About Anglia
Encyclopedia
About Anglia, first broadcast in 1960, is the flagship television news magazine for Anglia Television
. Its original presenter was Dick Joice
.
The programme was transmitted across the Anglia region which comprised Norfolk
, Suffolk
, Essex
, Cambridgeshire
, Northamptonshire
, Bedfordshire
, Hertfordshire
, Buckinghamshire
, Lincolnshire
and south and east Yorkshire
. From 1 January 1974, Lincolnshire and parts of Yorkshire and North Norfolk were transferred to Yorkshire Television
.
About Anglia was given a new modern look in the spring of 1988 when Anglia Television abandoned its original ident, a small silver statue of a knight on horseback.
Two years later, About Anglia was replaced by Anglia News - a dual news service which transmitted two separate programmes, Anglia News East for viewers in Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex & parts of Cambridgeshire and Anglia News West for viewers in Northants, Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire, most of Cambridgeshire & overlap areas of South Lincolnshire.
Both services were produced and broadcast from the main studios at Anglia House in Norwich (long before this practice was rolled out as standard across the ITV regional news services) with reporters based at newsrooms in Cambridge, Ipswich, Chelmsford, Peterborough, Northampton, Milton Keynes and Luton, along with a political base at Westminster. Major cutbacks in 2009 led to the reintroduction of a pan-regional programme (now known as Anglia Tonight
) with shorter sub-regional opt outs.
Other presenters and journalists who appeared regularly on the programme during its thirty years on air included:
Anglia Television
Anglia Television is the ITV franchise holder for the East Anglia franchise region. Although Anglia Television takes its name from East Anglia, its transmission coverage extends beyond the generally accepted boundaries of that region. The station is based at Anglia House in Norwich, with regional...
. Its original presenter was Dick Joice
Dick Joice
Dick Joice was a British regional television presenter renowned in the East of England for his Anglia Television programmes - particularly the Bygones show that ran from 1967 for twenty years...
.
The programme was transmitted across the Anglia region which comprised Norfolk
Norfolk
Norfolk is a low-lying county in the East of England. It has borders with Lincolnshire to the west, Cambridgeshire to the west and southwest and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the North Sea coast and to the north-west the county is bordered by The Wash. The county...
, Suffolk
Suffolk
Suffolk is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in East Anglia, England. It has borders with Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south. The North Sea lies to the east...
, Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
, Cambridgeshire
Cambridgeshire
Cambridgeshire is a county in England, bordering Lincolnshire to the north, Norfolk to the northeast, Suffolk to the east, Essex and Hertfordshire to the south, and Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire to the west...
, Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire is a landlocked county in the English East Midlands, with a population of 629,676 as at the 2001 census. It has boundaries with the ceremonial counties of Warwickshire to the west, Leicestershire and Rutland to the north, Cambridgeshire to the east, Bedfordshire to the south-east,...
, Bedfordshire
Bedfordshire
Bedfordshire is a ceremonial county of historic origin in England that forms part of the East of England region.It borders Cambridgeshire to the north-east, Northamptonshire to the north, Buckinghamshire to the west and Hertfordshire to the south-east....
, Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England. The county town is Hertford.The county is one of the Home Counties and lies inland, bordered by Greater London , Buckinghamshire , Bedfordshire , Cambridgeshire and...
, Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan home county in South East England. The county town is Aylesbury, the largest town in the ceremonial county is Milton Keynes and largest town in the non-metropolitan county is High Wycombe....
, Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire is a county in the east of England. It borders Norfolk to the south east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south west, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire to the west, South Yorkshire to the north west, and the East Riding of Yorkshire to the north. It also borders...
and south and east Yorkshire
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
. From 1 January 1974, Lincolnshire and parts of Yorkshire and North Norfolk were transferred to Yorkshire Television
Yorkshire Television
Yorkshire Television, now officially known as ITV Yorkshire and sometimes unofficially abbreviated to YTV, is a British television broadcaster and the contractor for the Yorkshire franchise area on the ITV network...
