Cliff Michelmore bows out at 96.


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Yet another British star is claimed in this year.

Cliff Michelmore who was educated in Loughborough, first brought the recently deceased David Bowie to our attention by interviewing the chairman of The prevention of Cruelty to Long Haired People Society.

His now legendary broadcasting of 'Our World' beamed our first satellite programme showing The Beatles perform 'All You Need Is Love'.

He passed away aged 96,RIP.

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Don't know about the rest of you Nottstalgians but the sounds of my childhood and youth seem to be leaving us very often this year.

Coming from a pit village one of my enduring memories of Cliff Michelmore is him being the link man for the Aberfan disaster coverage, how he held himself together through those dreadful scenes was beyond me. RIP Cliff Michelmore

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The 'Tonight' programme was very much a feature of telly-watching in my youth, too. Cliff, Fyfe Robertson, Alan Whicker, Kenneth Allsop - it was the first program that made me think about things - partly because topical 'serious' subjects were often presented with appropriate humour. There doesn't seem to be much on TV of that consistent quality today - or perhaps I'm just getting old....

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My endearing memory is of the Tonight programme. He always managed to make the most mundane of subjects appear interesting.

RIP.

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He was a very professional broadcaster and I too remember him mostly from the Tonight programme.

My husband delivered his Christmas post to his Reigate home one year in the 60s .........

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I well remember the Tonight programme, and a very good programme it was. A bit like The One Show but no razamataz. They had some good reporters; those mentioned above and also Derek Hart. They say that there is nothing new under the sun. If you look at some sporting fixtures on TV the advertisements are painted on the grass in such a perspective that they appear to be standing upright. New idea? na, it was on the Tonight programme in the 1960s. They had a young chap on to demonstrate his idea, which was painting lettering etc on the road so that it looked as if it was vertical. It said the Ministry of Transport was looking at it - it is still looking!

Another memory about the programme was when a new musical was about to open in London. They always invited the cast to sing a number from it. The songs were invariably awful and the shows closed very quickly. I always thought that the programme put the mockers on the shows.

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I remember Fyfe Robertson from the Tonight programme (and 24 hours) as well as a whole raft of well-known reporters that made great contributions to 'current-affairs'.

Mitchelmore was a media 'natural'. Unflappable and always well-informed.

Much better than the bizarre Evan Davies on the current BBC late night 'flagship' news programme 'Newsnight'.

A programme more obsessed with soundbites, wacky camera work and lame interviews than anything else.

In-depth reporting where you actually find out something worthwhile seems to be rather out of fashion.

Stalwarts like Mitchelmore were journalists as well as presenters. They didn't try to promote themselves.

R.I.P. Cliff

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