Leonard Parkin's final news bulletin

[56postoffice]

Ahh, the memories. I always used to hear the theme tune when I was a kid. My mum used to bring me home for lunch from school ( I only lived a few yards from my primary school), the TV would be on in the background and you'd hear it.

[traciegreasybitch]

IS HE DEAD YET ?

[MichaelleonardParkin]

From Michael Leonard Parkin i was a sound technician at ITN news studios in Wells St London where i regulary was on the live transmissions when Leonard Parkin was reading the news.Now i have completed 50 yrs in the film and television industry from 1960 - 2010 working at ITN from 1973 till 2005.

I was not related to Leonard Parkin, however my fathers name was also Leonard Parkin.

[deselmes]

Long-serving newscasters hardly get send-offs like that these days, if at all...

RIP Leonard.

[ollie705]

Sad to hear he died relatively young. However, I do associate the One o'clock news with mind-numbing boredom irrespective of who read it, as I was a mere schoolchild who was only interested in kid's programmes, and didn't understand the big issues of the day.

[thecelestialtoymaker]

This man is a wonderful human being. I admire him so much that I even adopted his name!!!

[ExScouserExRN]

News at One followed by Crown Court, we certainly new how to live on the edge in those days!

[cwilliams1976]

@ExScouserExRN With the regional news in between!!!!

[TheGothicReptile]

Memories of guessing who would be on at news at one in the late 70's with my mother comes flooding back. Leonard Parkin was great and he taught me a lot with his broadcasts - a damn fine fellow.

[TRUMPER007]

Leonard Parkin was my favourite News reader - a true professional and from what I've heard a very nice gentleman.

[Timeplunderer65]

Some people make a lasting impression on our lives and Leonard was just such a person. RIP

[gmgc81]

I was only young when Leonard Parkin retired, but I do remember watching his newscasts on TVS (my old ITV region) and he had a great authority in his delivery of the news. It's sad that there aren't many like him nowadays. RIP Mr Parkin.

[ptaaffe]

Reminds me of school holidays in the 1980s... the only time I would see ITN News at One were the days I wasn't at school. Tim Ewart was one of a generation of British Washington correspondents who had great respect for the US, and seemed to see his job as one of educating the viewer about the political process, in contrast to now.

[poweranglory]

He was a great Newscaster R.I.P. Leonard.

[usenetposts]

He was my favorite ever newsreader other than Lisa Aziz, but that was for other reasons.

[guitarmaan]

What a great newsreader. Great days before the news became so patronising. RIP Leonard.

[jeremyj887]

Wonderful - brings back great memories. Do you have any more ITN bulletins from the late 1970s and 1980s? If you do it would be great if you could put them up. Many thanks.

[veryphonics]

Reggie Bosanquet, now that was a newsreader.

[Voxac100b]

Reggie and Leonard were ITN legends

[TreijaMusic]

my god! i was only four! i thought he had Parkinsons disease, but that was just his name ! lol

[amigolakota1974]

lol fucking hells bells,when everthing was grey,ace!

[CJED301]

Leonard Parkin, John Suchet (Poirots Brother) & not to mention Alistair Stewart & Trevor McDonald both still going strong today all true legends

[shesh54]

And Natechillin is supposedly a member of the British Army!! (Read his profile). Nate - you child. I thought the British Army was a proud organisation that showed respect to people? Leonard Parkin knew more about British Military History and the Army's role in world affairs than you would ever know - I feel like sending your crappy misogynistic profile to Upavon or Pirbright and seeing what they say... Grow up - and learn the respect the Army expects you to have.

[abhudson14]

Leonard Parkin true legend

[natechillin1986]

Good. I'm glad this bulletin marks Leonard's retirement from broadcasting. He was a shite broadcaster. Why o why do we admire and reward mediocrity in this country?

[rajaboy]

No way he was the man unlike these reader now just hopeless and he was a highly respected guy. Long live Mr Parkin

[abhudson14]

It wasn't me who gave the bad remarks about Lenoard Parkin it was natechillin. I think Lenoard Parkin was a legend.

[kenfig]

Oh and by the way i'm talking 1972 and 1973 !

[capsule35]

Does anyone remember Robert Key, who presented the ITN 1 o'clock news before Leonard Parkin took over? I'd only have been about 5 years old at the time but I still half-think of Leonard Parkin as being the "new" presenter!

Interesting to note that Leonard Parkin was the man who broke the news of President Kennedy's assassination to the British public in a US dispatch on the BBC's Radio Newsreel (you can hear it on the BBC website).

[kenfig]

Yes capsule but i remember when i was a kid of 9 & 10 years of age the ITN lunchtime news was a programe called 'First Report' which ran from 12:40 until 1:00 p.m. check these facts out as i know i am right about the title & times as i used to come home for lunch & see it every day after kids progs had finished at 12:40.Anyway Robert used to present this show.Oh and his name i think is spelt 'Kee'

[capsule35]

Many thanks, that explains why I couldn't find Robert 'Key' on Google! I've checked out TV Ark and you're right about First Report as well. The titles from First Report are the ones I remember, but I suspect News at One probably used the same intro in the early days as well. I'm certain Robert Kee must still have been doing the lunchtime slot in 1974-75 - I doubt if I'd recall any programmes from 1873 as I was only 3 at the time.

