Jasmine Bligh

In the late 1930s, she was one of the first three BBC Television Service presenters, and she, along with Leslie Mitchell and Elizabeth Cowell, delivered continuity announcements introducing programmes in-vision.

She presented the Thames Television daily magazine show Good Afternoon in 1973 and ran a second-hand mobile clothing business from 1967 until 1976.

[12] After declining to become a debutante, her mother tore up her contract but agreed to a compromise to be presented in court if she may continue acting.

[7] In 1936, Bligh was struggling as an actress and responded to a BBC advertisement for female television 'hostess-announcers' - unmarried and without red hair.

[18] She did a microphone training course with musical comedy and opera producer Gordon McConnel,[19] and was formally employed as a BBC television announcer in July 1936.

[21] On 7 July of that year, she made her BBC Radio début as part of a team with Cowell and Leslie Mitchell.

[22] From late June to early July 1936, Bligh worked as one of the BBC's evening hostesses at Broadcasting House for a week.

[2][24] In an era before autocues or prompting systems, Bligh was obliged to learn 400 words per day that she said straight into the camera.

[27][28] She was also filmed being rescued from atop a 100 ft (30 m) ledge during a fire brigade drill and performing trick motorbike manoeuvres with the police.

[7][21] When her third husband became ill in 1967, she set up the one-person mobile second-hand clothing shop Bargains to earn some money and toured the Berkshire countryside in a red van,[24][7] doing business at agricultural and dog shows, Women's Institute meetings, military camp quarters and housing estates.