The morning of the 'Great Storm' (1987)

Does anybody else remember what the TV networks did on the morning of the 1987 'hurricane'?

BBC One from 6am had a graphic saying something about programmes disrupted due to major power problems in the South East'. Then sometime before 7, a makeup-less Nicholas Witchell appeared from the CBBC Broom Cupboard (the kids' pictures had been hastily removed!) to tell us what had been happening.

By 8, there was enough power for Paxman to present Breakfast Time from a very sparse studio, and once that was over, most of the morning was a extended edition of Open Air, as it came from Manchester.

(If I remember all this correctly.)

I guess with the Broom Cupboard having also been the BBC1 continuity booth at the time, it would have been one of the few areas of TVC to be able to operate on backup power, hence why they broadcast from there.

IIRC much of the problem was actually getting staff into TVC, as so many roads were blocked with fallen trees and debris.



As I remember it, it was a plain white studio with some chrome and black leather chairs and a glass coffee table... and it was a studio at Elstree.

I remember years ago hearing a tape of the first broadcast that morning from LBC once the generators got working. Started off with plenty of shuffling of chairs and closing of doors followed by whispers of "I think we're on air now" etc.

Was quite strange to listen to.

I was only about 6 at the time so all I remember about it was being happy about not having to go to school that day, and climing all over the fallen trees in Hampstead Heath at the weekend.

As I remember once Breakfast Time had finished, Open Air in Manchester more-or-less took over BBC1 until lunchtime. Kilroy and the other daytime programmes were dumped.

Here's some classic news bulletins from the 16th October 1987..

TVS Coast to Coast special: http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=9TbwH-Kb8bs
ITN 5.45 News with Alastair Stewart: http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=zjNE5hTXL3k
BBC 9 O'clock News: http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=E5dbND3knpw

I slept through the whole thing apparently and our TV aerial flew off the roof..sacrilage!

I remember Nick Witchell presenting from a small studio with yellow stripes across the back with i think it was John Kettley squeezing himself into view. I didn't kniow it was the "broom cupboard" until later.

They were able later to switch to a larger white studio with 4 chairs and a coffee table. What did Thames do?

Is this it? http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=2mDt1cYkoc4 (1987 storm coverage..) Nick Witchell at 00.38.

Michael Buerk digging at Ian McCaskill at the end is almost comedic.

It's pathetic rather than comedic - on McCaskill's part, not Buerk's who was quite right to lay into him.

This should probably go in requests but this reminds me of a promo that aired around 1991 on TVS (ITV South) and all I seem to remember is, a policeman struggling to stand up in the storm and the music Storm in a Teacup by The Fortunes. I think it was for a book about news items in the south or something can't find a clip of it anywhere. Anyone (i.e. Asa) know what I'm talking about or have I gone mad?

It was played as part of one of the LBC birthday programmes a few years ago. The presenters (Douglas Cameron and Bob Holness) broadcast from a radio car parked outside their studios

Yep it was also very basic and required very little power. When BBC 1 and 2 moved out of that area in the mid-90s the new area included a little 'Broom Cupboard' type fixed-camera studio for such eventualities (and in case of failiure in the CBBC studio). Don't think it was ever used though.



Are you sure it was at Elstree? I'd have thought that getting the presenters and crew up to Elstree in those sort of conditions would have been very problematic. Having seen the video on YouTube my guess is that they are in one of the Pres studios which were in the same area of TV Centre as the presentation suites (these were used for school holiday CBBC, Old Grey Whistle Test and before computers, the weather). I don't think Breakfast Time came from TV Centre in those dayst

Excellent, I don't think I've ever seen that before, always thought it was one of those lost bits of video.

Somewhere there is a clip of BBC Southwest that morning - even though BBC1 could only put out a caption they were opting out and letting people know what had happened to Breakfast Time



Thames wouldn't have been on air till 9:25 of course. On Private Parts there's a clip of Anne Diamond and Richard Keys presenting TVam from the Thames continuity studio (with the old skyline backdrop) seems they took some tapes with them so could show some old interviews