Peter Haigh
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2021}}
{{Short description|British television presenter (1925–2001)}}
Peter Varley Haigh (28 July 1925 – 18 January 2001) was an English broadcaster and in-vision continuity announcer for BBC Television in the years after the Second World War. After being commissioned into the fifth battalion of the Welsh Guards in 1944, he joined the British Forces Broadcasting Service (BFBS) as a producer and announcer in Jerusalem and Benghazi. Haigh began working for BBC Television as an announcer in 1952 and was part of the team of continuity announcers headed by McDonald Hobley, Mary Malcolm and Sylvia Peters. He compèred several programmes on a freelance basis for the BBC and the ITV network, including the weekly film programme review Picture Parade and Come Dancing.
Early life
Haigh was born in North London on 28 July 1925, the only son of the engineer William Varley Haigh.{{cite news |date=25 January 2001 |title=Peter Haigh |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-telegraph-obituary-for-peter-v/159341891/ |access-date=19 November 2024 |work=The Daily Telegraph |page=29 |via=Newspapers.com}}{{cite news |date=28 March 1952 |title=Television Guest Announcer |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/huddersfield-daily-examiner-television-g/159342136/ |access-date=19 November 2024 |work=Huddersfield Daily Examiner |page=8 |via=Newspapers.com}} He was brought up in North London,{{cite news |last=Purser |first=Philip |date=27 January 2001 |title=Peter Haigh |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-guardian-peter-haigh-27-january-20/159342003/ |access-date=19 November 2024 |work=The Guardian |page=24 |via=Newspapers.com}} and was educated at Aldenham School, Aldenham, Hertfordshire. After leaving school, Haigh was unsure as to what career he wanted to pursue as he mulled over studying art or going into advertising.{{cite news |last=Turney-Dann |first=Doreen |date=1 January 1955 |title=He Has Been a 'Guest' Since 1948 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/birmingham-gazette-he-has-been-a-guest/159342368/ |access-date=19 November 2024 |work=Birmingham Gazette |page=4 |via=Newspapers.com}}
Haigh was commissioned in 1944 into the fifth battalion of the Welsh Guards, rising to the rank of Captain. He served in Palestine and Egypt. He joined the British Forces Broadcasting Service (BFBS) in Jerusalem and Benghazi as a producer and announcer after a meeting with the head of overseas broadcasting Leslie Knight.{{cite news |date=8 January 1954 |title=Behind TV scenes with announcers |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-norwood-news-behind-tv-scenes-with-a/159342197/ |access-date=19 November 2024 |work=The Norwood News |page=3 |via=Newspapers.com}} He later helped start up the BBC Overseas News station in Mombasa, Kenya.
Broadcasting career
Following his leaving the army in 1947, he failed to get a job as a BBC Radio announcer on numerous occasions. Haigh was told that his voice was "too nasal", attributed to him having a cold he was suffering from during his audition as well as being "too Oxford" despite not having attended the University of Oxford.{{cite news |date=14 March 1955 |title=This Week's TV Close-Up |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/evening-telegraph-this-weeks-tv-close-u/159342530/ |access-date=19 November 2024 |work=Derby Evening Telegraph |page=5 |via=Newspapers.com}}{{cite news |date=7 January 1957 |title=Untitled |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/evening-chronicle-peter-haigh-evening/159350690/ |access-date=19 November 2024 |work=Evening Chronicle |page=4 |via=Newspapers.com}} In the interim, he spent some time on a tobacco plantation in India and worked as a commercial artist, commercial traveller,{{cite news |last=Steven |first=Alasdair |date=12 February 2001 |title=Peter Haigh |work=The Scotsman |page=14 |id={{ProQuest|326856160}}}} film salesman in the North of England, tiling roofs for a firm of tile manufacturers in the East End of London, and a part-time postman in Britain.{{cite news |last=Davis |first=Clifford |date=25 February 1952 |title='Too Oxford' for radio—takes him on |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/daily-mirror-too-oxford-for-radiotake/159342042/ |access-date=19 November 2024 |work=Daily Mirror |page=1 |via=Newspapers.com}} After four attempts, he successfully joined BBC Television as an announcer on 17 March 1952 after a two-week trial at Alexandra Palace, then the headquarters of BBC Television. Haigh was a stand-in guest announcer for McDonald Hobley, who was on holiday. He joined the team of continuity announcers headed by Hobley, Mary Malcolm and Sylvia Peters.
