Does any one remember a GRANADA TV documentary presented by Bill Grundy in the mid sixties? I think it was most likely 1965 or 1966 but my memory could be wrong, and it might have only been shown in the Granada region. At the time wrestling was at its height of popularity and I remember it was very quickly repeated. I think it appeared in the 6.30 slot after the news. All I can now remember is Bill Grundy talking about the wrestling and the tv crew going to i assume famous NW wrestling gyms. I remember you heard the lads talking about their ambitions and saw them training and wrestling. Not dis similar to that ROLL ON FOUR O CLOCK does anyone else remember anything?
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Funny that you mentioned Bill Grundy. I remember early sixties that he partnered in a show every week on Granada T.V. with a certain Chris Howland. Chris then left the show for Germany, with a big send-off live on T.V.
When I moved to Switzerland in 67, we would regularly watch the German T.V. shows, with amongst others Chris Howland, who became very popular on T.V. but also in films in Germany and made a big name for himself, mainly because of his German with a typical British accent.
Sorry but don't remember the wrestling bit with Bill Grundy.
Cheers
Didn’t we have a link to this a while back? Had Alan Dennison and Les Kellett training together plus Roy ”Bull” Davies IIRC.
That is fascinating I never knew Mr Ginsberg was such a character! Thanks for sharing. Regarding Bill Grundy all I can really remember and it’s not much....is that he introduced the programme/ documentary just a few words at the beginning sat in a chair and looking serious and then straight into the wrestlers interviewing them etc and he was no part of that. I now agree with earlier comment that it was THIS ENGLAND wonder if it still exists? Love to see it again
I don't remember the show mentioned but I do remember Bill Grundy appearing regularly on ITV on weeknights with "Scene at 6.30" which he co-presented with Gay Byrne. I used to look forward to the Friday edition when they were joined by Lance Percival who would contribute one of his topical calypsos. Everything seemed to come crashing down for Grundy after that controversial interview with The Sex Pistols. Funny how attitudes change; Grundy also presented a late night show for the BBC alongside Stuart Hall. It was called "Sweet and Sour" with Hall as the "sweet" (nice friendly jocular Mr.Hall) and Grundy as the "sour" (acerbic, non-smiling Mr.Grundy).
To relate my contribution to wrestling, one morning his son, Tim Grundy, came knocking on my door alongside Abe Ginsberg. "Hello," they said, "we're from Radio Piccadilly and this morning, Mr.Brook, we're presenting our show from your house." "This is a surprise," I said. "I'm in the middle of rehearsals for the school play."
Ginsberg had cleverly got himself in with some of the presenters at Radio Piccadilly. He had built up a portfolio of rented accommodation in Manchester and some of the Radio Piccadilly staff were his tenants and he had blagged his way onto the airwaves as a guest presenter. Once a week he and Tim would knock at an unsuspecting person's door and proceed to do their show from said person's house. I was teaching at the time in Macclesfield and arranged it with Ginsberg that he would "surprise" me whilst I had some pupils at the house rehearsing a mummer's play which we were putting on as part of our Christmas concert. I was living with my mother at the time and she made haslet sandwiches for everyone. I remember that Ginsberg had not tasted haslet before.
He used the opportunity to blag his way into the school as well and was guest of honour at our summer fair which he officially opened then joined me in neighbouring stocks as the pupils took it in turns to pay for the opportunity to throw sponges at us dipped in icy cold water. Of course Ginsberg was paid for his troubles and I did it for free. And, on this occasion, I was the main attraction rather than Ginsberg. More pupils were interested in pelting their teacher with a wet sponge than a wrestler no longer on TV/Radio Piccadilly presenter/ Rovers Return barfly that they didn't know.
Most likely you're thinking of the 1967 "The Wrestlers" broadcast as part of the "This England" series. There's a background article in next Sunday's newsletter.