Humphrey Burton at 90

[ardcarp]

Some may feel in need of some good news about the BBC...

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000wbxq

...about 1hr22min from start.

Humphrey Burton is publishing a book In My Own Time. He talked about the BBC in the 1960s as being 'confident and unapologetic' and how they were prepared to have the LSO playing symphonies on prime time TV. The Reithian mantra 'to educate' still applied. Leonard Bernstein is discussed, especially that notorious recording of West Side Story and the spat with José Carreras.

Well done BBC then, and well done now for putting this item on a major (and otherwise deeply depressing) news programme.

[Serial_Apologist]

That could be the origin of the phrase: "Gone for a Burton".

[cloughie]

That could be the origin of the phrase: "Gone for a Burton".

He’s not gone yet!

[Serial_Apologist]

He’s not gone yet!

Actually now I think about it, "Gone for a Burton" actually referred to that time when Burtons was the place to go for a new suit. So, in some inane sense, it did have something to do with - wait for it - suitability!

[cloughie]

Actually now I think about it, "Gone for a Burton" actually referred to that time when Burtons was the place to go for a new suit. So, in some inane sense, it did have something to do with - wait for it - suitability!

Time to jacket in, methinks!

[Padraig]

Time to jacket in, methinks!

No. You cloughie!

[french frank]

Time to jacket in, methinks!

Y' can't beat it, can you?

[Petrushka]

Actually now I think about it, "Gone for a Burton" actually referred to that time when Burtons was the place to go for a new suit. So, in some inane sense, it did have something to do with - wait for it - suitability!

It actually refers to a pint of beer. Burton on Trent (not a million miles from me and a town I know well) still is a major brewing town and the home of many beers. Hence 'Gone for a Burton' is to go for a beer.

[jayne lee wilson]

It actually refers to a pint of beer. Burton on Trent (not a million miles from me and a town I know well) still is a major brewing town and the home of many beers. Hence 'Gone for a Burton' is to go for a beer.

Absolutely. Excellent exposition here......

https://www.worldwidewords.org/qa/qa-gon1.htm

Speaking of our beloved BBC, under such predictably outrageous and unjustified oh-so-Tory-Tabloid-Royals attack as it is, don't miss the BBC4 Delia Derbyshire feature I linked to on the TV Programs thread...

[ardcarp]

Burton on Trent (where my eldest daughter was born...of all places!) used to be, maybe still is, where Marmite was made. At certain times the whole town has a yeasty aroma...not exactly unpleasant. Love it or hate it, I suppose.

Even less relevant to this thread, the parish church used to have an original Hope Jones organ...presumably long gone.

[cloughie]

Burton on Trent (where my eldest daughter was born...of all places!) used to be, maybe still is, where Marmite was made. At certain times the whole town has a yeasty aroma...not exactly unpleasant. Love it or hate it, I suppose.

Even less relevant to this thread, the parish church used to have an original Hope Jones organ...presumably long gone.

Coore blimey! Did you sing Bass in the choir?

[Ein Heldenleben]

In my view Humphrey Burton encapsulates something we have lost from Arts broadcasting - a determination not to be niche, to cover the very best , to reach out to new audiences ( both on LWT as presenter of Aquarius and as a distinguished doc maker for the Beeb ). He did not always get it right but the TV world is crying out for figures of his stature. It is common knowledge he has not been well and it is great that he is still with us and so productive.

[ardcarp]

Nope. Sadder Budweiser.

[Petrushka]

Burton on Trent (where my eldest daughter was born...of all places!) used to be, maybe still is, where Marmite was made. At certain times the whole town has a yeasty aroma...not exactly unpleasant. Love it or hate it, I suppose.

Even less relevant to this thread, the parish church used to have an original Hope Jones organ...presumably long gone.

Yes, Marmite is still made in Burton and the yeasty aroma still much in evidence. I worked for some years in the town and my next door neighbour is a manager at Coors Brewery.

Back on topic, I used to see Humphrey Burton quite often at the Proms in the 1970s. Surprised that no-one has mentioned 'The Golden Ring', his documentary on Solti's recording of Götterdämmerung which is still thrilling television nearly 60 years on. Nothing like this would ever get made today.

[gurnemanz]

We owe Humphrey Burton a great debt of thanks. Shame on ITV for axing Melvyn's South Bank Show which made such a valuable contribution over the years - and credit to Sky Arts for just about keeping it alive. Alan Yentob is still providing some good stuff for Imagine.