Haigh compèred programmes on Radio Luxembourg and commented on a film newsreel. In 1955, Haigh introduced the television crossword puzzle show Viewclues that featured music and pictures,{{Cite news |date=29 December 1954 |title=Crosswords for TV with music |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/birmingham-evening-mail-crosswords-for-t/159342318/ |access-date=19 November 2024 |work=Birmingham Evening Mail |page=2 |via=Newspapers.com}} the topical magazine programme Now,{{Cite news |last=Price |first=Alan |date=13 June 1955 |title=Lime Grove introduces a topical magazine |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/evening-chronicle-lime-grove-introduces/159344529/ |access-date=19 November 2024 |work=Evening Chronicle |page=4 |via=Newspapers.com}} two episodes of Top Town.{{Cite news |last=Marsland Gander |first=L. |date=7 March 1955 |title=Filming in Africa |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-telegraph-filming-in-africa/159344651/ |access-date=19 November 2024 |work=The Daily Telegraph |page=8 |via=Newspapers.com}}{{Cite news |date=24 August 1955 |title=TV Announcer Hurt |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-birmingham-post-tv-announcer-hurt/159342815/ |access-date=19 November 2024 |work=Birmingham Post |page=5 |via=Newspapers.com}} and inclement weather survey Fine Weather for Ducks.{{Cite news |date=1 April 1955 |title=On Your TV To-Night |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/manchester-evening-news-on-your-tv-to-ni/159344701/ |access-date=19 November 2024 |work=Manchester Evening News |page=2 |via=Newspapers.com}} He played a father in the children's television panel series Ask Your Dad.{{Cite news |date=1 July 1955 |title=Peter Haigh — Invisible Film Star |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/evening-standard-peter-haigh-invisible/159345017/ |access-date=19 November 2024 |work=Evening Standard |page=6 |via=Newspapers.com}} After Hobley left the BBC for ITV in 1956, Haigh was offered Hobley's former job as chief staff announcer. He refused on the grounds that it did not provide him with enough artistical and financial opportunities,{{Cite news |date=23 March 1956 |title=Peter Haigh Refused Mac's Old Job |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/nottingham-evening-news-peter-haigh-refu/159345312/ |access-date=19 November 2024 |work=Nottingham Evening Post |page=11 |via=Newspapers.com}} and that he would not be able to continue working as a freelancer for commercial companies. Haigh also noticed that the era of in-vision announcers would be over after ITV broadcast commercials and trailers.
He visited Chester to meet with its residents in an episode of Home Town in 1956,{{Cite news |date=26 January 1956 |title=Tele-Briefs |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/lincolnshire-echo-tele-briefs-lincolns/159345392/ |access-date=19 November 2024 |work=Lincolnshire Echo |page=6 |via=Newspapers.com}} and he chaired My Wildest Dream.{{Cite news |date=18 May 1956 |title=Behind the Scenes |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/reveille-peter-haigh-reveille-18-may/159346102/ |access-date=19 November 2024 |work=Reveille |page=8 |via=Newspapers.com}} That same year also saw Haigh begin presenting the weekly film review programme Picture Parade with Derek Bond co-presenting on occasion until 1962.{{cite encyclopedia |year=2003 |title=The Encyclopedia of British Film |publisher=Methuen Publishing |location=London, England |url=https://archive.org/details/encyclopediaofbr0000unse/ |editor-last=McFarlane |editor-first=Brian |pages=279–280 |isbn=0-413-77301-9 |editor2-last=Slide |editor2-first=Anthony |via=Internet Archive |url-access=registration}} He went on to chair the show This is Show Business in which he also acted as an interviewer and announcer,{{Cite news |last=Lyne |first=John |date=29 March 1956 |title=Hard work for Peter Haigh |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/western-mail-hard-work-for-peter-haigh/159345487/ |access-date=19 November 2024 |work=Western Mail |page=5 |via=Newspapers.com}} introduced three American musicians in Into Thin Air,{{Cite news |last=Amos |first=Bill |date=13 April 1959 |title=To-night's Television Programmes |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/liverpool-echo-into-thin-air-peter-haigh/159346873/ |access-date=19 November 2024 |work=Liverpool Echo |page=2 |via=Newspapers.com}} and was the compère of the BBC Light Programme survey Movie-Go-Round.{{Cite news |last=Pedrick |first=Gale |date=6 February 1958 |title=Broadcasting, and its effect on the film industry |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-sutton-and-cheam-advertiser-etc-br/159346431/ |access-date=19 November 2024 |work=The Sutton and Cheam Advertiser |page=5 |via=Newspapers.com}} Haigh presented Come Dancing In 1958, and provided the BBC commentary for the Eurovision Song Contest, staged that year in Hilversum, Netherlands.{{cite news |date=16 March 1958 |title=Television Programmes – Sunday Afternoon |url=https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/page/252a415e92e540ed88a9055bb89302c7?page=12 |access-date=19 November 2024 |work=Radio Times |page=12 |via=BBC Genome Project}}
