Broadmoor - Jimmy the Hero !

Goodness Gracious would you Adam and Eve it ? I've found an ex-patient from Broadmoor Hospital who has something good to say about Jimmy Savile. Maybe I overlooked this man's story when the press got hold of it last year because of the man's claim that Savile had allegedly told him he himself had been 'abused', I can't remember. But, I had no idea that the ex-patient in question had written a book that reveals so much more than the press could be bothered to pursue. Pin your ears back guys and gals.
First, the press article back in June 2014. Did this ever make a major newspaper ?

http://www.eveningnews24.co.uk/news/man_reveals_his_story_of_abuse_at_catholic_approved_school_1_3642199

Now, let's look at just what he says in the book. Because this guy wasn't just any old inmate/prisoner in Broadmoor. He was a members of  'nutters anonymous' aka the entertainments committee at BMH in the late 60's/early 70's. Remember this ?

 http://rabbitaway.blogspot.co.uk/2014/03/an-honary-member-of-nutters.html

The above is from the bacl of an LP released in 1976. I had been querying WHEN Savile had first become involved in BMH and it would appear that he was indeed there in 1968. Armstrong confirms this in his book, but I'll let you read some of his memories of the place yourself. Starting with his Uncle John's introduction 
Then moving on to the man's memories of Savile and how they came to meet

Make your own mind up about the next part. Armstrong claims to have asked why Savile spent so much time there. 

I guess it's a possibility isn't it ? We will never know if this particular conversation took place. Indeed, we cannot be certain that any of Mr Armstrong's story bears any relationship to the facts. However, we do know That Savile WAS at Broadmoor, he did organise shows for the patients. Only one ex-patient from Broadmoor has made any abuse claims about him since 2012. And that person has about as much credibility as the VIP accuser, 'Nick'. 
But, and here's the rub, WHY present Savile as a 'hero' at a time when the world's press etc etc have him cast as the greatest child molester ever ? Hardly likely he'll sell many books that way is it ?


But, then Mr Armstrong's book is NOT about Jimmy Savile. It is about the abuse he claims to have suffered in a school, a Catholic school ! I suggest a few more folk purchase this book and give the guy a hand up, he sounds like he's had a rough time. 
A rough time made so much better by the intervention of a kind soul. Sounds like most, if not all of the patients' lives at BMH were made a lot more bearable by having Jimmy Savile around. Thank you Mr Armstrong 

Everybody loved him ? Wow, who would think that now ? 

Amazon description of Mr Armstrong's book 

I automatically thought of the next image to close this piece with. Lovely isn't it ? Well I think it is 

Jimmy Savile's Yorkshire Speakeasy

How very difficult it is to find any useful information about some of the shows Jimmy Savile was involved in. Especially those cited in the claims made in Exposure. Try googling Jimmy Savile Speakeasy and you'll come up a fair bit. Google Jimmy Savile's Yorkshire Speakeasy, and you'll get just two listings and neither of them are dated 10th February 1978.

Here's the ITV letter to the BBC again P175 App 12 Pollard

Now, thanks to Moor Larkin and the post graduate student in Huddesfield, we know that several episodes of JSYP were made. What we don't know is WHEN they were recorded, a bit like Karin Ward's Clunk Click ! 
Thanks to a bit of earlier research on my part, I've been able to establish that the particular episode ITV refer to, was indeed broadcast on Friday 10th February 1978. Here it is in the North-Western edition of the Radio Times, something the BBC genome does not appear to have in it's database.

For those of you not familiar with British television, we have regional variations here, and while Manchester viewers had to endure 'Sit Thi Deawn' at 10.20pm, Yorkshire folk had Jimmy and guests. Unfortunately, my North-West version does not confirm that show concerned the blind. Maybe someone can help me out with that one, because I've been searching for days.

I've tried every which way to get this information. I've googled all the guests cited in the University dissertation and I've googled the crew. And then I had a brainwave ! 
Nick, no not Pollard, the other one; Nick Vaughan-Barratt or plain Nick Barratt as he was known in 1978 (see above)

NVB had teased us all for a few minutes when we first came upon the Pollard report. He of the, no we haven't prepared an obit for JS cos I worked with him and I saw a 'dark side', memo circa 2010 

Jimmy was 'very ill' in May 2010 six months after being questioned by the Police in SMH. The BBC hadn't got an obituary pre-prepared and not because of any 'dark' secrets but merely because, well, quite frankly, he just doesn't seem to have been worthy enough ! Read on 

And then the killer blow ! He just wasn't a big enough star 

 But, let's get back to that show/s he worked on with Jimmy shall we ? Because it seems that whatever, else was in Barratt's mind in 2010, underage sex was NOT involved and, what's more, he'd never even HEARD of any such claims until Exposure.

After shows there were NO PARTIES 'he just disappeared' 

The women in the production team would think Savile a bit 'creepy' ? Strange how Sue Thompson couldn't bring herself to tell one of the OTHER women what she'd witnessed in the dressing room after the show !!! 

