Ledbury Town has been featured on television many times in the
past. Here are some of the Stories. These are mainly from BBC Midlands Today news.
The 3 stories which went national news and mention a few times are:
The Hunting Bill (Ledbury Hunt).
The M56 Crash.
Rachel Whitear death enquiry.
On Friday 20 July 2007, on Midlands Today, Ledbury was mention as one of
the areas being flooded. Ledbury was cut off due to floods in all
directions.
On Saturday 14 July 2007, a new alert affecting 14 Tesco stores in the
UK in a security alert and Ledbury was one of the affected sites. National
News
On Sunday 7 May 2006, on BBC2 Top Gear programme, Richard Hammond drove a
powder pink cabriolet (with his head under a bag) through the town of Ledbury.
On Friday 26 August 2005, on Central News South, it was about someone at
the Ledbury cemetery put soil over a grave.
On Friday 12 August 2005, Chris from Ledbury put a question live on
Channel 4's Big Brother's Little Brother programme.
On Friday 5 August 2005, on both Midlands Today and Central News South,
they reported the funeral in Ledbury of Lee Harris and Samantha Badham who
died in the London Bombing.
On Thursday 4 August 2005, on Midlands Today as part of the around the
Midlands in 80 days, they visited Eastnor castle which is near Ledbury. Also
reported the Big Chill Music Festival.
On Thursday 21 July 2005, a BBC programme called "Should I Worry About..
Additives" had a little section filmed in Ledbury, which Richard Hammond went
to a local butcher to buy additive free meat from John Mills the Butcher in
the High Street. This is a national programme.
On Friday 15 July 2005, featuring the judging of the Britain in Bloom
competition and a tragic couple, Lee Harris from Hereford and Samantha Badham
from Ledbury who were affected by the London Bombing on Thursday 7 July 2005.
Sadly, Lee died in Hospital on Friday 22 July and Samantha was names as one of
the victim on the Piccadilly line. Our memories are with them.
On Monday 22 November 2004, a story featuring a Vicar in the local Tesco
cafe Every Monday.
On Thursday 16 September 2004, a story about the campaign against the hunting bill in which
some protester which entered the House of Parliament are members of the
Ledbury Hunt. This story went national.
On Friday 3 September 2004, a story about Haygrove Farm near Ledbury about
organic pest control, using Chickens and hedgehogs
On Tuesday 13 July 2004, about a parish warden who resigned as Parish
Officer
On Thursday 29 April 2004, there was a quick mention on ITV1s Britain on
the Move late night show, showing Chris Sutcliffe from Ledbury who told a
story about walking about after suffering from Cancer.
On Wednesday 28 April 2004, an article on BBC Midlands Today about
children in Ledbury getting fit. Filmed at the Ledbury Rugby Ground.
On Monday 19 April 2004, the English Festival was shown on BBC Midlands
Today.
On Thursday 18 March 2004, the ITV1 regional programme, Sky High, showed
an aerial view of Ledbury from a Helicopter. The programme shows other places
from Birmingham to Chepstow, including the Malvern Hills, Eastnor Castle and
Much Marcle.
On Wednesday 28 January 2004, a local shop, the cartoonist, Simon Cooke, was features on
Midlands Today. Showing Simon's cartoon drawings and also allows people to
walk into the shop and get their drawing done.
On 15 December 2003, the local ice cream shop, Beacon Hills featured on
Midlands Today. The feature also included how ice cream is made at the dairy,
using Jersey Cows. Very nice Ice Cream.
On Thursday 13 November 2003, There was a charity
football match in Ledbury. The teams were Ledbury
Town vs Manchester United. Both BBC Midlands Today and Central News
South brought the story. Final Score, Ledbury Town 2, Manchester United
4. It was the Manchester United Starting line-up team. This was in aid of
the tragic accident near Manchester as mention in the paragraph
below.
On Friday 11 July 2003, the BBC Midlands Today news followed the Queen around
Herefordshire and there was a short section about the Queen in Ledbury. On the
same day, they did a story about a tragic family who was killed on the M56
motorway in a minibus crash. They were going on holiday to Florida. One of the
sons survived. This family was from Ledbury and owned a newsagent in the Homend.
This is the first time I have know to be two different stories about Ledbury on
the same day for Midlands Today.
