Alastair Layzell
Encyclopedia
Alastair Layzell is an independent television producer
who started his career as a reporter for Channel Television
(the ITV
contractor in the Channel Islands
) and later served nine years as a deputy of the States of Jersey, becoming President of the Home Affairs Committee, President of the Jersey Transport Authority and Vice-president of the Planning & Environment Committee.
.
He was educated at Victoria College Preparatory and then at Hautlieu School
. He helped found the island’s hospital radio
service, in 1975, as a presenter and later producer of the weekly political programme Midweek
. In 1977 he joined Channel Television as a junior reporter, then continuity announcer, before returning to the newsroom as a journalist
. He produced and directed a number of documentaries for the ITV network including Summer 1940 (the story of the German occupation of the Channel Islands), Around Britain and The Dakota: 1935–1985 marking the fiftieth anniversary of the first flight of the Douglas DC3 airliner. From 1980 he was a regular presenter of the nightly news programme Channel Report
and anchored the station’s coverage of the Budget and general elections.
In 1988, he left Channel Television to form Colonial American which, through its trading arm Colonial Pictures, has become one of Britain’s top 150 independent production companies (source: Broadcast Magazine annual survey). As producer and director his early credits included The Only Way to Cross: 150 years of Cunard (for ITV), The Best of Europe (for Discovery Channel USA) and Mansion: Great Houses of Europe – a series of forty programmes with Marcus Binney
, architecture correspondent of The Times
.
More recently he has written, produced and directed Art Deco Designs and In Search of Style – both with the actress Maureen Lipman
– for UKTV
and ITV
, The Flying Picnic (with Annabel Croft) for ITV Anglia and Sky Travel, Garden Makers (presented by Joe Swift
) London Visions with Peter Ackroyd
(ITV/Sky Arts), and Peter Ackroyd's Venice (Sky Arts). He directed City at War and Legacy of War (ITV/PBS) jointly presented by veteran CBS newsman Walter Cronkite
and ITV News anchor Alastair Stewart
. The first of these looks at the reporting of the Second World War by correspondents such as Edward R Murrow, the second examines the post-war re-construction of Europe and the onset of the Cold War. For Discovery Channel he produced Britain's Greatest Ships (the story of the new Cunard liner Queen Elizabeth) and for Sky Arts the long-running series Auction. His latest work is in 3D. For Sky 3D he produced and directed Treasure Houses of Britain with Selina Scott, showcasing Blenheim Palace
, Chatsworth
, Boughton House
, Holkham Hall
and Burghley House
.
In 1990 he joined Marcus Binney, President of SAVE Britain's Heritage
, to save Jersey’s Government House from demolition. After a campaign which included a 10,000-strong petition and support from the Queen Mother
and the Prince of Wales
, the decision was overturned by the States and the house re-furbished. In 1991 he and Marcus Binney and Advocate Christopher Scholefield formed Save Jersey's Heritage to fight for the preservation of the island’s built heritage. Among their successful campaigns was the restoration of a row of 18th century cottages in the capital, St Helier.
He entered the States of Jersey in 1993 as a deputy for the parish of St Brelade on an environmental manifesto Notre Ile: A Charter for Change. Among his first speeches was an alternative ‘green budget’ proposed on Budget Day 1994. As vice-president of the Planning & Environment Committee for six years he helped introduce a new planning law and Island Plan. As president of the Jersey Transport Authority he helped draw up the Service Level Agreement
governing the operation of the island’s principal sea routes and represented the island in negotiations to protect Jersey’s so-called ‘lifeline’ air routes. As president of the Home Affairs Committee he steered updated legislation through the States including a new terrorism
law, a revised firearms law (in the wake of the Dunblane
killings) and a Police and Criminal Evidence law.
In 2002 he failed to be re-elected in St Brelade, losing out to political newcomer Sarah Ferguson by 34 votes. In February 2003 he contested a by-election for Senator (an island-wide mandate) but lost out by 200 votes to Ted Vibert. In 2006 he was one of the founding members of the St Aubin Anti-Reclamation Group which opposes plans to reclaim land from the sea for a car park in his old parish of St Brelade.
He has had a life-long interest in aviation
. In 1972 he wrote (with Michael de la Haye) Sixty Glorious Years: the History of Aviation in Jersey and, in 1987, Announcing the Arrival – to mark the fiftieth anniversary of the opening of Jersey Airport
. He led a group of enthusiasts who bought, at auction in 1990, a four-engined de Havilland Heron
formerly owned by Jersey Airlines
. It now flies from its former home-base. In 1996 he founded the National Air Pageant and, as chairman, led the campaign to prevent the world’s last airworthy de Havilland Comet Canopus being sold overseas. It was saved for the nation by Defence Secretary Michael Portillo
and now lies at Bruntingthorpe in Leicestershire
.
