive colleague.
The following comment was added on the Pebble Mill Facebook page:
Andy Frizzell: ‘A lovely man with a wicked sense of humour. Worked on GW during his tenure and always a joy to work with.’
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This page from the internal newspaper, Midlands News from 1992, shows what a vibrant place Pebble Mill was at this time, with both radio and television programmes winning all kinds of accolades, and even the restaurant winning an award for healthy food! Jeremy Clarkson is looking very youthful in the top right-hand corner, but down at the bottom the photographs for Countryfile‘s day out and Sarah Rowlands and Mark Decker’s digital editing session seem to have been swapped over – oops!