KA
Katherine
Founding member
Welcome to the BBC Look North studios at Woodhouse Lane, Leeds, also called St. Stamper's. This is where you will be spending the next few years of your life working. Please take some time to make yourself at home with this guided tour.
You are now in the reception area. Kindly take the first corridor on the right, where our tour will begin. The first room on the right is your dressing room, recently departed by your predecessor Clare Frisby. You will still be able to see the huge wardrobes that housed her clothing, and the aroma pervading the room is that of the extra-strength hairspray used to hold her legendary ginger locks in place. Rumour has it that when she revealed she was
moving to Hull, it caused consternation among hairdressers across the city, some of whom have sadly gone out of business. The rosette on the table is the one she won in the highly
popular Escalado competition last month. This will soon be mounted in a case and displayed in the reception. You will still be able to see a message written on the mirror in lipstick ‘I Love
Harry Gration'.
Dodging the harrased tea lady, across the corridor you will see the Look North Video library, where old editions of Look North are stored for posterity. Video viewing facilities are provided
by way of a mini cinema and projection suite at the far end. This is an authentic cinema setting, as you will discover when you sit down. You will see around your feet un-swept popcorn and as you view your chosen reels, there will be an intermittent soundtrack of misbehaving children and mobile phone bleepers going off at selected times. View if you will entertaining footage of presenters past and present. Laugh at the time a fly crept across the outside camera of the Leeds skyline during the weather, gasp as Brigadier Judith Stamper of the Old Guard licks Harry Gration into shape and cry at any time Peter Levy has cracked a joke. When you have concluded your viewing, make your way out of the room.
Now you're back in the corridor, proceed to the next room. Can you see it? Look downwards. It's two inches high and four inches long and carved into the skirting. This is the Peter Levy Charisma Room. Viewing of its total content should take no more than a couple of seconds. Next to it is Peter's dressing room, which is wallpapered with pictures of various aircraft and little scribblings of each plane registration number he has ever seen. Look also at the orange anorak draped over the rear of his chair. It's a sad sight isn't it? Now to his bookshelf: The Observer's Book of Aircraft, 101 Jokes for Radio Presenters, Noel Edmonds's life Story and Restaurants in Yeadon: The Connoisseur's Guide should be on the top shelf. There should also be a BBC Radio Leeds mug on the table, and next to Peter's picture shoud be a cup of tea half-drunk. Read the letter too: “Dear Mummy Judith, please stop Paul teasing me!” If you can hear a funny sound, it's his record collection of Bee Gees albums on 33 1/3 RPM. He hasn't woken up to CDs yet.
When you're suitably repulsed, leave this room and when back in the corridor, turn right by the fake yucca plant. This is the canteen, where Peter and Paul have had numerous food fights after the lunchtime show. Harry never misses the opportunity to have a bacon sandwich and a cup of tea too. Caviar has been taken off the menu and transferred to Hull. If you mention your preferred dishes to the cook Mrs L. Borgia, she will be more than happy to cater for your tastes. A word of warning: the incident last Christmas with the stuffed turkey has not been forgotten by any member of BBC Leeds' staff. It will never be repeated! You
may rest here for a while and grab a bite to eat and something to drink.
Ready to continue? Good. If you go through the double doors to the left, you will come across the Look North studio where you will be presenting with Harry. Make yourself at home here. Practice your smile to the camera and acquaint yourself with the crew that will film your every moment and catch you with a close-up every time you put your finger to within a centimetre of your nose, they're fond of japes this lot! Remember that the camera you need is the one with the red light flashing on top of it. You will see the weather screen to your right, this is where Paul Hudson will be every evening. this is the high point of the programme, with people tuning in to gaze in wonder at this expert of meteorological forecasting accuracy. See behind you the screen showing an image of the Leeds skyline. To the right of the camera is the home of the only insect on Look North's payroll, a Mr F. Ly, who is paid to crawl over the camera to liven up the show when it starts flagging and provide a humorous twist and fodder for Terry Wogan down in London. If you look under the desk, you will see tear-stained handkerchiefs. These are left as a reminder of Clare's departure scene, which resulted in Look North winning two BAFTA awards in the recent award ceremony, Clare for Best Actress and Harry as Best Supporting Actor. This was a surprise to most, suffice to say David Jason and Dame Judi Dench are at present consulting their lawyers.