Television producer
The primary role of a television Producer is to allow all aspects of video production, ranging from show idea development and cast hiring to shoot supervision and fact-checking...
who started his career as a reporter for Channel Television
Channel Television
Channel Television is a British television station which has served as an Independent Television contractor to the Channel Islands since 1962. It is based in Jersey...
(the ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
contractor in the Channel Islands
Channel Islands
The Channel Islands are an archipelago of British Crown Dependencies in the English Channel, off the French coast of Normandy. They include two separate bailiwicks: the Bailiwick of Guernsey and the Bailiwick of Jersey...
) and later served nine years as a deputy of the States of Jersey, becoming President of the Home Affairs Committee, President of the Jersey Transport Authority and Vice-president of the Planning & Environment Committee.
Biography
Alastair Layzell was born on 28 June 1958 in JerseyJersey
Jersey, officially the Bailiwick of Jersey is a British Crown Dependency off the coast of Normandy, France. As well as the island of Jersey itself, the bailiwick includes two groups of small islands that are no longer permanently inhabited, the Minquiers and Écréhous, and the Pierres de Lecq and...
.
He was educated at Victoria College Preparatory and then at Hautlieu School
Hautlieu School
Hautlieu School, commonly referred to as "Hautlieu", is a 14+ school in the parish of St. Saviour, Jersey.-Overview:The school currently has approximately 680 pupils. During the academic year 2004/2005 the GCSE pass rate was 100%, at which 40% gained A* to A grades...
. He helped found the island’s hospital radio
Hospital radio
Hospital radio is a form of audio broadcasting produced specifically for the in-patients of hospitals. It is primarily found in the United Kingdom.-History:...
service, in 1975, as a presenter and later producer of the weekly political programme Midweek
Midweek
MidWeek is a weekly United States tabloid shopper and advertisement periodical published in Honolulu, Hawaii and distributed throughout on the Islands of Oahu and Kauai. It is owned by Black Press and is a sister publication of the Honolulu Star-Advertiser.- History :The shopper started in 1984 to...
. In 1977 he joined Channel Television as a junior reporter, then continuity announcer, before returning to the newsroom as a journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
. He produced and directed a number of documentaries for the ITV network including Summer 1940 (the story of the German occupation of the Channel Islands), Around Britain and The Dakota: 1935–1985 marking the fiftieth anniversary of the first flight of the Douglas DC3 airliner. From 1980 he was a regular presenter of the nightly news programme Channel Report
Channel Report
Channel Report is the flagship news programme on ITV's Channel Islands regional station Channel Television, co-produced with the independent production company, Newsline. Channel Report airs every weeknight at 6pm, with all other bulletins branded as Channel News. Channel Report was first broadcast...
and anchored the station’s coverage of the Budget and general elections.
In 1988, he left Channel Television to form Colonial American which, through its trading arm Colonial Pictures, has become one of Britain’s top 150 independent production companies (source: Broadcast Magazine annual survey). As producer and director his early credits included The Only Way to Cross: 150 years of Cunard (for ITV), The Best of Europe (for Discovery Channel USA) and Mansion: Great Houses of Europe – a series of forty programmes with Marcus Binney
Marcus Binney
Marcus Binney, CBE is a British architectural historian and author. He is best known for his conservation work regarding Britain's heritage.-Early and family life:...
, architecture correspondent of The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
.
More recently he has written, produced and directed Art Deco Designs and In Search of Style – both with the actress Maureen Lipman
Maureen Lipman
Maureen Diane Lipman CBE is a British film, theatre and television actress, columnist and comedienne.-Early life:Lipman was born in Hull in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England, the daughter of Maurice Julius Lipman and Zelma Pearlman. Her father was a tailor; he used to have a shop between the...
– for UKTV
UKTV
UKTV is a digital cable and satellite television network, formed through a joint venture between BBC Worldwide, a commercial subsidiary of the British Broadcasting Corporation, and Scripps Networks Interactive, spun off from The E.W Scripps Company in 2008...
and ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
, The Flying Picnic (with Annabel Croft) for ITV Anglia and Sky Travel, Garden Makers (presented by Joe Swift
Joe Swift
Joe Swift is an English garden designer, journalist and television personality.-Television career:Swift is a regular presenter and designer on the BBC's Gardeners' World, co-presenter on the Royal Horticultural Society Chelsea Flower Show, Gardeners' World Live, Hampton Court, RHS Tatton Park...