.
About Anglia was given a new modern look in the spring of 1988 when Anglia Television abandoned its original ident, a small silver statue of a knight on horseback.
Two years later, About Anglia was replaced by Anglia News - a dual news service which transmitted two separate programmes, Anglia News East for viewers in Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex & parts of Cambridgeshire and Anglia News West for viewers in Northants, Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire, most of Cambridgeshire & overlap areas of South Lincolnshire.
Both services were produced and broadcast from the main studios at Anglia House in Norwich (long before this practice was rolled out as standard across the ITV regional news services) with reporters based at newsrooms in Cambridge, Ipswich, Chelmsford, Peterborough, Northampton, Milton Keynes and Luton, along with a political base at Westminster. Major cutbacks in 2009 led to the reintroduction of a pan-regional programme (now known as Anglia Tonight
Anglia Tonight
Anglia Tonight is a regional television news and current affairs programme, produced by ITV Anglia , serving the East of England and parts of the East Midlands and South East England. The programme is usually broadcast at 18:00 every weeknight, also including local sports news and local features of...
) with shorter sub-regional opt outs.
Former presenters
Many About Anglia personalities moved on to make their fame and fortune elsewhere.- Judy Finnegan came to Anglia in the mid-1970s from Granada TelevisionGranada TelevisionGranada Television is the ITV contractor for North West England. Based in Manchester since its inception, it is the only surviving original ITA franchisee from 1954 and is ITV's most successful....
as a reporter and presenter. She married and settled in NorwichNorwichNorwich is a city in England. It is the regional administrative centre and county town of Norfolk. During the 11th century, Norwich was the largest city in England after London, and one of the most important places in the kingdom...
, making her name in 1977 when she gave birth to twin sons and, the following day, proudly showed off the babies on About Anglia. She left to return to Granada as co-host of Granada ReportsGranada ReportsGranada Reports is the flagship regional news programme of ITV franchisee Granada, presented by Tony Morris and Lucy Meacock, and serving the North West of England and the Isle of Man....
alongside the late Tony WilsonTony WilsonAnthony Howard Wilson, commonly known as Tony Wilson , was an English record label owner, radio presenter, TV show host, nightclub manager, impresario and journalist for Granada Television and the BBC....
and later, Richard MadeleyRichard MadeleyRichard Madeley is a British television presenter and columnist. With his wife Judy Finnigan, Madeley has presented This Morning and later the weekday chat show Richard & Judy...
. Finnegan and Madeley later became one of the best known husband-and-wife presenting teams in British television from the 1990s.
- Bob Wellings, well known for covering quirky offbeat stories on About Anglia, went on to national TV prominence in 1971 as a presenter of NationwideNationwide (TV series)Nationwide was a BBC News and Current affairs television programme broadcast on BBC One each weekday following the early evening news. It followed a magazine format, combining political analysis and discussion with consumer affairs, light entertainment and sports reporting...
, BBC TelevisionBBC TelevisionBBC Television is a service of the British Broadcasting Corporation. The corporation, which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a Royal Charter since 1927, has produced television programmes from its own studios since 1932, although the start of its regular service of television...
’s current affairs series, alongside Michael Barrett, Frank BoughFrank BoughFrank Bough is a retired British television presenter who is best known as the former host of BBC sports and current affairs shows including Grandstand, Nationwide and Breakfast Time, which he fronted alongside Selina Scott.-Early life:...
, and Sue LawleySue Lawley- Early life and education:Born in Sedgley, Staffordshire, England and brought up in the Black Country, she was educated at Dudley Girls High School and graduated in modern languages from the University of Bristol and some time later started her career at the BBC in Plymouth...
.
