SARUM U3A

The speaker at our May meeting was Bernard Burke, in his own words a man whose career benefited from luck, hard work, and a willingness to grasp his opportunities. In 1959 he resigned from Stockport Constabulary and in desperation took a part-time job as a lorry driver for ABC Television. To his surprise this was the start of a 30 year career in TV broadcasting. During a coffee break he was persuaded to train as a sound engineer, and in rapid succession he became a shop steward, supervisory sound engineer, and administration manager for outside broadcasting with ITV. What a time to be part of the TV industry. Bernard witnessed and described the huge expansion of TV and outside broadcasting, the introduction of colour TV and the technical advances of the digital age. He worked with such household names as Tony Hancock, Kenny Everett, Tommy Cooper, Les Dawson, and Ken Dodd. Some harder to deal with than others! Some so funny it was hard to leave the studio at the end of the day. He supervised the outside broadcasts of the State Openings of Parliament, Wembley Cup Finals, and Olympic championships. As Alistair Burnett’s sound engineer he was present at interviews with five British Prime Ministers,
To help new members integrate quickly, our committee will introduce name badges. If members are interested, Sarum U3A could organise our own group visits. Linda Farrow, course co-ordinator, is pleased to announce that 57 courses will be available for members to choose from.