1970’s

Jimmy Savile implicated in the tragic story of a 15-year-old Top of the Pops dancer who took an overdose and died after spending the night with a “well-known disc jockey” in 1971

Admin | Sunday 7 October 2012

Back in May I wrote about the tragic story of a 15-year-old girl who killed herself in 1971. A news report in The Guardian on April 6th of that year describes how she had danced on Top of the Pops on four occasions and, according to her diary, spent the night with a man the … Jimmy Savile implicated in the tragic story of a 15-year-old Top of the Pops dancer who took an overdose and died after spending the night with a “well-known disc jockey” in 1971

Street View sightseeing: Mr Benn’s house

Admin | Sunday 7 November 2010

As anyone who was a child in the 1970’s knows, Mr Benn lives at 52 Festive Road. The artist David McKee lived ‘next door’ at 54 Festing Road in Putney (the house with the red front door) and his drawings of Festive Road were based on the real street.

Mork and Mindy’s offensive landlord

Admin | Saturday 5 December 2009

In 1978 I was a teenager and one afternoon switched on the local ITV channel — Tyne Tees — at about 5.15pm to watch the US sitcom Mork and Mindy. However I nearly fell off my chair when it turned out that the episode was all about their evil landlord who was called ‘Arnold Wanker’. … Mork and Mindy’s offensive landlord

Strike by ITV technicians, early 1970’s?

Admin | Tuesday 2 October 2007

I was a TV addict when I was a child and this is something I have a dim memory of. Does anyone have more information?

BBC World and WTC Building 7 collapse on September 11

Admin | Wednesday 28 February 2007

This seems quite extraordinary. This clip seems to show BBC World reporting that World Trade Centre Building 7 has collapsed on September 11th. Yet the reporter is standing in front of a window and WTC Building 7 is still standing in the distance behind her. More info here.

BBC VideoTape Department Christmas Tape

Admin | Saturday 13 January 2007

In the 1970’s the BBC’s VT department produced an annual tape of out-takes and specially recorded items by the stars of the day. It was intended exclusively for BBC staff at the time. But now, inevitably, a number of them have got out onto YouTube. Warning: strong language! Christmas Eve On BBC One Legs & … BBC VideoTape Department Christmas Tape

British Rail planned nuclear-powered flying saucer

Admin | Monday 13 March 2006

The Guardian reports that British Rail patented plans for a nuclear-powered flying saucer in 1973. ‘Charles Osmond Frederick, patented the design for a craft powered by laser-controlled thermonuclear fusion. Designed to reach high speeds in space, it was meant to move us around the globe and even to other planets. Its “lifting platform” was designed … British Rail planned nuclear-powered flying saucer

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