- Alastair YatesAlastair YatesAlastair Yates is a British journalist. He worked with the BBC, on BBC World News and BBC News until his retirement in April 2011.Born and brought up in Burton upon Trent, Yates was educated at Manor House School, Ashby and the former Burton Grammar School...
joined About Anglia in 1987 following a stint with Grampian TelevisionGrampian TelevisionGrampian Television is the ITV franchisee for the North and North East of Scotland. Its coverage area includes the Scottish Highlands , Inverness, Aberdeen, Dundee and parts of north Fife...
's North TonightNorth TonightNorth Tonight was a Scottish nightly regional news programme covering the North of Scotland, produced by STV North .-History:North Tonight began on 7 January 1980 with presenters John Duncanson and Selina Scott...
, but left two years later to become the first presenter on Sky NewsSky NewsSky News is a 24-hour British and international satellite television news broadcaster with an emphasis on UK and international news stories.The service places emphasis on rolling news, including the latest breaking news. Sky News also hosts localised versions of the channel in Australia and in New...
in Britain. In 1995 he joined the BBCBBCThe British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
to present BBC World and BBC News 24.
Other presenters and journalists who appeared regularly on the programme during its thirty years on air included:
- Tony Adams
- Patrick Anthony
- Rebecca Atherstone
- John Bacon
- Greg Barnes
- Paul BarnesPaul BarnesPaul Barnes may refer to:* Paul Barnes , prominent figure of modern UK graphic design* Paul Barnes , American clarinetist and saxophonist* Paul Barnes , English footballer...
- Surrey Beddows
- Graham Bell
- Malcolm Brabant
- Vic Birtles
- Lindsay Brooke
- Griselda Cann
- Stephen Chambers
- Stephen ColeStephen ColeStephen Cole is a presenter for Al Jazeera English. Previously, he worked for the BBC.-Broadcasting career:...
- Geoff Druett
- David Geary
- Anne GreggAnne GreggAnne Deirdre Gregg was a travel writer and TV presenter from Northern Ireland. She is perhaps best known for presenting the BBC's travel programme Holiday throughout the 1980s. She was one of the first people from Northern Ireland to become a national British television personality.-Early...
- Gerry HarrisonGerry HarrisonGerry Harrison was a leading football commentator on British television in the 1970s and 80s, working for ITV. In the latter part of his career he was a senior television executive with production company TWI, who produce coverage of Premier League football, international golf and tennis among...
- David Henshaw
- Stuart Jarrold
- David Jennings
- Chris Kelly
- John Kiddy
- Alison Leigh
- Peter Lugg
- Helen McDermottHelen McDermottHelen McDermott is a British radio and television presenter, best known for her work at Anglia Television.A graduate of the University of East Anglia, McDermott begun her broadcasting career in the 1970s as a continuity announcer and newsreader for Westward Television in Plymouth...
- Guy MichelmoreGuy Michelmore-Education:Michelmore was educated at the independent St John's School in Leatherhead, Surrey.-News presenter:Michelmore began reporting on Anglia TV's About Anglia before joining the BBC programme Newsroom South East in 1993. Guy left the programme to be replaced by Tim Ewart from ITN. His mother...
- Caroline Oldrey (presenter of the last About Anglia)
- Jeremy Payne
- Jane Probyn
- Caroline Raison
- Pam RhodesPam RhodesPam Rhodes is a British television presenter best known for presenting the BBC television long-running religious series Songs of Praise....
- Steve RiderSteve RiderStephen Rider is an English sports presenter, and was the anchorman of ITV's football coverage, which included the Champions League, England Internationals, the FA Cup and the 2006 World Cup. He anchored ITV's Formula One coverage from 2006 to 2008, and football coverage from 2006 to April 2010...
- Owen Spencer-ThomasOwen Spencer-ThomasOwen Robert Spencer-Thomas MBE is perhaps best known as a television and radio news journalist over three decades, but he has also undertaken a wide range of philanthropric work as volunteer charity fundraiser, pioneer and campaigner for people with autism and other disabilities...
- Christine Webber
- Chris Young
- Dick Graham