Image: Ian McNaught Davis, Chris Bonington and John Cleare
Over the weekend of 8 and 9 July 1967, viewers of 大象传媒 One were treated to a succession of programmes, which followed the climbing of the Old Man of Hoy. The 450 foot sandstone stack, located on the remote west of the Orkneys, was a great challenge to climbers, having only been conquered the previous year. The achievement of capturing the action on camera and bringing it to viewers made for a weekend of television that was both compulsive television and a landmark outside broadcast.
Chris Bonington and Tom Patey – who made the ascent in 1966 – took the East face of the Old Man, with Rusty Baillie as their climbing cameraman. The new South face route was scaled by Joe Brown – nicknamed the human fly – along with Pete Crew, Dougal Haston and Ian McNaught Davis. The climbing camera team was completed by John Cleare, Ian Clough, Hamish McInnes and George Wagland. The climbers had to contend with brittle rock and vomiting fulmars – a defence mechanism the birds used if disturbed.
In 1984 the 大象传媒 returned to the Old Man and broadcast a new ascent live over a day. Joe Brown was among the climbers, this time accompanied by his 18 year old daughter, Zoe. The Old Man of Hoy continues to exert its attraction on climbers and in 2014 Chris Bonington climbed it to mark his 80th birthday.
July anniversaries
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Investiture of the Prince of Wales
1 July 1969 -
Masterchef
2 July 1990 -
大象传媒 Television News and Newsreel
5 July 1954 -
To the Ends of the Earth
6 July 2005 -
Hancock's Half Hour television show
6 July 1956 -
London Calling Europe began
6 July 1941 -
The Old Man of Hoy
8 July 1967 -
The first episode of The Office
9 July 2001 -
Andy Pandy
11 July 1950 -
It's That Man Again
12 July 1939 -
Watchdog
14 July 1985 -
What's My Line
16 July 1951 -
Toytown first transmitted
19 July 1929 -
Pot Black first transmitted
23 July 1969 -
Countryfile first broadcast
24 July 1988 -
Start of the Light Programme
29 July 1945 -
Olympic Games from Wembley first televised
29 July 1948 -
The Wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer
29 July 1981 -
The World Cup Final
30 July 1966 -
Dad's Army
31 July 1968