Posted June 1, 200718 yr First Magpie host Tony Bastable dies Source: bbc.co.uk http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/42993000/jpg/_42993451_bastable_203.jpg Bastable said he was still being recognised 30 years later Tony Bastable, one of the original presenters of children's TV show Magpie, has died at the age of 62. The show was made by the newly-created Thames Televison in 1968 as a more accessible rival to what it saw as the BBC's more "staid" Blue Peter. Bastable, with Susan Stranks and Pete Brady, fronted the show from 1968 to 1972 before becoming a TV producer. He had suffered from emphysema in recent years and died from pneumonia at East Surrey Hospital. His second wife, Anita, said: "He had very fond memories of Magpie. Looking through his papers we came across some of the old scripts. "I never thought of him as a hoarder, but these obviously meant a lot to him." Bastable also had a longstanding love of cricket and helped run a team in Surrey - called The Magpies.
Create an account or sign in to comment