People said what’s it like working for the BBC after working for Granada. I said working for Granada literally was like walking on broken glass; working for the BBC is like being smothered in cotton wool. It’s awful. Arm around the shoulders. “Wonderful to have you with us, Brian” all the rest of the stuff, very possessive, clubby and very enormous.
Granada was proud of being Granada but it didn’t mean that it failed to recognise other peoples’ talent or particularly to think you were yourself, a special person. You were lucky. I don’t mean it wasn’t a contractual relationship they weren’t necessarily, no need to be grateful to them, to the company, but you were lucky to be working for a company like that and you liked to think they were lucky to have you.
A fair day’s work for a fair day’s pay. Left-wing, father used to say! Not that, that isn’t true.