When you're ready, leave the studio by the Clare Frisby Gate and proceed down the next corridor. It won't be long before you see another dressing room with a door painted in Bradford City colours and a Bradford scarf tied around the door handle. This is the dressing room of one Paul Hudson. Paul is your weather forecaster on the show. He is famed for his witty banter between himself and Peter Levy. Just off-camera in the studio, you will see the hardened paper pellets and catapult that Paul uses to sort out his disagreements with elder brother Peter. Paul arrived a couple of years ago on a primary school trip, refused to leave,
had a sit-down tantrum in the newsroom and has stayed with us since then. When he's not on screen, naughty schoolboy Paul likes to indulge in the Just William books by Richmal Crompton. He is fond of the Ladybird Book of the Weather, and felt that this was adequate training to forecast the weather to the region. He sits the meteorology part of his Eleven Plus in 2003 and we wish him well in this. If you open the little cupboard on the left wall, you'll see his private stash of Jelly Babies. Around the room you can see a mobile hanging from the ceiling with weather symbols on, a signed poster of Michael Fish, a half-finished love letter
written in crayon to Helen Willetts and a Junior Patrick Moore telescope. Paul claims that this is used for astronomy purposes, but it's more likely that because it is aimed at the window of
Clare's old dressing room, that other motives may have been a more plausible reason for its acquisition.
Next door to Paul's dressing room is the Guest Bedroom. This is used mainly by Penny Bustin, or as Harry calles her ‘Her from outside the region' who is primed and ready to step in if you feel like taking a couple of days off work. Penny recently came second to Clare in the Look North Escalado competition, and her rosette can be seen on the top of the chest of drawers. To avoid Paul's prying telescope, the wall between this room and his is made of
steel. There's not much to see here, just a fold-down futon bed.
Across the corridor is the dressing room of your co-presenter Harry Gration. Cricket-mad Harry was born by the bails on the pitch at Headingley. He grew up with willow and leather in
his blood, hardly surprising as he would eat nothing but cricket equipment as a toddler. He has the dubious record of being the youngest streaker at Headingley. He was so annoyed by a particularly poor performance from Yorkshire one day that, as a toddler, he climbed out of his pram and walked on the pitch in nothing but a nappy convinced he could do better. He hit
a couple of sixes, but was soon taken off the pitch when it was time to have his nappy changed. At primary school however, this experience, still fresh in his mind embarrased him out of playing cricket for the rest of his life. He turned instead to sports journalism and was the Cricket Correspondent for his primary school newsletter until leaving at eleven for secondary school. You will see plenty of cricket books in his dressing room, and a signed photo of Geoff Boycott. He likes rugby too, and his wallpaper comes in handy as it is bought into the studio for his Sunday rugby show.
This is the end of the tour now. Please retrace your steps to the reception and while doing so, re-wind this tape so it can be used by another visitor. St. Stamper's would like to thank you for visiting, and wish you every ounce of good luck in your new job here. Believe me, you'll need it working with this lot! Your tour guide has been Cathy Killick. Welcome to Look North.
You are now in the reception area. Kindly take the first corridor on the right, where our tour will begin. The first room on the right is your dressing room, recently departed by your predecessor Clare Frisby. You will still be able to see the huge wardrobes that housed her clothing, and the aroma pervading the room is that of the extra-strength hairspray used to hold her legendary ginger locks in place. Rumour has it that when she revealed she was
moving to Hull, it caused consternation among hairdressers across the city, some of whom have sadly gone out of business. The rosette on the table is the one she won in the highly
popular Escalado competition last month. This will soon be mounted in a case and displayed in the reception. You will still be able to see a message written on the mirror in lipstick ‘I Love
Harry Gration'.
Dodging the harrased tea lady, across the corridor you will see the Look North Video library, where old editions of Look North are stored for posterity. Video viewing facilities are provided
by way of a mini cinema and projection suite at the far end. This is an authentic cinema setting, as you will discover when you sit down. You will see around your feet un-swept popcorn and as you view your chosen reels, there will be an intermittent soundtrack of misbehaving children and mobile phone bleepers going off at selected times. View if you will entertaining footage of presenters past and present. Laugh at the time a fly crept across the outside camera of the Leeds skyline during the weather, gasp as Brigadier Judith Stamper of the Old Guard licks Harry Gration into shape and cry at any time Peter Levy has cracked a joke. When you have concluded your viewing, make your way out of the room.
Now you're back in the corridor, proceed to the next room. Can you see it? Look downwards. It's two inches high and four inches long and carved into the skirting. This is the Peter Levy Charisma Room. Viewing of its total content should take no more than a couple of seconds. Next to it is Peter's dressing room, which is wallpapered with pictures of various aircraft and little scribblings of each plane registration number he has ever seen. Look also at the orange anorak draped over the rear of his chair. It's a sad sight isn't it? Now to his bookshelf: The Observer's Book of Aircraft, 101 Jokes for Radio Presenters, Noel Edmonds's life Story and Restaurants in Yeadon: The Connoisseur's Guide should be on the top shelf. There should also be a BBC Radio Leeds mug on the table, and next to Peter's picture shoud be a cup of tea half-drunk. Read the letter too: “Dear Mummy Judith, please stop Paul teasing me!” If you can hear a funny sound, it's his record collection of Bee Gees albums on 33 1/3 RPM. He hasn't woken up to CDs yet.
