MY FIRST BBC INTERVIEW
When I first had an interview with the BBC, I was, like others of my generation, just too young to have been called up for National Service, and at 18 by-passing the chance to go to university. I applied for the post of Junior Probationary Technical Engineer, on the basis of my A level results in Maths and Physics. The BBC had been recommended as a good career to me, by a cousin, who was a film editor with ATV (Lee Doig was later chief editor on "The Prisoner" starring Patrick McGoohan).
However, I did not get the job I had applied for. I had passed the obligatory IQ test with a very high mark (My father, a headmaster, had in his career, set the eleven-plus Moray Intelligence Tests, and always used me as a guinea pig and so I became very adept at Non Verbal Reasoning, Visual Spacial and Logical Problems in IQ Tests). But my interview with the Panel of six men from BBC Appointments, Personnel and Engineering did not go very well. I was not particular 'au fait' or showed little enthusiasm for electrics, electronics and optics, but showed much greater interest in the artistic, production side, having been a regular amateur star of G&S operetta and school Shakespeare tours.
As I left the oak panelled interview room in the old Langham Hotel, (occupied by the BBC heirarchy at the time and now once again reverted to a hotel), the heel of my slip-on well-polished black shoe got caught under the drip tray of the ubiquitous BBC hatstand, as I turned to open the door and say a meek 'goodbye' and 'thank you' and it was pulled off. I had to continue through the door as I had already started the action of exit. I left, closed the door, without my shoe. What an idiot! Feeling quite sick I summoned up the courage to knock on the door again and was called in and had to apologise to the six, surprised, be-suited men, wondering at the reason for my return, and explain that I had unfortunately left my shoe behind.
I picked up my shoe and re-exited. Closing the door to gales of laughter, I knew I had blown it.
Sure enough, when the letter arrived ten days later - a BBC envelope told me what it was - from the BBC Engineering Department, it stated that unfortunately I had not been selected for a job in Engineering Division. My initial disappointment and despair was surprisingly allayed by the next paragraph. "But we can offer you a post with the BBC as a Junior Probationary Technical Operator for a three-month trial period starting December 1st. You will report to BBC Television Lime Grove Studios for the start of a week long Induction Course"
There were only five of us 18 year olds offered those first Junior Probationary Technical Operator positions and in a week we were introduced to TV Studios, Radio Studios, Film Studios, Transmitters, Lines, Research & Development, Administration and the whole top heavy beaurocracy of Auntie BBC. I am not sure whether we did not have to swear allegiance to Public Service Broadcasting and Reithian Principals there and then. Repeat after me "The BBC and public service broadcasting is good, the ITV and commercial broadcasting is a heinous canker on this earth". We were now part of, or nearly so, the big happy family of the British Broadcasting Corporation.
It was luck of the draw, we later discovered whether our first attachment would be in Television or Radio, but I was assigned to TV.
Although I had a succession of six three-month trial periods as a 'probationary' or JPTO before I eventually became a full staff member, I still put down my initial acceptance as an operator, rather than an engineer, to my antics with my shoe. I made the stick-in-the muds laugh after all.