On Wednesday 30 April 2003, the BBC Midlands Today news crew
came to Ledbury about the new Ledbury English Festival.
On Tuesday 19 November 2002, a family from Ledbury appeared on
the BBC's Holiday Programme.
On Friday 30 August 2002, BBC Midlands Today mention that
Ledbury has won the small town category in the Britain in Bloom
competition and they did the weather forecast from Ledbury.
Ledbury
in Bloom 2002 on Midlands Today Friday 30 August 2002. (Right)
Shefali Oza the Weather Forecaster in Ledbury
On Tuesday 16 July 2002, BBC Midlands Today mention that
Ledbury will be part of the route of day 42 of the Commonwealth
Baton Relay. This leg was on Wednesday 17 July 2002 from Coventry
to Hereford.
On Sunday 24 March 2002, I appeared on Sky News as part of the
audience of the Pop Idol Concert at NEC Arena Birmingham,
celebrating Gareth Gates getting to Number 1.
On Friday 1 March 2002, A story about a person who died from
Heroin Abuse from Ledbury was mention as Top Headline Story on
BBC1 News, ITN News, Central News South, BBC Midlands Today, Sky
News and most of the Front page of the National Newspapers. Only
ITN News mention Ledbury on TV, while the other news network
mention Herefordshire. BBC Teletext and BBC Website mention
Ledbury.
On Tuesday 5 February 2002, the court case regarding the fire
at the Severn Sisters Pub, was mention on Central News South (GMTV Bulletin).
On Thursday 2 August 2001, a local cherry grower was featured
on BBC Breakfast programme. It was about farming cherries for a
commercial basis, eg to Tescos.
On Wednesday 4 October 2000, John Goldrick, Ledbury station
master was on BBC Radio 4's You and Yours programme about Ledbury
Railway Station.
I'm not too sure if this appeared on Television. On 22
September 2000, Ledbury was announced the winner of the Britain
in Bloom small towns regional category competition, after coming
second for 4 years. We finally beat Alcester who has been the
winner for several years. Also Ledbury was the overall region
overall winner, beating Solihull, Rugby and Evesham. Ledbury
hopes to enter the national competition in 2001.
On Friday 30 June 2000 on both BBC Midlands Today and Central
News South, regarding a former model Kim Fowler, who tried to
hire an assassin to murder her husband Phillip Fowler, was jailed
for 5 years. She teamed up with Patrick Morgan who has a flat in
Bye Street, Ledbury was also jailed for 4 years.
Nothing to do with television, but on Thursday 29 June 2000,
Davina McCall married Matthew Robertson at Eastnor Castle, 2
miles out of Ledbury and hit national newspaper, the following
day, including the Local Ledbury Reporter and The Mirror.
Thursday 29 June 2000 on BBC Midlands Today, about the 2000
Ledbury Poetry Festival which started on that day.
Friday 23 June 2000 on BBC Midlands Today. A John Masefield
High School teacher, Martin Smith, was nominated by the school
for a National Teachers Award.
It was Ledbury day on 22 May 2000 at the Millennium Dome in
London, where the whole day was dedicated to Ledbury.
Tuesday 16 May 2000 on BBC1, Holiday on a Shoestring. At last,
national television! Angela Rippon came to Ledbury to show off
the town, the Feathers Hotel, Weston Cider in Much Marcle,
Eastnor Castle and Worcester Races (Nothing to do with Ledbury)!
Thursday 6 October 1999 shown on Central News South about
national poetry day. Ledbury people were asked to write a poem
for poetry day and be placed in a time capsule.
Wednesday 5 October 1999 shown on Central News South (2 days
in a row), was a story about the local farmers selling their own
grown produce and sold in the town.
Friday 25 June 1999 shown on Central ITV. The Weekend Show,
about the Ledbury Poetry Festival 1999. Earlier on the same day,
the BBC Midlands Today broadcast a live weather report from
Ledbury.
Thursday 27 May 1999, saw Ledbury on Channel 4 when the
PruTour International Cycle race when through Ledbury during
Stage 5 from Swansea to Birmingham.
Friday 26 March 1999 when John Goldrick (Ledbury Railway Station
Master) won an award for the friendliest person.