When you're suitably repulsed, leave this room and when back in the corridor, turn right by the fake yucca plant. This is the canteen, where Peter and Paul have had numerous food fights after the lunchtime show. Harry never misses the opportunity to have a bacon sandwich and a cup of tea too. Caviar has been taken off the menu and transferred to Hull. If you mention your preferred dishes to the cook Mrs L. Borgia, she will be more than happy to cater for your tastes. A word of warning: the incident last Christmas with the stuffed turkey has not been forgotten by any member of BBC Leeds' staff. It will never be repeated! You
may rest here for a while and grab a bite to eat and something to drink.
Ready to continue? Good. If you go through the double doors to the left, you will come across the Look North studio where you will be presenting with Harry. Make yourself at home here. Practice your smile to the camera and acquaint yourself with the crew that will film your every moment and catch you with a close-up every time you put your finger to within a centimetre of your nose, they're fond of japes this lot! Remember that the camera you need is the one with the red light flashing on top of it. You will see the weather screen to your right, this is where Paul Hudson will be every evening. this is the high point of the programme, with people tuning in to gaze in wonder at this expert of meteorological forecasting accuracy. See behind you the screen showing an image of the Leeds skyline. To the right of the camera is the home of the only insect on Look North's payroll, a Mr F. Ly, who is paid to crawl over the camera to liven up the show when it starts flagging and provide a humorous twist and fodder for Terry Wogan down in London. If you look under the desk, you will see tear-stained handkerchiefs. These are left as a reminder of Clare's departure scene, which resulted in Look North winning two BAFTA awards in the recent award ceremony, Clare for Best Actress and Harry as Best Supporting Actor. This was a surprise to most, suffice to say David Jason and Dame Judi Dench are at present consulting their lawyers.
When you're ready, leave the studio by the Clare Frisby Gate and proceed down the next corridor. It won't be long before you see another dressing room with a door painted in Bradford City colours and a Bradford scarf tied around the door handle. This is the dressing room of one Paul Hudson. Paul is your weather forecaster on the show. He is famed for his witty banter between himself and Peter Levy. Just off-camera in the studio, you will see the hardened paper pellets and catapult that Paul uses to sort out his disagreements with elder brother Peter. Paul arrived a couple of years ago on a primary school trip, refused to leave,
had a sit-down tantrum in the newsroom and has stayed with us since then. When he's not on screen, naughty schoolboy Paul likes to indulge in the Just William books by Richmal Crompton. He is fond of the Ladybird Book of the Weather, and felt that this was adequate training to forecast the weather to the region. He sits the meteorology part of his Eleven Plus in 2003 and we wish him well in this. If you open the little cupboard on the left wall, you'll see his private stash of Jelly Babies. Around the room you can see a mobile hanging from the ceiling with weather symbols on, a signed poster of Michael Fish, a half-finished love letter
written in crayon to Helen Willetts and a Junior Patrick Moore telescope. Paul claims that this is used for astronomy purposes, but it's more likely that because it is aimed at the window of
Clare's old dressing room, that other motives may have been a more plausible reason for its acquisition.
Next door to Paul's dressing room is the Guest Bedroom. This is used mainly by Penny Bustin, or as Harry calles her ‘Her from outside the region' who is primed and ready to step in if you feel like taking a couple of days off work. Penny recently came second to Clare in the Look North Escalado competition, and her rosette can be seen on the top of the chest of drawers. To avoid Paul's prying telescope, the wall between this room and his is made of
steel. There's not much to see here, just a fold-down futon bed.
Across the corridor is the dressing room of your co-presenter Harry Gration. Cricket-mad Harry was born by the bails on the pitch at Headingley. He grew up with willow and leather in
his blood, hardly surprising as he would eat nothing but cricket equipment as a toddler. He has the dubious record of being the youngest streaker at Headingley. He was so annoyed by a particularly poor performance from Yorkshire one day that, as a toddler, he climbed out of his pram and walked on the pitch in nothing but a nappy convinced he could do better. He hit
a couple of sixes, but was soon taken off the pitch when it was time to have his nappy changed. At primary school however, this experience, still fresh in his mind embarrased him out of playing cricket for the rest of his life. He turned instead to sports journalism and was the Cricket Correspondent for his primary school newsletter until leaving at eleven for secondary school. You will see plenty of cricket books in his dressing room, and a signed photo of Geoff Boycott. He likes rugby too, and his wallpaper comes in handy as it is bought into the studio for his Sunday rugby show.
This is the end of the tour now. Please retrace your steps to the reception and while doing so, re-wind this tape so it can be used by another visitor. St. Stamper's would like to thank you for visiting, and wish you every ounce of good luck in your new job here. Believe me, you'll need it working with this lot! Your tour guide has been Cathy Killick. Welcome to Look North.
