Raymond Baxter
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Raymond Baxter OBE | |
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Born | Raymond Frederic Baxter 25 January 1922 |
Died | 15 September 2006 Reading, Berkshire, England | (aged 84)
Nationality | British |
Occupation(s) | television presenter Commentator writer |
Employer | BBC Television (1950–2006) |
Known for | Tomorrow's World |
Raymond Frederic Baxter OBE (25 January 1922 – 15 September 2006) was an English television presenter, commentator and writer. He is best known for being the first presenter of the BBC Television science programme Tomorrow's World, continuing for 12 years, from 1965 to 1977. He also provided radio commentary at the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, the funerals of King George VI, Winston Churchill and Lord Mountbatten of Burma, and the first flight of Concorde.
Early life
Baxter was born in
RAF career
In August 1940, during World War II, he joined the Royal Air Force and trained as a fighter pilot in Canada. He first flew Supermarine Spitfires with No. 65 Squadron RAF in Britain, based in Scotland. He joined No. 93 Squadron RAF, flying over Sicily in 1943, where he was mentioned in dispatches. He returned to England in 1944 as an instructor and was later a flight commander, returning to active service with No. 602 Squadron RAF in September 1944.
On 18 March 1945, Baxter took part in a daylight raid on the
In an interview about his wartime career, Baxter described flying over a V-2 site during a launch on 14 February 1945, and his wingman firing on the missile: "I dread to think what would have happened if he'd hit the thing!"
He later flew
BBC career
Baxter joined the BBC in 1950. He provided radio commentary on the funerals of King George VI in 1952 and Winston Churchill in 1965, the former commentary given while suspended from the ceiling of Westminster Abbey. He also reported at the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953, reporting from Trafalgar Square.
Baxter was an accomplished
Having an authoritative voice, he frequently commentated on motoring and aviation events. He was the BBC's motoring correspondent from 1950 to 1966, including at least twenty
He presented the science series Eye on Research from 1959 to 1963, and was the first (and initially sole) host of the long-running popular science show
Baxter was invited to present the first Raymond Baxter Award for Science Communication in July 2000. He was surprised to find that he was the first recipient.
Other activities
In 1975 Baxter narrated "The
Baxter was made an Honorary Freeman of the City of London in 1978 and awarded the OBE in 2003. He was a member of the Committee of Management of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution from 1979 to 1997, and Vice-President from 1987 to 1997. He became a Life Vice-President in 1997.
In 1998 he was the subject of
Baxter was a founder member of the Association of Dunkirk Little Ships – he owned one of the small vessels that evacuated British troops from the beaches – and its Honorary Admiral from 1982, and Honorary Chairman of the Royal Aeronautical Society from 1991. He was on the Council of the Air League from 1980 to 1985.
Personal life
He married his American wife, Sylvia Kathryn Johnson, in 1945. They had a son, Graham, and a daughter, Jenny who is a
Filmography
- Mask of Dust (1955) - Himself
- The Fast Lady (1962) – Himself
- Grand Prix (1966) – BBC interviewer (uncredited)
Books
- Baxter, Raymond; James Burke (1970). Tomorrow's World. London: British Broadcasting Corporation. ISBN 978-0-563-10162-8.
- Baxter, Raymond; Tony Dron (2005). Tales of My Time. London: Grub Street Publishing. ISBN 1-904943-32-2. (autobiography)
References
- ^ "Obituaries – Raymond Baxter". The Daily Telegraph. 16 September 2006. Retrieved 15 January 2015.
Blakstad allegedly called the gravel-voiced presenter "the last of the dinosaurs"
- YouTube
- ^ "Various – The Hammond 40th Anniversary Album 1935–1975". discogs. 13 October 1975. Retrieved 6 March 2016.
- ^ RREC DVD. http://www.rrec.org.uk/shop/category.php?cat=9
- TV presenter Raymond Baxter dies, BBC News, 16 September 2006
- Obituary: Raymond Baxter, BBC News, 15 September 2006
- Obituary, The Guardian, 18 September 2006
- Obituary, The Independent, 18 September 2006