[capsule35]

lol I mean 1973 not 1873!

[kenfig]

Ha ha had me thinking then too ! 1873 ?! you must be lucky youre still with us !!

[cwilliams1976]

@capsule35 First Report was launched as ITN's first daytime news programme when ITV were allowed to broadcast daytime programmes in 1972.

[FugginBarstod]

Leonard Parkin - this guy was a news legend! I remember him from primary school days when having my lunch before dashing back to afternoon classes.

Top marks for uploading this great news feed! Please keep posting these classics for us retro fans.

[jbeaver12]

Brings back memories, when I was at Primary School in 1980, I refused to go back to school after Lunch unless I watched the News at One whether it be with Leonard Parkin or Peter Sissons.

[robinoi]

I used to love the news at one, I remember being brought back from playgroup in the late 1970s and plonked in front of the telly, and Leonard Parkin I always thought was my grandpa because they looked very similar. Then Crown Court would come on, which was brilliant to me, not because I understood the cases but it was amazing to see ADULTS in trouble.

[unicentre]

broadcast on 17th july 1987,going by the news headlines.

[davisreardon]

Alfie Bass died far too young. As for Leonard Parkin he was a true professional. RIP both of them.

[leonardsleopard]

i presume you mean 'retire in peace' for leonard parkin, as he isn't dead.

[NickLotay]

Sadly Leonard passed away in 1993 as a result of spinal cancer. He was one of ITN's best newscasters in my opinion.

[ah1701]

Completely agree. He was very good - relaxed reading style, but without any flippancy. RIP Leonard.

[leonardsleopard]

ah, actually he is. sorry, i was getting him confused with peter sissons.

[tl54]

Alfie Bass was in aybs..

[simpson30]

The best ITN music they ever had.

[Durbs75]

Good to see Maggie giving it some stick!

[steerpike66]

Stick? She was kissing up to a tough guy who was almost certainly senile in office, was a fantasist (claiming he was at the liberation of Auschwitz when he was in Hollywood) and a corrupt moron with a nice manner.

[captaintanfastic]

Hello Dick. (At least your mother named you correctly.)

Leonard Parkin was a highly-respected television news journalist. He was a friend of mine.

Unlike you, he was also educated. He'd turn in his grave if he thought that idiots like you were making loose-jawed ill-informed comments on his untimely death.

Obviously, the word "respect" played no part in your formative years.

[Hologhoul]

@captaintanfastic "Hello Dick. (At least your mother named you correctly.)"

ha ha - classic! Well said.

[Voxac100b]

@captaintanfastic Leonard was an excellent newscaster and presenter. Although he retired from newsreading he did host a program called Pieces of Parkin for Yorkshire Television. I would love to see the program. 

[KevCityboy]

Stuff you

[fraserkatie]

Leonard Parkin used to live near me! I saw him once walking down the road where I lived and he said hello to me! My aunt used to be a district nurse and look after Leonard's wife and when she said to him that I had said "Parkin, friend" after watching the news when I was little, Leonard Parkin was touched by it! I was only a toddler at the time!

[thedj2471]

why cant they bring back the jazzy music 4 news bulletins

[25AUG1968]

Mrs Thatcher has come out in support of President Ronald Reagan. What else is new? Leonard Parkin RIP. Mike S.

[bidanton]

Does anyone know what was the exact date of this video?

The TVS announcer said that this was the last News at One before its move to 12.30 and also Leonard Parkin's final bulletin before he retired.

I think it was from around 1987 but I am not too sure.

[nottscombo]

Looking at the internet Alfie Bass died on 15 July 1987, which was a Wednesday. I presume that he died after the Wednesday edition of News at One had been aired which would mean it was announced on the Thursday. This is a bit strange as I would have thought the last edition of News at One would have been on Friday 17th July as the new News programme started the following Monday - confused you will be!

[cwilliams1976]

@bidanton Friday 17th July 1987; ITV ended News at One because with the move to schools programmes on Channel 4 and S4C, it made more sense for ITV to jiggle the schedule in preparation for the autumn schedule in September 1987 so the lunchtime children's programme would move to 11.10 and there would be extra ITN news bulletins on the hour as well as more regional news bulletins, in response to the BBC's daytime offerings.

[couleddie]

Rainbow was on at 12.10. Something like Painting With Nancy or a programme about knitting was usually on at 12.30. Or The Young Doctors.

[rajaboy]

From what I remember Rainbow used to be on before it on Fridays as I came from to my nans house and once the news was on I had to sit and be quiet whilst it was on as I sat close to my nan who wanted to hear whats happening.

[ScaryFishGuy]

yeah i prefered news at one also, come home from school watch wotever kids program was on lol then jazzy news tune

[rajaboy]

I prefered it as news at one it reminds me of every lunchtime I'd come from school and I remembered Peter Sissons used to read it as well and Leonard Parkin would do 5.45