TV Presenter - Actor - Director - Producer - Writer - Trainer - After Dinner Speaker




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Peter's current and upcoming activities continue to reflect his versatility and breadth of experience.

Another year and a busy one in prospect.
2009 has started very strangely. On January 1st I had no idea what I would be doing at Cruft’s Dog Show at the NEC in Birmingham. The BBC in its great wisdom had decided not to cover the prestigious show in March, so for the first time in 31 years I didn’t know whether I would be involved with the show or not. As it happens, the Kennel Club is keen for some “live” coverage of the world’s biggest and best dog show, and so have engaged the production company, Sunset and Vine, to produce On-line streaming of the activities in the Main Arena from early morning until the end of each days activities. That means that for the first time ever, people logging on to the coverage will see the entire Group Judging every day as it actually happens. It looks as though I, Frank Kane and Jessica Holm will be doing the “live” commentary (and that will include Best in Show) and we are all really looking forward to it. We will also be adding commentary to the action events from the Arena, which includes all of the Agility events, Flyball quarter Finals, semis and final, and Heelwork to Music, together with events previously unseen such as the Junior Warrant Finals, International Junior Handlers competition, various displays, and, of course the wonderful Friends For Life competition. I can’t wait.
The Book Launch

The launch of my autobiography, “Here’s one I wrote Earlier” was held at the Kennel Club in Mayfair on my 70th birthday, February 10th 2009. It was a wonderful occasion hosted by the Kennel Club who graciously loaned me the Gallery for three hours or so, and plied my guests and the Press with a delightful Buffet and excellent Champagne. I am a member of the club, but had no idea that it held me in such regard, and I am flattered and thrilled by their generosity. Friends came from far and near – all the mates came from Suffolk, and three couples in particular, Ashleigh and Geoff (who came up from Truro in Cornwall) who are responsible for getting me interested in Wire Haired Dachshunds; Michael and Jenny McStay (who came up from Lymington in Hampshire), and are amongst my most long-standing friends; and my oldest friend with whose band I used to sing a lot of Jazz long before I ever made it on to TV, Les Bull and his wife Maxine, who drove up from Kendal in Cumbria. It was wonderful to have them there to give me support. And I was also thrilled to have the man who responsible for my career ever taking off, director Richard Martin, and his wife actress Suzanne Neve, in attendance. Together with family and other work colleagues including Valerie Singleton, and many members of the press, it was a day I will always remember. I was disappointed that Biddy Baxter, Edward Barnes and Rosemary Gill couldn’t attend, but that apart, it was a perfect day.

The book itself is published by a lovely company, Green Umbrella in Swindon, who have been a delight to work with, and is offered with RRP of £18.99, but is also on Amazon, Waterstones, W.H.Smith and all good bookshops.




Me, and my wife Kathryn, together with two of our Pekingese dogs, Holly and Tillie, at the event
Me with my birthday cake before the launch.



