It won’t surprise anyone who knows me — or where I came from, genes-wise — to hear that more often than not, the direction of these columns is pretty much decided as the deadline looms. Sometimes they’re shaped by a song on the radio; or prompted by a post I’ve seen on social media. Other …
As someone who went from seven to 12 during The Tube’s five series (1982-87), it’s fair to say that the Green Room snacks and electric typewriters in the production office of the Newcastle-based groundbreaking music show often offered more excitement than an extended set by Tina Turner, Paul McCartney or Iggy Pop. So while I …
When it comes to enduring stories about The Tube, the bands which got their big break on a Friday teatime via Channel Four’s groundbreaking music show are among the most retold. They certainly pepper the list I made with my Dad, (Geoff Wonfor, who directed most of The Tube’s location films) when we were rounding …
I can’t remember my dad not having a beard. But I know he didn’t have one for the first eight-or-so years of my life And I can also tell you the day he decided to grow one (well, not the actual date, but the happenings thereof). It was in 1983-ish and in his role as …
So far in this series, we’ve been to 1985 with Fats Domino; caught up with Tina Turner in 1983; and been to Paris with Wham! in 1986(ish) as I continue to work my way through the (unfinished) list of 40 memorable moments I started with my Dad (and director of The Tube) Geoff Wonfor to …
One of my favourite paragraphs in last week’s QT was in the interview I did with Alison Gwynn. North East Screen’s chief exec was remembering her teenage years at The Tube. A 15-year-old Alison was a regular down at Studio Five on Friday teatimes in the early 80s when Tyne Tees Television on Newcastle’s City …
In October 2022, me and my Dad were sitting in a hospital waiting room at the Freeman in Newcastle. We’d spent a lot of time in those places during the few months before and were becoming pretty adept at passing the time rather than wasting it. He’d want me to say he got canny good …
@2024 The QT All Rights Reserved. Built by Nebula Labs
