Chiswick Book Festival 2022

Image above: Dame Eileen Atkins; photograph Roger Green

Dedicated to HM Queen Elizabeth II

News of the Queen’s death was announced at 6.30pm on Thursday 8 September, just as Chiswick Book Festival Director Torin Douglas was preparing to introduce of of Britain’s greatest actors, Dame Eileen Atkins for the opening session of this year’s book festival. He announced the news, with the poise of one who has handled many momentous occasions live on air as a BBC broadcaster; they held a minute’s silence and got on with the interview.

They thought about cancelling the festival as they thought through the implications of the period of national mourning, but settled in the end for dedicating the festival to the memory of the Queen. I’m glad they did. She would have been in good company with Dame Eileen, born 1934, Dame Sheila Hancock, born 1933 and Selma Van de Perre, a Dutch-British resistance figher born 1922, and she would have felt at home with their shared memories I think.

Many of the guests had met the Queen. Torin himself had received his MBE from her. Chris Patten, former Governor of Hong Kong, was appointed to the Privy Council in 1989 and made a Companion of Honour in 1998. He told the audience he had written to the Queen asking if he could be excused from wearing the traditional costume of Governor when he took the job in Hong Kong, because he said, it looked ridiculous on someone of his size. ‘As long as you wear a collar and tie’ came back the reply.

So with that image of Lord Patten in joggers, having listened to King Charles III’s speech to the nation played live in St Michael & All Angels Church on the Friday night, we were off, with the rest of the book festival programme:

Radio 1 DJ Greg James and Chris Smith entertaining children at George IV with dressing up and fun; Cressida Cowell introducing her new book for children with her customary enthusiasm and vivacity; Justin Webb, Rev Richard Coles, Pam Ayres, Mihir Bose talking to audiences who had listened to them on radio and watched them on TV for years; well-known novelists Adele Parks and Lucy Foley, sharing their books with an audience which had been reading them for years…

Pictures by Roger Green (with the exception of the one of Adele and Lucy, which I took).

Images above: Radio 1 DJ Greg James and Chris Smith; Cressida Cowell; Chris Patten; Sheila Hancock; Selma Van de Perre; Fr Kevin Morris with Rev Richard Coles; Justin Webb; Pam Ayres; Mihir Bose; Lucy Foley & Adele Parks

Hands up those of you who worked for the BBC

Before the Queen died, the book festival was promoting its celebration of 100 years of the BBC. I went to a very good session on Sunday with Will Wyatt, formerly managing director of BBC Television (1991–96), Roger Bolton, former editor of Tonight, Panorama and Nationwide for BBC television and until last week the presenter of Feedback on BBC Radio 4.

Also on the panel was Caroline Frost, a commentator for TV, radio news and feature programmes and RTS Panel moderator, also an author, and preceeding the discussion was a presentation of 100 years of great programmes from the BBC by Head of BBCHistory Robert Seatter.

The event was chaired by Torin Douglas, who asked how many of the audience had worked or were still working at the BBC. This was the result:

Image above: Hands up who has worked at the BBC

I’ve often thought Chiswick is a bit like a retirement village for people who worked at the BBC.

Thanks to Torin and programme director Jo James for another stimulating, informative and entertaining festival.

Read more stories on The Chiswick Calendar

See also: Mourning the Queen – some events cancelled, others not

See also: Tributes to the Queen

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