As I’ve said, 2008 was wonderfully busy, with numerous TV appearances, and a venture in to presenting for a newish channel, Horse and Country TV, for whom I presented the CLA Game Fair Gundog Challenge at Blenheim. And that collaboration continued with the production of four programmes from Discover Dogs at Earl’s Court in London. I am looking forward to completing further work with them later in 2009.
One of the big events of 2008 was the celebration of the 50th Anniversary of Blue Peter, the iconic children’s’ programme which is still running on the BBC. I can’t believe I left it in 1978, when it was 20 years old. There were a number of events surrounding the anniversary, and the most exciting of those was to be invited to take tea with HM the Queen at Buckingham Palace. Two Presenters from each decade took part; John Noakes and Valerie Singleton from the ‘60’s, whilst Lesley Judd and I represented the ‘70’s. It really was a great honour to take part, and meant a good number of TV appearances from Breakfast to This morning to Paul O’Grady, naming just a few.
Doctor Who has once again come strongly back into my life. I have now completed every serial in which I took part, as an audio production for the BBC Audio Collection, and all those CD’s are readily available online from the BBC shop. I also completed, in 2007, an original story involving my character Steven Taylor, for Big Finish Productions, and another is planned for 2009. Stellanstar Productions has also engaged me to take part in new DVD’s of two early serials from the programme – The Space Museum (4 episodes) and The Chase (six episodes). These DVD’s are fascinating. We provide an alternative audio track throughout the episodes, and joining me on the Space Museum were William Russell (Ian) and Maureen O’Brien (Vicki), together with Glyn Jones who was the credited writer. We had a wonderful discussion, which included Glyn’s disillusion with Story Editor Dennis Spooner’s treatment of the script. On The Chase, Maureen, Russ and I were joined by its director, the fabulous Richard Martin, one of the people responsible for my career taking off in 1965. There is so much insight into the workings of the programme in those discussions, and they cover a wide range of topics – I have to say Richard is hugely critical of his own direction, and it is fascinating stuff. We recorded them in mid January this year, and I urge you not to miss them when they are released.
Dog events continue to be prominent in my work, and I hope that the credit crunch doesn’t cause too many to be cancelled. All About Dogs, though, has gone from the schedules as the Burghers of Brentwood in Essex decided that they didn’t want Roy Dyer’s hugely successful Dog Show again this year. Why do these councillors change things that are not broken? It’s a sad day for the dog world. On a happier note I made many appearances at other excellent dog events in 2008, including Wag and Bone, The Cold Wet Nose Show, Notcutts Garden Centres All About Dogs (4), several events for the Guide Dogs for the Blind Association, Tails of Achievement for James Wellbeloved, and the Your Dog/Your Cat awards.
And I must not miss out mentioning a couple of award winning films, for which I did the commentaries, on waste management for AVP, a production company in Swindon.
So as I start off into the unknown of 2009, I am looking forward to my book launch, and will be making a number of appearances in bookstores where I will be signing copies. I hope some of you may come to meet me there. I am appearing on BBC Breakfast on Feb 10th; on Libby Purves’ show on Radio 4 on the 11th (she’s no relation honestly); Channel 5 news on the same day, and on Simon Mayo’s show on Radio 5 that afternoon; and numerous local radio stations from Feb 8th onwards. And then I am going to be on Paul O’Grady’s TV show again with transmission planned for March 19th, Richard & Judy, and The Wright Stuff.
Book Signing timetable

3 signings have been arranged at Crufts Dog Show at the
NEC Birmingham. I shall be on the OUR DOGS stand at the top of Hall2
at the following times:-

Thursday 5th March. 11.00am till 12 Noon
Friday 6th March 11.00am till 12.30pm
Saturday 7th March 11.00am till 12.30pm

Saturday 14thMarch Waterstones Bookshop, Coventry
12 Noon until 13.30pm
Friday 20th March Waterstones Bookshop Colchester Noon till 2pm
Thursday 26th March The TV and Movie store, The Strand, London. Noon till 2pm
Saturday 28th March The TV and Movie Store, Millennium Plain, Norwich. Noon till 2pm



I must also mention the fact that my lovely wife, Kathryn Evans is playing the leading role in a limited season production of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Sunset Boulevard at the Comedy Theatre in London’s West End to huge critical acclaim. I am thrilled that Kathryn has been nominated for an Olivier Award for her performance as Norma Desmond. The awards are announced on March 8th. Sunset opened in December, and continues to April, but could go on until June.
So, credit crunch or not, we both look to 2009 with great optimism.
Many of you will know that I direct large commercial pantomimes each year, and Paul Elliott and Qdos asked me to direct Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs in Hull for the Xmas season 2008/9. It starred The Grumbleweeds, Vicki Michelle, (‘Allo, ‘Allo) and James Mackenzie (Raven from CBBC), and was received very well. The New Theatre is a great venue, and I was there last when I directed Cannon and Ball in a record-breaking production of Dick Whittington in 1991. It was a pleasure to return. I wait with interest to see where I will direct in 2009/10.
I continue to teach a Foundation course in TV Presentation at the London Academy of Radio, Film and television (LARFT). These courses normally run over three days at the beginning of each month, and I can recommend for anyone wanting to find out what TV Presenting is all about.
I remain President of the Canine Supporters Charity, and am Vice Patron of Dogs for the Disabled, and the Bella Moss Foundation. I was a founder member of the board of the New Wolsey Theatre in Ipswich, and as a board we were responsible for getting the theatre up and running again after a disastrous collapse of the previous company in 1998. During my two-year chairmanship we were able to get a new roof on the building and various upgrades have continued. I stood down from the board in 2006, but the current board continue to help the theatre make great strides forward under the brilliant supervision of CE Sarah Holmes, and Artistic Director Peter Rowe. Long may it continue.
There is a full updated chronology of my work from the fifties to the present day on another page of this site.

My agent remains my friend Wendy Downes.
Should you have any enquiries about my availability, please contact her at
Downes Presenters,
96 Broadway,
Bexleyheath,
Kent DA6 7DE

Telephone 020 8304 0541
Fax 020 8304 5591

info@presentersagency.com

www.presentersagency.com