You know, in my mind I'd kind of concluded that the only people around that day in that Leeds studio was Sue Thompson, a young girl and Jimmy Savile. Funny how the makers of Exposure sort of led me to think this !

I have finished with my Savile's Speakeasy yet, although I may be heading south in my next post ! In the meantime, I'll leave you with a few views of BBC Yorkshire then and now 

 OMG look closer at my 99 steps photo eerie or what ?

I knew those steps would come in handy ! I had been told that Yorkshire TV was there in the distance, but I like to think fate had a small hand in my own Savile's travels a few years ago 

http://rabbitaway.blogspot.co.uk/2013/09/upstairs-downstairs.html

Speak easy and true, like the Yorkshire folk do

Why does no one at the BBC bother to see if the claims relating to incidents said to have taken place in it's building, have even the remotest chance of being true ?
Now, back when I was a mere guest on someone else's blog, I posted this piece of information about in relation to this woman, the FIRST alleged 'witness' to speak on camera in Exposure October 3rd 2012

 For those on mobiles

rabbitaway20 April 2013 at 15:48

- the speakeasy referred to by Sus T was recorded on 10/2/1978 - it was called 'Living with blindness = See Pollard 12/177 - I hardly think that here was another speakeasy about this disability .......!!! So one or both of these women are liars .....! My money is on both !

This is cited in a letter from the woman who produced Exposure Lesley Gardiner to George Entwistle dated 4 days after airing. Mrs gardiner is married to Alexander G who worked with MWT on his 'to catch a P' nonsense.

My word all the crap that went on post Exposure - solicitors letter fleeing back and forth - leaks galare and this little ditty from Peter R on 1/10/2012 -

' ....the ITN case seems not much stronger than what we had. A WOMAN WHO THINKS SHE SAW (indicipherable) SNOGGING A GIRL WHO MAY HAVE BEEN !$ WAS THE MAIN SYNC FROM LAST NIGHT'
Obviously ITV had sent bbc a copy pre trans'. (Pollard app 12 /185) 

Now, in April 2013, I hadn't realised just how the important Ms Thomspon's story was in the general scheme of things, but Liz Gibbons and Peter Rippon at the BBC obviously had ! Because my comment above is from their email exchange even before the expose aired .

 For completeness, here is part of the letter Lesley Gardiner, producer of Exposure sent the BBC in September 2012

 It's really quite amazing how ITV was able to pinpoint the actual date of that 'Yorkshire Speakeasy' program isn't it ? MWT's researcher's had been busy since Meirion Jones sent him a copy of Thompson's email to the Newsnight office in February 2012. How timely for this ex-BBC assistant to come forward at just that moment in the BBC scandal ! 

No one at the BBC has bothered to check the veracity of Thompson's claims, so it's down to this mug who pays her TV licence, to have a go ! 

Firstly, let's get something straight shall we ? There were several BBC shows Savile appeared including the word, Speakeasy. One was a radio show, one was recorded in London. Thompson's story relates to the one made in Leeds called Jimmy Savile's YORKSHIRE speakeasy. However, unfortunately for ITV, this program was only made in TWO separate years, 1976 and 1980 ! Let me show you some records from historical archives that proves this.

Jim had made a program in Yorkshire in 1971 but it was not Speakeasy, it was Jimmy Savile's Yorkshire Travels.

 The above is from a phd student's dissertation 

http://eprints.hud.ac.uk/23523/1/cvergusonfinalthesis.pdf

Now, I don't want to confuse anyone but Jimmy did have a radio show called 'Speakeasy' that was broadcast on a Sunday afternoon after his music chart shows, but that's nothing to do with Thompson. Here's one, recorded in London and broadcast on 1st June 1975

Thompson is lying isn't she ? There was no girl on Savile's lap in old Broadcasting House Leeds in 1978. But, enough of these non-entities, time for a nice story involving the blind. Jimmy did quite a lot for blind folk as it happens, and on November 1st 2011 Radio 4 broadcast this tribute involving a special fix it for a special lady ! 

 http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b016ldtg

I have more FACTS about Jimmy and the blind. I have more tales about Speakeasy. But that's for another day, I'm having a break for a week or two. But speak easy now guys and gals because, not everyone is as kind as the lovely nine year old Grace. Not everyone wants to walk in the shoes of the blind, or anyone else for that matter ! Just one or two of us ! 

Addendum I was mistaken

Because, it appears that An episode of Jimmy Savile's Yorkshire Speakeasy was in fact, broadcast to Northern viewer's at 10.20 pm on Friday 10th February 1978. As far as I'm aware, this was a live broadcast and if this were the case, Thompson's claim about going to the cinema afterwards, is unlikely, unless she's talking about the midnight movie !

Of course, all this could be cleared up in minutes if those with the means bothered to check !