You have to love all those views of West Midlands power stations when ‘way out’ in the East Midlands, ATV could and should have included Nottingham with Robin Hood, Derby with the Peak District or Rolls Royce, Leicester with its Clock Tower and Lincoln cathedral. As great as ATV were, they really seemed to believe the region ended just outside of the 1970s created West Midlands county!!
Used to come in from my paper round on Saturday and watch this after having discovered it by accident one day. Round done, cup of tea, slice of toast, everyone still in bed, an early solitary pleasure. Still find the views breathtaking, such a pleasure to find this again.
Karonsongs 1 minute ago My friend Stephanie DeSykes did a wonderful job for my writing partner Gerry Shury and myself all those years ago when we wrote and produced this piece for ATV Midlands opening credits. I dare say Stephanie still has that beautiful voice. Thank you Stephanie, 😉Ron Roker
ATV was a phenomenon in terms of television imaging. It was absolutely brilliant and Midlanders were really spoilt by having such a fantastic regional ITV channel
The vocal on the track was by Stephanie de Sykes, who was a Midlands lady through and through. She was born in Bedworth, near Coventry, and is best remembered for "Born With A Smile On My Face" which reached no. 5 in the UK charts in the late summer of 1974.
I've put together a tentative list of the places featured, though there are a couple of gaps: 0:31 Sutton Coldfield Transmitter 0:43 Malvern Hills 1:10 Not sure of this village (probably Cotswolds) 1:21 Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon 1:31 Round Oak Steelworks, Brierley Hill (thanks to Simon Millard for identifying this one) 1:44 Hams Hall Power Station, near Coleshill 2:05 and 2:17 Spaghetti Junction - sorry, Gravelly Hill Interchange 2:10 Birmingham, including ATV Centre and PO (now BT) Tower 2:31 Kenilworth Castle 2:40 Broadway Tower 2:46 Uffington White Horse 2:52 Not a clue about this one 3:17 Warwick Castle, St. Mary's Church (Warwick), Coventry Cathedral, Royal Shakespeare Theatre (again!) Note that there is absolutely nothing east of Coventry. Of course, additions and corrections are most welcome.
ATV concentrated on the West Midlands which is partly the reason it had to change its name to Central and have a separate newsroom for the East Midlands based in Nottingham.
Beacon Radio had a TV campaign in 1977/8 with images similar to these set to their long American-style jingle, "We Do It For You". It's not available, but here's their ATV news item introducing the station in April 1976 . . . th-cam.com/video/hoRpOjmTEso/w-d-xo.html
I think the Power Station is actually Walsall Power Station, the cooling tower pattern matches, Hams Hall had cooling towers in a row (I did some training at Hams Hall)
I don't remember seeing the video of the song and aircraft, but I do remember the ATV logo. The logo is the first time I have seen it in colour because my parents had a black and white television. That was all they could afford to rent because they were so expensive to buy.
I got my dad into this song! I now live in the Midlands but I grew up in Liverpool so I never saw this start up sequence. We both really like the visuals and the song.
Very much of its time. Some great aerial footage of the then spanking new Spaghetti Junction in Birmingham. Look at the footage of polluting power stations and ugly 1960s office blocks. 50 years ago was truly a different planet. A simpler, more naive time...
Seriously creepy lady dummy at the beginning during the count down. She flashes up for a split second. That ident and tune takes me back to watching programs for schools on a tv in a teak cabinet on a tall stand with wheels.
Atv used a montage film too accompanied by the rather brilliant Johnny Pearson composed piece called midlands montage also posted on TH-cam ATV I believe was one of the best itv companies with some good regional relevance in programming as well as memorable drama and light entertainment ..Lew Grade brought some excellent talent incl the Muppets to ATV
@@malcolmjawohowelll2892 Many happy times from the days when I.T.V. had a the best regional structure. Many thanks for your reply. P.S. From the land of Southern Independent Television/T.V.S. and then Mereidian.
@@malcolmjawohowelll2892 yes, we were spoiled in the Midlands with ATV. It was great fun. We also had the privilege of the best ILR station called Beacon, which was just as good as ATV at sticking two fingers up to the IBA and its restrictive practices. It was like having pirate TV and pirate radio in the late 1970s.
@@Candolad BRMB also did a fantastic job of representing the local audience a much more colourful and charismatic channel than Free Radio which has corporate blandness all over it
@@malcolmjawohowelll2892 I always found BRMB parochial and over speech based more akin to a BBC Local Radio station. Beacon Radio used to mock that BRMB stood for "Beacon Radio's Much Better" 😀
Indeed! It's ATV and they were responsible for THUNDERBIRDS.... Is that Tin Tin? Edit, looks like Tin Tin but the Thunderbirds puppet is different.....
I'm not sure which it is, but presumably the film was supposed to offer broad look at the then ATV region covering the West Midlands. Perhaps someone who knew the area back in the day could help. I've always lived near Nottingham and my ATV coverage (which had nothing but Birmingham based news/adverts) used to come via the Waltham transmitter. Because of where I was living, I also received YTV via the Emley Moor transmitter. Since freeview was introduced I can now pick up local news for the East & West Midlands, Humberside and the Granada service covering Blackpool through the same rooftop aerial. If it's a particularly warm day, I also get the London and Anglia news.
