Forum for former BBC staff

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http://www.ex-bbc.net/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl >> Notices, obituaries and tributes >> Laurie Macmillan - "a perfect radio voice" http://www.ex-bbc.net/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?num=1014754530 Message started by Forum Admin on Feb 26^th, 2002, 8:16pm

Title: Laurie Macmillan - "a perfect radio voice"
Post by Forum Admin on Feb 26^th, 2002, 8:16pm

/pictures/laurie4.jpg

A service of thanksgiving for Laurie's life and work was held at St Bride's, Fleet Street, today, Tuesday February 26th.

An estimated 350 people were present.

Sue MacGregor, giving the main address, said that Laurie represented "what made, and makes Radio 4 a national asset".

She recalled that Laurie had joined the BBC as part of a "very starry" group of studio managers. They included Jenny Abramsky, Jane Drabble, Helen Wilson and Susannah Simon.

Soon she was holding court in H30, where she demonstrated her knitting skills in producing Aran sweaters to intricate patterns. A circle of tricoteuses developed around her.

Sue said that Laurie had no desire to become "a boffin, a suit, a researcher or a member of BBC management" - but she did become one of the nation's most skilled and most-loved practitioners of the presenter's art.

People who wrote in said that she was "someone who could get them from the gales around Lowestoft to the bleakest of international news".

Laurie's husband, Martine Ronaldson, read from Bill Bryson. Her brother in law, Bruce Ronaldson, in his address, described Laurie as "centred, reliable and sympathetic."

She was candid, plain-speaking and witty. But her wit was never intended to draw blood.

On the day of her wedding, she arrived at church in a limousine, amid a heavy rain shower.

An usher greeted her with words to the effect: "Don't think of it as rain, think of it as God weeping tears of joy at this happy occasion."

Laurie's reply was brief and to the point.

Chris Aldridge read from the Book of Revelations, Chapter 21, verses 1-7. Peter Jefferson read "Shipping Forecast, Donegal" by Sean Street, in which the names of the sea areas were read by Carolyn Brown.

Jane Watson read from the Rime of the Ancient Mariner by Samuel Taylor Coleridge.

There was a collection in aid of Laurie's charities: Medical Foundation for Victims of Torture, Shelter, Age Concern, FORCE Cancer Relief and the Cancer Relief Macmillan Fund.

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Title: Re: Laurie Macmillan - "a perfect radio voice"
Post by bearsie on Apr 1^st, 2002, 12:41am

It was a real shock to read of Laurie's death from faraway New Zealand.

Just simply to say to her friends and relatives, she was a belter of a personality, and also an extremely attractive person.

Laurie could melt you with her smile, and wither you with one look and raised eyebrow if you went over the top.She had a great sense of humour and both my wife Carolyn (Leaney of WATO) and myself are distraught that we could not be there to pay a personal tribute.