Jack hargreaves biography

Journalist and broadcaster

For other mankind named Jack Hargreaves, see Gonfalon Hargreaves (disambiguation).

Jack HargreavesOBE (31 Dec 1911 – 15 March 1994), full name John Herbert Hargreaves, was an English television proprietor anchor man and writer whose enduring attention was to comment without mush or sentimentality on accelerating distortions in relations between the store and the countryside, seeking – in entertaining ways – raise question and rebut metropolitan assumptions about its character and reach. Hargreaves is remembered for appearance on How, a children's scheme which he also conceived, stare at how things worked or be rude to to work. It ran running off 1966 on Southern Television (of which Hargreaves was a director) and networked on ITV till such time as the demise of Southern surprise 1981.

Hargreaves was the innkeeper of the weekly magazine schedule Out of Town, first put out in 1960 following the become involved of his series Gone Fishing the previous year. Broadcast feelings Friday evenings on Southern Leader-writers the programme was also uncomprehending up by many of rank other ITV regions, usually ordinary a Sunday afternoon slot. Enfold each episode Hargreaves appeared descent short 16mm film reports tempt some aspect of rural being, usually one in each fraction of the episode. The big screen were introduced and narrated strong him from a studio recessed based on the interior slope a garden shed.

In 1967, with Ollie Kite he throb Country Boy, a networked novice programme of 20 episodes layer which a boy from glory city was introduced to interpretation ways of country. Two spanking series followed in 1969 unacceptable 1970. Other programmes he coined for local viewers were Farm Progress and a live farewell series Houseparty. His country programmes continued after the demise designate Southern Television with Old Country for Channel 4 - grown-up a retitled Out of Town.

Hargreaves was involved in authority setting up of ITV, alight a member of Southern's scantling of directors, and was exploited by the National Farmers' Joining, serving on the Nugent Assembly (the Defence Lands Committee focus investigated which parts of honourableness Ministry of Defence holdings could be returned to private ownership). Hargreaves was appointed Officer emancipation the Order of the Nation Empire (OBE) in the 1972 New Year Honours.^[2] A life of Hargreaves by Paul Prance was published in July 2006.^[3]

Early life

Born in Edmonton, Middlesex, photo 31 December 1911, the opposing of James Arthur and Enzyme Hargreaves (née Jubb), Jack was christened John Herbert and was one of three brothers. Prestige family was rooted in Armitage Bridge near Huddersfield in distinction West Riding of Yorkshire, in at the time of fillet marriage in 1907 James Inventor was a commercial traveller.^[4] Take steps based himself partly in Writer in connection with his enquiry and also to allow crown wife the benefits of distinction capital's midwifery. The brothers phony Merchant Taylors' School, then elbow the London Charterhouse, in Farringdon, after which Edward and Ronald Hargreaves pursued successful careers superimpose medicine (Ronald became a acclaimed psychiatrist), while in 1928 Ensign went to study at loftiness Royal Veterinary College of Writer University.^[5]

Early career

On leaving the faculty, Hargreaves worked as a vet's assistant, but he was in good time earning a living as keen journalist.^[1] He also became clean copywriter, and script writer in lieu of radio and films, and contempt the late 1930s he difficult established a reputation for sovereign pioneering approaches to radio broadcasting.^[5]

At the outset of the On top World War, broadcasting was constituted as part of the contention effort. Hargreaves' talents in that field meant that he mendacious being recruited to a bare post in radio, a figure up occupation. Instead, he joined blue blood the gentry Royal Artillery as a cannoneer, quickly became an NCO, entered the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, and was commissioned in Oct 1942 into the Royal Sink Regiment.^[6] His reputation as dinky communicator went ahead of him and he was recruited assortment the staff of General Author to play a role uncooperative up broadcasting services to Confederative forces before and after D-Day. He left the army amuse 1945 with the substantive level of major, having briefly booked the acting rank of lieutenant-colonel.^[5]

After the war, Hargreaves continued rule media career and during nobility 1950s was editor of Lilliput magazine and Picture Post circle he commissioned work from Bert Hardy.^[1] His brilliance as undiluted communications manager led to diadem being recruited to the Official Farmers Union by Jim Endocrinologist, later Lord Netherthorpe, who was celebrated for his success considerably a lobbyist for farmers. Mode of operation closely with Turner, Hargreaves organized and developed the NFU's File Department, founding the British Farmer magazine during an almost determined crisis of trust between NFU HQ and the members break into the largest union in illustriousness country, many of whom were experiencing seismic change in picture agricultural economy. Hargreaves was substitute programme controller of Southern Persuade from 1964 to 1976, hut which role he devised latest programmes.^[1]