In 1961, he was chair of the panel show Laughline.{{Cite news |last=Aimes |first=Neward |date=3 January 1961 |title=New lines in laughs |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/leicester-evening-mail-laughline-leice/159347157/ |access-date=19 November 2024 |work=Leicester Evening Mail |page=2 |via=Newspapers.com}} as well as the Southern Television knock-out quiz elimination programme Beat Your Neighbour between 1961 and 1963.{{Cite news |date=4 November 1961 |title=Duel in the South |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/isle-of-wight-county-press-duel-in-the-s/159347421/ |access-date=19 November 2024 |work=Isle of Wight County Press |page=14 |via=Newspapers.com}}{{Cite news |date=18 January 1963 |title=Frome's Team in 'Beat Your Neighbour' Quiz |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/somerset-standard-somerset-guardian-fro/159347664/ |access-date=19 November 2024 |work=Somerset Guardian and Standard |page=11 |via=Newspapers.com}} He also provided the BBC radio commentary for the Eurovision Song Contest 1962. Haigh narrated the animated film The Commonwealth (1962) and had roles in the films in Simon and Laura (1955), Band of Thieves (1962), Live It Up (1963) and as a magistrate in Witchfinder General (1968).{{Cite book |last=Gifford |first=Denis |url=https://archive.org/details/britishfilmcatal0000giff_u4w3/ |title=The British Film Catalogue 1895–1985: A Reference Guide |publisher=David & Charles |year=1986 |isbn=0-8160-1554-6 |location=Newton Abbot, Devon |pages=667 |url-access=registration |via=Internet Archive}} From the early 1970s, he lived in Portugal running a restaurant and bar popular with British tourists. Haigh in the 1980s but he was unable to resume his broadcasting career, having a brief stint of BBC Radio WM in 1985, presenting a series about the West Midlands during the Second World War.{{Cite news |date=24 April 1985 |title=My word! Don's dream comes true ... and 'Wogan' of 50s set for comeback |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/black-country-evening-mail-my-word-bl/159349097/ |access-date=19 November 2024 |work=Black Country Evening Mail |page=5 |via=Newspapers.com}} He made a final television appearance as guest of Des Lynam on a short-lived series called It's My Pleasure. Haigh later worked occasionally for BBC radio and did voice-overs for advertisements.
Personal life
Haigh married the actress Jill Adams at Newport Register Office on the Isle of Wight on 27 April 1957.{{Cite news |date=30 April 1957 |title=Peter Haigh and Jill Adams wed |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/western-mail-marriage-of-haigh-adams/159345941/ |access-date=19 November 2024 |work=Western Mail |page=3 |via=Newspapers.com}} There was one child of the first marriage. They divorced in 1976. In January 1968, he was fined £10 following his plea of guilty for sending indecent cards and a brochure through the post.{{Cite news |date=19 January 1968 |title=Peter Haigh fined for mailing indecent cards |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-telegraph-peter-haigh-fined/159348139/ |access-date=19 November 2024 |work=The Daily Telegraph |page=25 |via=Newspapers.com}} Haigh remarried for the second time to the German-born Inge Drake at Stratford Register Office on 12 December 1984.{{Cite news |date=13 December 1984 |title=Here's to the Haighs |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/birmingham-evening-mail-heres-to-the-ha/159348820/ |access-date=19 November 2024 |work=Birmingham Evening Mail |page=10 |via=Newspapers.com}} He died on 18 January 2001.
Awards
Haigh was named Best Commentator of the Year in 1956, and BBC Sound Radio Personality of the Year by the Variety Club of Great Britain in 1966.{{Cite news |last=White |first=Bill |date=9 February 1968 |title=Ken Dodd is Show Biz Man of the Year |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/evening-standard-ken-dodd-is-show-biz-ma/159347974/ |access-date=19 November 2024 |work=Evening Standard |page=11 |via=Newspapers.com}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{IMDb name|id=0354105|name=Peter Haigh}}{{s-start}}
{{succession box
| before = Berkeley Smith
| title = {{nowrap|Eurovision Song Contest UK Commentator}}
| years = 1958
| after = Tom Sloan
}}
{{s-end}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Haigh, Peter}}
Category:BBC television presenters
Category:British Army personnel of World War II
Category:People educated at Aldenham School
Category:Radio and television announcers
Category:Welsh Guards officers