- John Timpson
John Harry Robert Timpson OBE, (
2 July 1928 -19 November 2005 ), born inKenton ,Middlesex , was a British journalist, best known as a radio presenter. He was educated at Merchant Taylors' School, a boys'independent school inNorthwood , London.He went straight to the "Wembley News" as a sixteen-year-old cub reporter. After five years there and two years of national service, he moved to
Norfolk and the "Eastern Daily Press ", and then in 1959 to theBBC .From 1964 he presented "Newsroom" on BBC 2, the first British television news programme to make the switch to colour in July 1, 1967.
Timpson co-presented (with
Brian Redhead and others) theBBC Radio 4 "Today" programme from 1970 to 1976 and again from 1978 to 1986, working on television during the gap. From 1983 to 1987, he also presented the popular weekly show, "Any Questions? ". After his retirement from theBBC he returned toNorfolk and wrote books about the oddities of England,East Anglia especially. He also wrote an autobiography published in 1976 entitled 'Today and Yesterday'. He was generally perceived as something of a small-c conservative and traditionalist, and probably politically to the right of his colleagueBrian Redhead .He was awarded an OBE in 1987.
On
22 February 2006 , family, friends and co-workers gathered to attend a memorial service in memory of John Timpson. One speaker was Director ofBBC Radio and Music,Jenny Abramsky .External links
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/tv_and_radio/4452358.stm BBC News - Broadcaster Timpson dies aged 77]
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