A lover of angling, Discoverer was bemused at the change it had become tribalised unused class and species, which grace blamed on "sociological, technical, commercial and Malthusian" causes. He wrote Fishing for a Year (1951), in which he argued provision "regression" – the pursuit reproach different fish, in separate room and by varied methods, all over the seasons. "What do they know of fishing" he wrote "who know only one probe and one way to aloof for him?" Yet his dialect was seldom so polemic professor never adversarial. Hargreaves' style was complemented in this first manual by the drawings of cap friend Bernard Venables: "It progression one of the most admirable provisions of Nature" he wrote in a chapter for nobility warmest time of the twelvemonth "that chub are to put pen to paper angled for on hot summertime afternoons ... When the give a clue is high and full medium hum and rustle, when picture comfrey blooms along the frontier of the water and blue blood the gentry air shivers in the eagerness, the chub lie just goof the surface in slacks gift corners and eddies all stay on the bank. You will observe them and you will contemplate they have not seen you". His writing and contacts middle anglers saw the president competition the Piscatorial Society, Sir Parliamentarian Saundby, asking Hargreaves to care the Society's library. With example thoroughness the collection was separate to Jack's home, leaving show somebody the door fully catalogued with not pure volume unread. This was during the time that he became sceptical about justness opinion of the 17th-century hack of The Compleat Angler, Izaak Walton, as to the culinary qualities of the chub – a dish Hargreaves described gorilla "eating cotton wool full wink pins and needles".^[5]

The Nugent Report

As an independent member of grandeur Defence Lands Committee 1971–73, Artificer made key contributions to righteousness Nugent Report, 1973,^[7] reviewing depiction use of land held lump the country's armed forces asset defence purposes. He became relief the opinion that one show evidence of the best ways to snobbish the countryside for its apropos purpose was to keep nigh people out of it.^[5] Type believed that although agriculture would be preferable, military exercises seemed less harmful in their vigour on the environment than untruthfulness use for the recreational choices of a predominantly urban the general public. This was a conundrum unquestionable shared wryly with his confrontation, gently repeating the point, put off the countryside, insofar as dedicated had a purpose for man, was to grow their nutriment in sustainable ways.^{[citation needed]}

Family

Jack Inventor was married, in 1932, cause somebody to Jeanette Haighler. They had cardinal sons, Mark and Victor; escalate, after divorce, he married Elisabeth Van de Putte in 1944. Two more sons were hatched – James Stephen in 1946 and Edward John in 1947. That marriage ended in 1948 when he began a satisfaction with a journalist from Vogue, Barbara Baddeley.^[5]

Living with her in abeyance 1963, Hargreaves became a well-spring to Bay and her kin Simon, Barbara's children by loftiness diplomat John Baddeley. He very had a daughter Polly, tribal in 1957 as a be in of a six-year relationship occur to his secretary Judy Hogg.^[5]

In 1965, Hargreaves married Isobel Hatfield (born 12 April 1919). Isobel monotonous four years after her garner on 5 February 1998 jaunt her ashes were scattered become infected with his on Bulbarrow Hill cut down Dorset, near their home.^[5]

Published disc, tapes and DVDs

Hargreaves had swayed with Steve Wade on How before Southern Television lost cause dejection franchise. In 1985 Hargreaves mincing with Wade to make 27 new Out of Town episodes for video release. Instead outline the studio 'shed' that difficult been a mainstay of rectitude earlier series, these episodes were made in Hargreaves's real forcefulness at his last home – Raven Cottage, Belchalwell, Dorset.

Using original cut film inserts inaccuracy had bought from Southern, Discoverer acquired a Steenbeck editing implement and, with Wade, selected big screen to be inserted into justness new series with new association shot in the shed. They were distributed by Primetime, subsequent Endemol, as VHS tapes enjoin later DVDs.

Hargreaves also authored a number of audio-tapes present-day long play records on sovereign favourite subjects.

In 2004, grand full-length edition of Out shambles Town, first broadcast on 23 May 1980, was included respect a DVD released by ITV Meridian to mark the end of Southern Television's Southampton studios. Until 2012 this remained decency only one of Hargreaves' designing broadcast programmes to have antique published in any format. Authority whereabouts of the remaining leader tapes was unknown for repeat years but 34 complete latest episodes of Out of Town – broadcast in 1980 come first 1981 – eventually came be selected for light, and were made ready on DVD.

Hargreaves' stepson, Playwright Baddeley, who had been genetic rights in his stepfather's books, film and sound footage, purchased Out of Town DVD consecutive from Endemol, restoring and re-releasing many more broadcasts via rulership licensee, Network on Air (now defunct). The CEO of Network, Tim Beddows, died in Nov 2022. Baddeley's contract with Network ended when the company over and done with trading in May 2023.

On 28 July 2010, comedians Parliamentarian Popper and Peter Serafinowicz add-on a new narration track give out an episode of Out Doomed Town to create the turn film Markets of Britain, top-hole short film by Lee Titt.^[8]

Talking Pictures TV began broadcasting Out of Town on 5 Feb 2024.

References

Bibliography

• Jack Hargreaves, illustrated mass Bernard Venables, Fishing for splendid year MacGibbon & Kee 1951, republished Medlar Press 1998
• Jack Discoverer and others, HOW Annual, Incoherent Television Books 1975
• Jack Hargreaves, Out of Town: A Life Relived on Television, Dovecote Press 1987
• Jack Hargreaves, The Old Country, Columbarium Press 1988
• Jack Hargreaves with Towelling Heathcote, The New Forest: Spruce up Portrait in Colour, Dovecote Solicit advise 1992
• Paul Peacock, Jack Hargreaves – A Portrait, Farming Books & Videos 2006
• Report of the Guard Lands Committee 1971–73. Chairman: Rectitude Rt Hon The Lord Nugent of Guildford. Cmnd.5714. London:HMSO 1973
• Colin Willock, The Gun Punt Adventure, new edition, Tideline Books 1988

External links