These are the highly controversial memoirs of Austin Mitchell, local TV star of the 1970s and MP for Great Grimsby. Austin was the poster boy for Calendar TV at a time when local television had a much greater impact than national TV and its stars were the celebrities of the day. Austin charts his career path and reveals how he fell into his role at Yorkshire Television and went on to become its most popular presenter. He reveals the truth behind some of the most popular moments in TV history, including the infamous spat between Brian Cough and Don Revie. Austin also reveals the massive difference between the politically correct obsessed journalistic world of today and that of the 1970s. After his television career, Austin went on to serve as MP for Great Grimsby taking over the seat in 1977. He is still MP today, but has announced that he will not stand at the next general election.
‘Calendar Boy’ will be a highly entertaining read for anyone who remembers the glory days of Calendar and wants to learn about the truth behind working life at a hugely popular TV programme that many tried to imitate but never bettered. AUTHOR: Born in Bradford, Mitchell was educated at Woodbottom Council School, Bingley Grammar School, the University of Manchester and Nuffield College, Oxford. From 1959-63 he lectured in history at the University of Otago in Dunedin, New Zealand. He was a journalist at ITV company Yorkshire Television from 1969 to 1977, presenting their regional news programme Calendar, although he spent a short period at the BBC in 1972. During his period at Yorkshire, he chaired a live studio discussion featuring a debate between Brian Clough and Don Revie on the day in 1974 in which Clough had been sacked by Leeds United. He was elected to Parliament as MP for Great Grimsby at a by-election in 1977, following the death of the previous MP, the Foreign Secretary Tony Crosland.
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