Welcome, Guest. Please Login
YaBB - Yet another Bulletin Board
  To join this Forum send an email with this exact subject line REQUEST MEMBERSHIP to bbcstaff@gmx.com telling us your connection with the BBC.
  HomeHelpSearchLogin  
 
Page Index Toggle Pages: 1
Send Topic Print
ALAN PERRY (Read 1875 times)
MB
Ex Member





ALAN PERRY
Mar 3rd, 2022, 4:53pm
 
Notice in Salisbury Journal
PERRY Alan Aged 95 years. Deeply loved husband of Pamela and a treasured father, grandfather and great grandfather. Died at home on 27th February after a short illness. Alan was a former Times, ITV and BBC News editor and head of journalist training at the BBC. His funeral will be held at Salisbury Cathedral. All details from funeral director I. N. Newman Ltd, Griffin House, 55 Winchester Street, Salisbury, SP1 1HL, griffin@innewman.co.uk, 01722 413136 I N Newman Funeral Directors innewman.co.uk.

Funeral is at 1330 on Tues, Mar 15 at Trinity Chapel, Salisbury Cathedral.
Back to top
« Last Edit: Mar 4th, 2022, 4:46pm by MB »  
 
IP Logged
 
Administrator
YaBB Administrator
*****
Online



Posts: 3253

Re: ALAN PERRY
Reply #1 - Mar 16th, 2022, 2:21pm
 
This report on Alan's funeral was written by Peter Hill, former Parliamentary Correspondent:

Alan Perry
Funeral Service, Salisbury Cathedral, 15th March 2022


Alan loved Salisbury Cathedral, and from the window of his flat in the Close, he could look out on its magnificent spire. The Cathedral Quire was full for his funeral, with many tributes read out by his son, Martin, who bears a strong resemblance to his father. The consensus of them was that Alan, who lived to the age of 95, and retired from the BBC before he was 60, was a kind, honest and decent man.

He had always wanted to be a journalist and went to the Times at 16, leaving a year later to join the Merchant Navy for two years. He then put in some experience on local papers in Tiverton and Salisbury before going back to the Times. In 1958 he joined the relatively new ITN, and learned the skills of editing TV news programmes.  At the age of 36 he crossed over to the BBC , where he rose through the ranks of editors, making key decisions on many world events for the bulletins. When he was 54 he was made head of Journalist Training, where he inspired many  young aspirants who were to become famous names. The former Head of Five Live, Adrian van Klaveren, sent an appreciation, saying Alan had chaired the panel which selected the nervous young Adrian to join the BBC. Adrian said he had high standards, because he cared.

The most common word used in tributes to Alan, said Martin, was  that he was ‘a gentleman’. Some said that the success of BBC TV News owed much to him.  A message was read from Stephen Claypole, who recalled the Assistant Editors’  lunches which persisted long after the retirement of those involved (I recall that Mike Payne and Tony Crabb were among their number). Robin Walsh said in his tribute that ‘we have lost an exceptionally fine man’. Michael Buerk said ‘he was the nicest of men and the best of bosses’. Angela Rippon phoned Alan’s widow, Pam, to recall that when she joined the training course, Alan warned her that she might hear some bad language!

After his retirement , said Martin, Alan was active in help to raise money for his local church: he made a video and wrote the script, and it resulted in raising a quarter of a million pounds. Alan also wrote his autobiography, which when bound proved a bulky volume!

The Service contained some fine singing and organ solos, and ended with the reading of one of Alan’s poems, reflecting on his own life and future death, of which one verse is:

“Enough to know that I have heard
Music to please and comfort me
And read great books
And gazed at finest art
These are my treasury
As I depart”.

Peter Hill
Back to top
 

The Administrator.
 
IP Logged
 
Page Index Toggle Pages: 1
Send Topic Print