Westward Television start-up

[davespot111]

I always thought the cutest part of this video was the woman slowly walking up the hill with a plastic bag of shopping at 3.34. i used to watch this after coming home from school... but it's been deleted on this clip.. anyone else remember that bit?.

[ingenious4t]

Brilliant, thanks for posting

[Tubemeister77]

@ingenious4t My pleasure; I'm pleased that you enjoyed it along with the rest of the Westward TV Start-up fanclub. Maybe I'll have to think about issuing membership certificates and badges!! :-D

[gibsosgerbil]

Taken From The Chris Hoyle Philiadelphia Orchestra called

"The South East Blues Theme" way back In The Early 1960's.

[MrBrianzero]

Wow did that bring back memories and a tear to my eye, thank you.

[stinsonvoyager]

I've just lost thirty-odd years. Wonderful.

[bohaynowell]

My family always referred to ITV as Westward, even when TSW and Westcountry came along. It's a real shame that the pride in TV seems to have gone: my boyfriend works in transmission and is the only one who cares about things like aspect ratios! Depressing...

[leggybird100]

this is a beautiful start up sequence which I've never seen before, having been brought up in the North East. I do miss the regional identity of the old stations and think it's a real shame that they are gone. Thanks for this lovely posting!

[Tubemeister77]

@leggybird100 A great pleasure to share with everyone. I just wish the quality was better but I'm working on it! ;-)

[KennnnnnyTucky]

Great memories of waking up and watching this early in the morning as a kid. Not sure we had a colour telly at first. Fantastic music. This was when TV meant something. They said that digital would mean huge choice, instead we have lost the investment in a few high quality channels and replaced it with hundreds of stations putting out rubbish.

[Tubemeister77]

@KennnnnnyTucky ...and it's rubbish writ large! Back in the 1980s a tv pundit talking on a prog re the future of tv broadcasting in Britain said this very thing would happen - more choice = less quality. TV scheduling should be a serendipity which challenges, surprises, entertains and educates - which it was in the 1970s - but with the advent of multi-channels has, with few exceptions, made mediocrity mainstream.

[sharonwithtracey]

wonderful.

[tecdessus]

I`ve been living abroad for nearly 30 years,but i grew up in weymouth,this brings back memories, and a tear for loved ones long gone.

[parsoncrosstv]

This start-up is amazing! I thought YTV's was good. But this one was brilliant. Just one thing (and I hope I'm wrong on this) you programming wasn't supposed to be good? TV now is too throw-away where is the pride and substance? I've always wanted visit Devon.

[Tubemeister77]

Westward TV's programming was arguably on a par, if not better, than several of the regional broadcasters who retained their franchise. Our southwest England tv company had a strong empathy with its audience and covered the widest area possible in its regional news bulletins.

Westward TV is still very much missed by residents of the region and was made a sacrificial lamb at the time of the broadcasting re-shuffle simply because one of them had to go.

[Bodybuilder1945]

@Tubemeister77 Unfortunately, just when the licences were coming up for renewal, the London based Board of Westward fell out with the managers and programme makers in Plymouth. There being no confidence within the company that the Board and the managers could overcome their difference the then IBA had no choice but to remove Westward's licence to broadcast.

[mikeyboystone1969]

this brings backchildhood memories....

[Tubemeister77]

Hurry up then, Tim!

[borgduck]

Did he hurry up?

[Tubemeister77]

So far, so bad... Lol.

[captainhowdy1967]

They used to put this start up on in the mornings 1974/5 on Westward. Bloody well done for recording this (who provided it - how is this retained VHS?) Superb. Brings back a suite of memories around when ITV mattered and offerd something of value and individuality.

[celticboy1950]

All fine and dandy, but not the original, that was by Hastings Mann, and the old startup was in B/W. WTV started in 1961

[CelticReject]

OMG What memories!!!!!

[frankenstang1973]

Outstanding! Remembered all the sequence & music like it was yesterday.

Thanks.

[tango602]

Which year is this startup from?

[Tubemeister77]

It was in use from circa 1969-70 until the advent of morning tv.

[tango602]

Thanks

[Woollylinnet]

Further to the stated dates, this particular sequence is no earlier than 1974.

The map on the side of the Westward studio gives the game away - it features the late, unlamented county of Avon, which was formed in that year.