Wednesday 23 September 1998 saw a story about owner Arthur
Grce's Gander who was searching for a female mate.
Monday 13 July 1998, about the Ledbury Poet Festival 1998. It
was about a ticking noise from the St Katherine's Clock. This
appeared on Midlands Today.
Someone who lives in Ledbury won £50,000 on the National
Lottery Big Ticket Jackpot on Saturday 6 June (Recorded 30 May).
Speaking about the Lottery, John Masefield High School had a
National Lottery Grant of £1,060,000 to build an all weather
pitch and sports hall. £889,000 was also donated by the Malvern
Hill Council, as part of the Malvern Cash Windfall. It is now
opened.
Heart of the Country on 17 March 1998, about the Ledbury Poet
Festival 1997, filmed in the summer of 1997.
On 3 March 1998, John Goldrick at Ledbury Railway
Station was also featured on Heart of the Country.
The big floods of 1998 happened on Thursday 9 April, where the
whole of Ledbury was cut off. All roads in and out of the town
were closed. Rail services were cancelled. The high street was
flooded. Heavy rain caused all this.
The 1997 and 1998 RAC Car Rally, came through Ledbury.
If you can remember Treasure Hunt a long time ago on Channel 4
in the UK, or if you have Sky Satellite, on Challenge TV, Ledbury
was mentioned briefly. It was filmed around the Malvern Area, but
just missed out Ledbury. It went to Colwall instead!
Little Lord Fauntleroy, a children production for the BBC was
filmed at Eastnor Castle, 2 miles (3km) out of Ledbury. The local
high school got involved with the project.
On the headline news, the company European Aviation which are
based in Ledbury, was involved in a helicopter accident in 1997
in Parkway near Ledbury.
Sometime in 1994, Keith Chegwin came to Ledbury around Queens Way and did a
live outside Broadcast for Channel 4's Big Breakfast. (** Thanks to Nigel Chelle for this info
**).
BBC2 The Travel Show featured a Holiday in Ledbury and the
Malvern Hills area.
A Previous Blue Peter competition Winner who won first prize
in a poetry competition, won a laptop, lived in Ledbury. (Later
found out who she was, Kate Perkins and she works at Tesco's)
When WH Smith Chapmans closed, it hit Ledbury badly, with 200
made redundant, announced back in July 1995.
Blue Peter came to Ledbury in the 80's, produced a story
regarding a Poet called John Masefield who used to live in
Ledbury. The local high school was named after him.
2 Sixth formers from John Masefield High School appeared on
the game show, Blockbusters hosted by Bob Holness.
The local high school light railway (no longer there) was on
Central News South, in which I was involved in.
The 1987 Milk race went through Ledbury and appeared on
Channel 4!
Ledbury have appeared several times on the local News
programme Central News South and BBC's Midlands Today, including
a bank robbery at Barclays Bank in the High Street on Police 5
and my name was mention on Central Post when I was 15¾ years old!
Celebrity who are known to have visited Ledbury.
Jan Leaming (Ex-Newsreader) used to live in Ledbury
Bernadette Kearney (Midlands Today) lives in Ledbury, just behind
my house!
Richard Hammond (BBC's Should I worry about..., High Street, 2005)
Monty Don (Christmas Switch on, High Street, 2004)
The Queen (1953, 2003)
Angela Rippon (In the town, 2002)
Davina McCall (Tesco and Eastnor Castle, 2001)
Jeremy Paxman (Community Centre, Poetry Festival 29 June 2000)
Prunella Scales (Dotty from the Tesco Advert) (John Masefield
High School, Poetry Festival 2 July 2000)
Wincey Willis (Ex-TVAM Weatherwoman) (Royal Hall, Poet Festival 3
July 2000)
Alistair McGowan (BBC Impersonator) (Community Centre, Poetry
Festival 30 June 2001)
Angus
Deaton (Community Centre, Poetry Festival 14 July 2002)
Keith Chegwin (Big Breakfast around Ledbury Primary School,1994)
Shefali Oza (BBC Midlands Today Weather person)
Different BBC Midlands Today and Central News South News reporter
some members of Blue Peter
If any Ledbury People who knows any celebrity people who came
to Ledbury, please let me know. Email at the bottom of the page.
