The First Broadcasts
Don first broadcast to the nation in 1955 at the age of sixteen as co-host of The Younger Generation on the BBC Light Programme, having answered an ad in the Radio Times. He contributed to the network for several years before being called up for national service. On his return in 1962, he married his long time sweetheart Yvonne whom he had known for eight years.
In 1966 he signed up with the British Forces Broadcasting Service (BFBS) where his encyclopaedic knowledge of sport kept him in demand as a broadcast anchor and commentator for international boxing and football matches. It also took him across the globe including to Aden (now Yemen) in 1966/67, to Koln in Germany (1968–69 and again for part of ’72) and then to Gibraltar for three years.
In 1972, Don was assigned as a BFBS reporter for the Munich Olympics, where he secured a worldwide scoop - an exclusive interview with the swimmer Mark Spitz, who'd won an - unprecedented at the time - seven gold medals at the Games.
Don was also press officer and matchday announcer for Fulham Football Club in the mid 1970s when George Best and Bobby Moore were in the team.
Read more about this topic: Don Durbridge
Famous quotes containing the words the first and/or broadcasts:
“Three elements go to make up an idea. The first is its intrinsic quality as a feeling. The second is the energy with which it affects other ideas, an energy which is infinite in the here-and-nowness of immediate sensation, finite and relative in the recency of the past. The third element is the tendency of an idea to bring along other ideas with it.”
—Charles Sanders Peirce (1839–1914)
“Alexander Woollcott broadcasts the story of the wife who returned a dog to the Seeing Eye with this note attached: “I am sending the dog back. My husband used to depend on me. Now he is independent, and I never know where he is.””
—For the State of New Jersey, U.S. public relief program (1935-1943)