[stgxf04]

A great piece of TV nostalgia from the WEST. I am a Southern man (and boy) and have an affinity to SOUTHERN TELEVISION which will probably be with me until the day I drop!. Westward's regional film clips were good, arguably not as good as Southern's! ( I'll wait for the flack now....) ITV where have you gone?

[shakermaker1974]

I was born in 1974 but i can remember the transmitter info!!.REAL LOCAL news.

[corblimeymr]

Wow. This is amazing!! It really takes me back to my childhood (3 or 4 years old). I loved watching the startup and hearing the music. I used to ask my mum if she would take me to this place (I thought it was some magic/picturesque island somewhere - she always said yes!!) I have kept vague memories of it all these years (esp. the binder in the field). Very strange to see it again as an adult and recognise some of the places (I guess I must have found some of this magic island in the end!!!)

[shirleygibson]

I Think It's From The Theme Of The Movie,

"Days At Wimbledon Grave"(1962), Starring

Frank Sinetra, Geoff Thompson, and Reesa

Darsey.

[captainhowdy1967]

My God. How bloody great is finding this again. I remember being sat in the wicker chair, must have been 73/4, and by the way they put this on in the mornings, not 4pm. You'd get this, then the great Roger Shaw with "This is Westward Television" which was pretty much all you needed to know.

[Tubemeister77]

You are obviously not old enough to remember the 1960s when wonderful Westward TV, along with most other regional tv broadcasters, started daily transmissions around 3.30 - 4pm. As pre-noon tv broadcasting increased, in the 1970s, so the overture was played in the mornings and eventually disappeared with the advent of 24-hour tv. Pleased you have enjoyed seeing it again.

[celticboy1950]

well old enough to remember Westward, I once chatted to Stuart huchinson about the good old days, (in my capacity as media student).

but what we need is Hastings Manns 'Westward HO'. That came before the overture you posted up, good as it is. maybe TSW archives have it somewhere. I have a lot of written material on WTV, as well as old video tape. This includes the original clip of Peter Cadbury with the galleon. Also plan a museum display based on early regional broadcasting in Devon.

[celticboy1950]

very nostalgic, the great days of Westward TV. always makes me feel at home here in the westcountry when I hear or see anything to do with Westward, but there is another piece of music called Westward Ho, written by

Hastings Mann. If anyones got please post it up. PS. I once had tea with Stuart Huchison, my heroe, a great man, now departed.

[loudnoisemaker]

Before the days of you tube I searched long and hard to get a video of this as I remembered watching this opening sequence in South Wales in the 70's as a child on summer holidays! We used to get Rediffusion 'pipeline' tv as there was no aeriel reception.This is so inspiring-the opening credits made me take up teaching the clarinet-this is such enthusiastic music!!Such nostalgia-I love looking at the dual carriageway shot and it's so deserted of cars!!

[ATVmidlands5581]

tremendous. i remember seeing this when i stayed at my sisters in barnstaple. great to see it again. my regional provider was HTV but we got ATV as well which was fab. Tv was an event in those days and you can see the pride they had in this clip.

atvmidlands

[Quetelet]

Living in West Wales we couldn't receive Harlech (HTV) transmissions, so I grew up watching Westward in the 1960's/1970's. I remember this like yesterday. Didn't Westward have the birthday rabbit, Gus Honeybun too?

[Tubemeister77]

Yes, Gus Honeybun was the face of Westward TV and when he appeared with the witty Judi Spiers alongside they were a dynamic duo. He never once read out my birthday card but I eventually had counselling and learned to forgive him.

I think...

[fireblade929]

all i can say is wow, i remeber getting up on sat mornings and watching this, cant belive iv seen it again, i remeber so much of it, thanks for posting.

[Tubemeister77]

It's a pleasure to share it!

[numberstation]

What I'd give for a time machine...

[Tubemeister77]

Join the queue...!

[Hoddersrevenge]

I've often wondered if this startup could have existed post-IBA and what it would look like. A mock would have to be quite impressive.

[WABBIT8]

I love this tune. And it brings back memories of my summer holidays at my gran's in EXETER. Cheers for posting this!

[fireblade929]

funny that, it always reminds me of the summer

[Bomberdrummer]

Oh the nostalgia. This brings so many memories back of being a kid growing up in Cornwall. Thanks.

[Tubemeister77]

The final bars of music and the majestic ship hoving into view never fail to bring a lump to my throat, no matter how many times I watch it!

Those were the days...