Television programmes from the last century...

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

- I missed out Norman Vaughn, of course. And the Canadian presenter - the one associated with Heinz - was Jackie Rae.

[Bryn]

Have London Live worked out how to show programmes in the right aspect ratio yet?

Well The Royal Ballet was shown correctly in 4:3 ratio. Indeed, the few old films I have watched on the channel have all been in the correct aspect ratio. Would that they might get their hands on and broadcast The Goose Steps Out uncut.

[Lat-Literal]

Heinz! Blimey - that goes all the way back to the first series with the Canadian presenter. Bernie the Bolt, Bob Monkhouse and Anne Aston in my day! (Then Charlie Williams, then Bob Monkhouse again.)

Oddly enough I was speaking today on the bus to the neighbour who is nicknamed Bernie the Bolt. You may recall that he got into the Guinness Book of Records in 1976 aged 46 or thereabouts for being the the hod carrier who had carried the most bricks. There is a photograph on Getty images and another from 11 years earlier where he is carrying two dancing girls. He was telling me that he had been working now for 74 years - I think he is a year wrong but didn't say so. Anyway, he effectively predates television as we know it.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Oddly enough I was speaking today on the bus to the neighbour who is nicknamed Bernie the Bolt. You may recall that he got into the Guinness Book of Records in 1976 aged 46 or thereabouts for being the the hod carrier who had carried the most bricks. There is a photograph on Getty images and another from 11 years earlier where he is carrying two dancing girls. He was telling me that he had been working now for 74 years - I think he is a year wrong but didn't say so. Anyway, he effectively predates television as we know it.

I remember that about the hod only because of its being referred to as a running "joke" in a series of Til Death Do Us Part - Patricia Hayes kept referring to "the chap with 'is 'od". I didn't know he had that nickname.

[Lat-Literal]

I remember that about the hod only because of its being referred to as a running "joke" in a series of Til Death Do Us Part - Patricia Hayes kept referring to "the chap with 'is 'od". I didn't know he had that nickname.

It's absolutely true. He got himself into the papers for the best part of a dozen years. I would post the proof of it and his name - I did once - but he can work his way around a computer and it seems a bit disrespectful. Some who don't know him think he is a bit dim or possibly homeless. He's actually so bright in engineering matters that several contractors call him out at all hours as the people with degrees don't know what to do half the time. He has got where he is today by driving in snow whenever that is possible, especially when most roads are closed, showing an utter disdain for much of health and safety legislation and never getting married - most of the things Governments oppose.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Yes - I'm sure there were photos in the Daily Mirror at the time of the man with the enlarged Hod (and the photo of the "dancing" girls, too! I'd completely forgotten until you mentioned him, Lats - but as soon as you did, it all came vividly back.

[Lat-Literal]

Yes - I'm sure there were photos in the Daily Mirror at the time of the man with the enlarged Hod (and the photo of the "dancing" girls, too! I'd completely forgotten until you mentioned him, Lats - but as soon as you did, it all came vividly back.

The photo with the dancing girls is/was in 1965 when he was carrying 72 bricks but it was 11 years later that he got the record for it.

That would, I think, be the main span of the Speight years. He is a remarkable person in many ways. He is at least 86. Could be 88.