Frank Clarke describes how he joined Granada

Well, what happened in those days, with National Service, an employer was only obliged to take you back for 12 months after you finished your service. This was 1952. 1954 – came out in 1955.

We were going to get married. I admit we was offered a regular soldier with a guaranteed promotion but I said, “Sorry, no, I’m going to continue in Civvy Street in Accountancy”. Then, in the, it would be the December 1955, I saw a notice in the Manchester Evening News, a notice saying Granada Television were going to open television studios in Manchester, wanted Accounts Clerks. So I talked it over with Norma and me father-in-law and he said, “go for it – it’s the coming thing”. Now he was a businessman in his own right so I wrote. The next thing was I got an interview about the end of January it would be, beginning March, February – don’t remember the date.

Went down on the Saturday. Had this interview with a Mr Bill Dixon and a Mr Holden – can’t remember the other man – there were three of them anyway and I came out and thought that’s not promising anything.

Had a letter on the Tuesday morning going back for another interview on the Thursday. So I took the day off work, went for the interview. The same people but this time with a man, E L Jeffrey, who was Company Secretary of the Group. Fine, that’s alright. Then the next thing, I’d got an invitation to see, to go working for them starting on 9 April 1956.

I handed my notice in where I was and they offered to pay me the same rate that Granada were going to pay me to stay with them but for ten pounds a week. Anyway I said “no, I’ve accepted the job now.” And because of this 12 months still hanging over my head with them, ‘cos they never said I was going to be fired, I went to Granada and that’s what started it all.

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