I remember going out of my fucking mind fifteen years ago wondering where (not to mention how) I could get Life Is a Beautiful Book because of liking it sooo much. Well, with VideoPad Editor (and WavePad Editor) and youtubemp4.to/ at my disposal...I can!
But the IBA did not like it and they claimed it breached IBA rules. They shouldn't just had a look at how Australia/New Zealand opened up their stations in tthe morning.
It did breach IBA rules as it had lyrics. ATV were always known for pushing boundaries. This time they got slapped down. To be fair I think the IBA got it wrong that time. For a startup it was innovative and showcased the region that ATV served. ATV was often criticised for not really serving the midlands as well as it should. In this case they moved outside Birmingham.
But not far - a close look at the landmarks, from Spaghetti Junction to Kenilworth Castle, the Malvern Hills to the Uffington White Horse - shows that the East Midlands was virtually ignored. This was what partially led to ATV's downfall.
You have to love all those views of West Midlands power stations when ‘way out’ in the East Midlands, ATV could and should have included Nottingham with Robin Hood, Derby with the Peak District or Rolls Royce, Leicester with its Clock Tower and Lincoln cathedral. As great as ATV were, they really seemed to believe the region ended just outside of the 1970s created West Midlands county!!
I'll IBA to that! Your argument is Central to regional television. As it once was ..
The ATV region also included Oxford, but apart you'd never guess from this.
Used to come in from my paper round on Saturday and watch this after having discovered it by accident one day. Round done, cup of tea, slice of toast, everyone still in bed, an early solitary pleasure. Still find the views breathtaking, such a pleasure to find this again.
Karonsongs
1 minute ago
My friend Stephanie DeSykes did a wonderful job for my writing partner Gerry Shury and myself all those years ago when we wrote and produced this piece for ATV Midlands opening credits. I dare say Stephanie still has that beautiful voice. Thank you Stephanie,
😉Ron Roker
So strangely beautiful for a 40 year old film.
ATV was a phenomenon in terms of television imaging. It was absolutely brilliant and Midlanders were really spoilt by having such a fantastic regional ITV channel
I can remember this piece of film being shown as part of a competition on the very first series of TISWAS
And me, I like this even though I like classic rock
The vocal on the track was by Stephanie de Sykes, who was a Midlands lady through and through. She was born in Bedworth, near Coventry, and is best remembered for "Born With A Smile On My Face" which reached no. 5 in the UK charts in the late summer of 1974.
They also sang 'This Is Your Golden Day', a theme song for the Golden Shot.
I remember Stephanie De Sykes! Haven't heard that name for a while and I loved the Golden shot, Bob Monkhouse era
ROBERT CHARLES HAYNES -
I've put together a tentative list of the places featured, though there are a couple of gaps:
0:31 Sutton Coldfield Transmitter
0:43 Malvern Hills
1:10 Not sure of this village (probably Cotswolds)
1:21 Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon
1:31 Round Oak Steelworks, Brierley Hill (thanks to Simon Millard for identifying this one)
1:44 Hams Hall Power Station, near Coleshill
2:05 and 2:17 Spaghetti Junction - sorry, Gravelly Hill Interchange
2:10 Birmingham, including ATV Centre and PO (now BT) Tower
2:31 Kenilworth Castle
2:40 Broadway Tower
2:46 Uffington White Horse
2:52 Not a clue about this one
3:17 Warwick Castle, St. Mary's Church (Warwick), Coventry Cathedral, Royal Shakespeare Theatre (again!)
Note that there is absolutely nothing east of Coventry.
Of course, additions and corrections are most welcome.
@Simon Millard Many thanks. It's been added to the list.
ATV concentrated on the West Midlands which is partly the reason it had to change its name to Central and have a separate newsroom for the East Midlands based in Nottingham.
Beacon Radio had a TV campaign in 1977/8 with images similar to these set to their long American-style jingle, "We Do It For You". It's not available, but here's their ATV news item introducing the station in April 1976 . . .
th-cam.com/video/hoRpOjmTEso/w-d-xo.html
I think the Power Station is actually Walsall Power Station, the cooling tower pattern matches, Hams Hall had cooling towers in a row (I did some training at Hams Hall)
Shocking, but not surprising, there’s no sign of Nottingham, Leicester & Derby! ATV really had a fear of venturing into the East Midlands
I remember this so clearly, I used to get up and turn the TV on just to catch this - then turned it off again!
I don't remember seeing the video of the song and aircraft, but I do remember the ATV logo. The logo is the first time I have seen it in colour because my parents had a black and white television. That was all they could afford to rent because they were so expensive to buy.
Thank you for this of course-well done too!!
I got my dad into this song! I now live in the Midlands but I grew up in Liverpool so I never saw this start up sequence. We both really like the visuals and the song.
Stephanie also appeared on Marc Bolan's Granada show 'Marc'.
