Ian McCaskill
Encyclopedia
Ian McCaskill is a former BBC
weatherman
. His Scottish
accent, manner of speech, and relentless (some would say unseemly) enthusiasm for severe weather made him popular with viewers . He became the most imitated weather presenter in the UK. He went to Queen's Park School (near Queen's Park F.C.
) in Glasgow, and then to the University of Glasgow
.
He joined the RAF
in 1959 as part of his National Service
and became an airman meteorologist, first in Scotland and then in Cyprus
. He left the RAF in 1961 and joined the Met Office
, working at Prestwick Airport, in Malta
and in Manchester
. In 1978, he began working at the BBC
Weather Centre. He retired on 31 July 1998.
He has been parodied by the satirical comedy show Spitting Image
, and by impersonator Rory Bremner
, amongst others.
He lives near Beaconsfield
in Buckinghamshire
. He has two daughters, Victoria and Kirsty. He is a fellow of the Royal Meteorological Society
. He continues to make television appearances and also works as a motivational speaker
. He has appeared on the BBC Television shows MasterChef and on Have I Got News For You
?, as well as on a number of TV advertisements. He also participated in the first series of Celebrity Fit Club in 2002.
He has recently co-written the book Frozen in Time, about Britain's worst ever winters, with Paul Hudson
, published by www.greatnorthernbooks.co.uk.
BBC
The 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...
weatherman
Weather forecasting
Weather forecasting is the application of science and technology to predict the state of the atmosphere for a given location. Human beings have attempted to predict the weather informally for millennia, and formally since the nineteenth century...
. His Scottish
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
accent, manner of speech, and relentless (some would say unseemly) enthusiasm for severe weather made him popular with viewers . He became the most imitated weather presenter in the UK. He went to Queen's Park School (near Queen's Park F.C.
Queen's Park F.C.
Queen's Park Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland. The club are currently the only amateur club in the Scottish League; their amateur status is reflected by their motto, Ludere Causa Ludendi – to play for the sake of playing.Queen's Park are the oldest...
) in Glasgow, and then to the University of Glasgow
University of Glasgow
The University of Glasgow is the fourth-oldest university in the English-speaking world and one of Scotland's four ancient universities. Located in Glasgow, the university was founded in 1451 and is presently one of seventeen British higher education institutions ranked amongst the top 100 of the...
.
He joined the RAF
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
in 1959 as part of his National Service
National service
National service is a common name for mandatory government service programmes . The term became common British usage during and for some years following the Second World War. Many young people spent one or more years in such programmes...
and became an airman meteorologist, first in Scotland and then in Cyprus
Cyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
. He left the RAF in 1961 and joined the Met Office
Met Office
The Met Office , is the United Kingdom's national weather service, and a trading fund of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills...
, working at Prestwick Airport, in Malta
Malta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
and in Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
. In 1978, he began working at the BBC
BBC
The 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...
Weather Centre. He retired on 31 July 1998.
He has been parodied by the satirical comedy show Spitting Image
Spitting Image
Spitting Image is a British satirical puppet show that aired on the ITV network from 1984 to 1996. It was produced by Spitting Image Productions for Central Television. The series was nominated for 10 BAFTA Awards, winning one for editing in 1989....
, and by impersonator Rory Bremner
Rory Bremner
Roderick "Rory" Keith Ogilvy Bremner, FKC is a Scottish impressionist, playwright and comedian, noted for his work in political satire...
, amongst others.
He lives near Beaconsfield
Beaconsfield
Beaconsfield is a market town and civil parish operating as a town council within the South Bucks district in Buckinghamshire, England. It lies northwest of Charing Cross in Central London, and south-east of the county town of Aylesbury...
in 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....
. He has two daughters, Victoria and Kirsty. He is a fellow of the Royal Meteorological Society
Royal Meteorological Society
The Royal Meteorological Society traces its origins back to 3 April 1850 when the British Meteorological Society was formed as a society the objects of which should be the advancement and extension of meteorological science by determining the laws of climate and of meteorological phenomena in general...
. He continues to make television appearances and also works as a motivational speaker
Motivational speaker
A motivational speaker or inspirational speaker is a speaker who makes speeches intended to motivate or inspire an audience. In a business context, they are employed to communicate company strategy with clarity and help employees to see the future in a positive light and inspire workers to pull...
. He has appeared on the BBC Television shows MasterChef and on Have I Got News For You
Have I Got News for You
Have I Got News for You is a British television panel show produced by Hat Trick Productions for the BBC. It is based loosely on the BBC Radio 4 show The News Quiz, and has been broadcast since 1990, currently the BBC's longest-ever running television panel show...
?, as well as on a number of TV advertisements. He also participated in the first series of Celebrity Fit Club in 2002.
He has recently co-written the book Frozen in Time, about Britain's worst ever winters, with Paul Hudson
Paul Hudson
Paul David Hudson is a weather presenter for BBC Yorkshire and BBC Yorkshire and Lincolnshire in England.-Education:...
, published by www.greatnorthernbooks.co.uk.