Going Behind The Scenes At UTV

A new book on the first 50 years of Ulster Television has just been published.

Standby Studio is a view literally from the studio floor, exposing all the technicalities of setting up a new commercial station, the transformation of an old shirt factory which Frank Carson remembers being an army depot in 1941, and of course, the people and programmes of the time.

Anne Shaw (now Hailes) joined UTV on 5th October 1959, three weeks before the opening day, Saturday 31st October, Hallowee'n Night.

Since then Anne (pictured) has worked in BBC Radio Ulster, World Service, written for national and local papers and magazines and played the part of Lionel Blair's mother in the Grand Opera House and the Gaiety Theatre Dublin.

Her broadcasting career began in the BBC when Gloria Hunniford invited her to contribute to the Taste of Hunni programme providing a weekly consumer price comparison spot.

From there she joined Walter Love on Day by Day where Ask Anne was born thanks to producer Harry Adair.

This lead to her own programme every Thursday At Home with Anne Hailes.

This is documented in the book which begins in 1959 and focuses on the first half dozen years of Ulster Television in particular and Belfast/Northern Ireland in general.

Anne includes interviews with Bruce Forsythe, Patrick Moore, Paddy Hopkirk, memories from local people from all areas of Belfast, the impact it made in west Belfast, the excitement James Boyce contributed to on the 11th Night in Sandy Row.

She interviews Liam Clancy about the Clancy's and Tommy Makem, plus two generations of the McPeake family and their friendship with John Lennon.

A close friend of the time was Paddy Scott whose personal story of the Titanic is given in his own words and his and Malcolm Brodie's experience of reporting on the Princess Victoria Disaster.

The relationship with RTÉ and BBC is covered, the reasons blue shirts and blue dog collars were worn by interviewees in studio, the story of Stella Goddard and her model agency for young ladies, her passion for Adam Faith and how Barney McCool came to be born.

Many experienced television technicians and directors came from ABC Television to help set up the new station, they were considered as 'gods' because they worked on Armchair Theatre, an hour long live play, once having to cope with an actor dying during the show.

This is also a unique book looking beyond the studio to Belfast in the early 60s, the growth in some areas and the decline of others.

From the local heroes and the opening night, through the formative years this book covers an area never written about in this way before.

Published by Shanway Press. £10. Phone 02890222070 for copies, post free.

(BMcC/KMcA)