Odyssey Was by a Group Called Rain. Who also was on the Stephanie de Sykes Born With A Smile On My Face
Very much of its time. Some great aerial footage of the then spanking new Spaghetti Junction in Birmingham. Look at the footage of polluting power stations and ugly 1960s office blocks. 50 years ago was truly a different planet. A simpler, more naive time...
You are so right of course really-and how too!!
I like the other video best. The boy, girl, dog and Heron flying in the sky!
The quiz on TISWAS was what aircraft filmed this, at 3:01 youy can see the answer.
Seriously creepy lady dummy at the beginning during the count down. She flashes up for a split second. That ident and tune takes me back to watching programs for schools on a tv in a teak cabinet on a tall stand with wheels.
Lovely.Did ATV also have an extended 7 minute start up in the mid-1970s? GOD BLESS!
Atv used a montage film too accompanied by the rather brilliant Johnny Pearson composed piece called midlands montage also posted on TH-cam
ATV I believe was one of the best itv companies with some good regional relevance in programming as well as memorable drama and light entertainment ..Lew Grade brought some excellent talent incl the Muppets to ATV
@@malcolmjawohowelll2892 Many happy times from the days when I.T.V. had a the best regional structure. Many thanks for your reply. P.S. From the land of Southern Independent Television/T.V.S. and then Mereidian.
@@malcolmjawohowelll2892 yes, we were spoiled in the Midlands with ATV. It was great fun. We also had the privilege of the best ILR station called Beacon, which was just as good as ATV at sticking two fingers up to the IBA and its restrictive practices. It was like having pirate TV and pirate radio in the late 1970s.
@@Candolad BRMB also did a fantastic job of representing the local audience a much more colourful and charismatic channel than Free Radio which has corporate blandness all over it
@@malcolmjawohowelll2892 I always found BRMB parochial and over speech based more akin to a BBC Local Radio station. Beacon Radio used to mock that BRMB stood for "Beacon Radio's Much Better" 😀
Who is that in the subliminal cut in at 0:01?
Andrew Demetrius : yes noticed that too , kind of freaked me out . Looks like some sort of plastic dummy or blow up doll , most strange .
Indeed! It's ATV and they were responsible for THUNDERBIRDS.... Is that Tin Tin? Edit, looks like Tin Tin but the Thunderbirds puppet is different.....
It's not Tin Tin from Thunderbirds, but is it an Angel from Captain Scarlet maybe? ATV and then Central had the franchise for Anderson's work ;-)
www.spectrum-headquarters.com/cast_images/harmony.jpg captain Scarlet's 'Harmony'.... could be....
It's one of Anderson's puppets, has to be ;-)
It’s a lovely piece however the lyrics “Life is a book such a beautiful book” over vision of belching chimney stacks is somewhat incongruous.
😆
One other notable lyrics/visual match is 'winding road" alongside spaghetti junction. (2:03) May not be beautiful, but excellent editing!
Is that Sutton Coldfield or Lichfield Transmitter at the start? I thought Lichfield was the IBA transmitter.
I'm not sure which it is, but presumably the film was supposed to offer broad look at the then ATV region covering the West Midlands. Perhaps someone who knew the area back in the day could help.
I've always lived near Nottingham and my ATV coverage (which had nothing but Birmingham based news/adverts) used to come via the Waltham transmitter. Because of where I was living, I also received YTV via the Emley Moor transmitter. Since freeview was introduced I can now pick up local news for the East & West Midlands, Humberside and the Granada service covering Blackpool through the same rooftop aerial. If it's a particularly warm day, I also get the London and Anglia news.
Lichfield was a Vhf (405 lines) tv. Sutton Coldfield is a UHF (625 lines) tv.
Transmitter is Sutton Coldfield - capping cylinder for the UHF arrays is visible.
Stephanie de skykes 👋 it sounded a little bit like Tony hatch and his wife Jackie trent.
I remember going out of my fucking mind fifteen years ago wondering where (not to mention how) I could get Life Is a Beautiful Book because of liking it sooo much. Well, with VideoPad Editor (and WavePad Editor) and youtubemp4.to/ at my disposal...I can!
This video has unfortunately been a victim of TH-cam stabilization.
But the IBA did not like it and they claimed it breached IBA rules.
They shouldn't just had a look at how Australia/New Zealand opened up their stations in tthe morning.
It did breach IBA rules as it had lyrics. ATV were always known for pushing boundaries. This time they got slapped down. To be fair I think the IBA got it wrong that time. For a startup it was innovative and showcased the region that ATV served. ATV was often criticised for not really serving the midlands as well as it should. In this case they moved outside Birmingham.
But not far - a close look at the landmarks, from Spaghetti Junction to Kenilworth Castle, the Malvern Hills to the Uffington White Horse - shows that the East Midlands was virtually ignored. This was what partially led to ATV's downfall.
What IBA rule did they break?
Startup music had to be instrumental only.
Martyn Mellodew I’m from the East Midlands and I remember the ATV news and local ads were pretty much all West Midlands