In the book
The Odyssey of a Sound Recordist we meet Malcolm Stewart.
This is his story, published posthumously.
His story begins back in the early days of radio. It's 1944, television had been suspended for the duration of the war, the BBC Home Service held sway and one of the chaps changing the discs in the studios in Broadcasting House was 15-year-old East End boy, Malcolm Stewart.
He had, as it happens, just embarked on a career that would see him leave the poverty of the East End and the drabness of life in wartime London behind him.
He found his way on to the Continent of Europe where he would work in Hamburg for Forces Broadcasting, a billet that saw him placed in charge of former SS officers. as a byproduct of this posting and the subsequent security clearance this earned him, he drew the attention of the CIA.
The writing of his story resulted from him recovering from a serious medical condition that he fell victim to in his 70s, whilst on a cruise through Central America. The survival rate was only 20% and he realised that as he had lived such a varied and interesting life, it would be a pity to allow all that he had experienced and lived through to go to waste.
His wife brought his laptop into the hospital and he began to write down what would, eventually, become this book.
Her served in the RAF and flew with members of the Royal Canadian Air Force. Although he and his friend Mike Beavis shouldn't have done so, as they were actually only in the ATC and only schoolboys!
Incidentally Mike Beavis eventually became Sir Michael Beavis, Air Chief Marshall! In correspondence with Malcolm he reminisced about the 100 hours of flyingtime he gained before he was 16 as a member of the ATC including 8 hours "stick time" as a co-pilot of B17 Flying Fortresses!
Malcolm left school a year early and began work at the BBC at Daventry where he was employed in the control room to monitor the audio output of the various shortwave transmitters that were based there.
He joined the RAF and served from 1947 to 1950, training at RAF Bridgnorth in Shropshire, then a main training station for the RAF.
Eventually he worked on some of the top British films of the 20th century, got deported as a suspected spy from Cuba and had to flee through the jungles of Ghana with the assistance of the CIA.
In his garden shed he launched a company called Audio Systems. From these somewhat humble origins his company would rival both Pinewood and Shepperton Studios for the sound services they provided.
Malcolm, it was, who developed the world's first portable multitrack sound recording device.
From the film/movie industry he moved over into the world of television news, where he covered some of the top news stories of the 1980s. He enjoyed a long and illustrious career, hobnobbing with world statesmen, senior political figures and film stars and celebrities of all types. Margaret Thatcher was on first name terms with him.
He was presented with an official IRA press pass when he worked for TF1, there was the Russian spy who bought his used Saab.
After he had closed Audio Systems he became non-executive chairman of De Lane Lea studios. Unfortunately his failing eyesight meant that he had to retire several years later.
He also worked for the American outfit ABC, did some work for CBS.
He lived a full and extremely varied life and is well illustrated throughout and this book is a "must read" for anyone who enjoys a well-written biography.
It's published by Matador at £18.99 in hardback.