) London Visions with Peter Ackroyd
Peter Ackroyd
Peter Ackroyd CBE is an English biographer, novelist and critic with a particular interest in the history and culture of London. For his novels about English history and culture and his biographies of, among others, Charles Dickens, T. S. Eliot and Sir Thomas More he won the Somerset Maugham Award...
(ITV/Sky Arts), and Peter Ackroyd's Venice (Sky Arts). He directed City at War and Legacy of War (ITV/PBS) jointly presented by veteran CBS newsman Walter Cronkite
Walter Cronkite
Walter Leland Cronkite, Jr. was an American broadcast journalist, best known as anchorman for the CBS Evening News for 19 years . During the heyday of CBS News in the 1960s and 1970s, he was often cited as "the most trusted man in America" after being so named in an opinion poll...
and ITV News anchor Alastair Stewart
Alastair Stewart
Alastair James Stewart OBE is an English journalist and newscaster. Stewart is currently employed by ITN where he is a main newscaster for ITV News.-Early life:...
. The first of these looks at the reporting of the Second World War by correspondents such as Edward R Murrow, the second examines the post-war re-construction of Europe and the onset of the Cold War. For Discovery Channel he produced Britain's Greatest Ships (the story of the new Cunard liner Queen Elizabeth) and for Sky Arts the long-running series Auction. His latest work is in 3D. For Sky 3D he produced and directed Treasure Houses of Britain with Selina Scott, showcasing Blenheim Palace
Blenheim Palace
Blenheim Palace is a monumental country house situated in Woodstock, Oxfordshire, England, residence of the dukes of Marlborough. It is the only non-royal non-episcopal country house in England to hold the title of palace. The palace, one of England's largest houses, was built between...
, Chatsworth
Chatsworth
-Places:Australia* Chatsworth, Queensland* Electoral district of Chatsworth, Queensland, AustraliaCanada* Chatsworth, Ontario, a township* Chatsworth, Ontario , located within above townshipSouth Africa* Chatsworth, Durban* Chatsworth, Western Cape...
, Boughton House
Boughton House
Boughton House is a country house about north-east of Kettering off the A43 road near Geddington in Northamptonshire, England, which belongs to the Duke of Buccleuch.-History:...
, Holkham Hall
Holkham Hall
Holkham Hall is an eighteenth-century country house located adjacent to the village of Holkham, on the north coast of the English county of Norfolk...
and Burghley House
Burghley House
Burghley House is a grand 16th-century country house near the town of Stamford, Lincolnshire, England...
.
In 1990 he joined Marcus Binney, President of SAVE Britain's Heritage
SAVE Britain's Heritage
SAVE Britain's Heritage has been described as the most influential conservation group to have been established since William Morris founded the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings in 1877. It was created in 1975 - European Architectural Heritage Year - by a group of journalists,...
, to save Jersey’s Government House from demolition. After a campaign which included a 10,000-strong petition and support from the Queen Mother
Queen mother
Queen Mother is a title or position reserved for a widowed queen consort whose son or daughter from that marriage is the reigning monarch. The term has been used in English since at least 1577...
and the Prince of Wales
Prince of Wales
Prince of Wales is a title traditionally granted to the heir apparent to the reigning monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the 15 other independent Commonwealth realms...
, the decision was overturned by the States and the house re-furbished. In 1991 he and Marcus Binney and Advocate Christopher Scholefield formed Save Jersey's Heritage to fight for the preservation of the island’s built heritage. Among their successful campaigns was the restoration of a row of 18th century cottages in the capital, St Helier.
He entered the States of Jersey in 1993 as a deputy for the parish of St Brelade on an environmental manifesto Notre Ile: A Charter for Change. Among his first speeches was an alternative ‘green budget’ proposed on Budget Day 1994. As vice-president of the Planning & Environment Committee for six years he helped introduce a new planning law and Island Plan. As president of the Jersey Transport Authority he helped draw up the Service Level Agreement
Service Level Agreement
A service-level agreement is a part of a service contract where the level of service is formally defined. In practice, the term SLA is sometimes used to refer to the contracted delivery time or performance...
governing the operation of the island’s principal sea routes and represented the island in negotiations to protect Jersey’s so-called ‘lifeline’ air routes. As president of the Home Affairs Committee he steered updated legislation through the States including a new terrorism
Terrorism
Terrorism is the systematic use of terror, especially as a means of coercion. In the international community, however, terrorism has no universally agreed, legally binding, criminal law definition...
law, a revised firearms law (in the wake of the Dunblane
Dunblane
Dunblane is a small cathedral city and former burgh north of Stirling in the Stirling council area of Scotland. The town is situated off the A9 road, on the way north to Perth. Its main landmark is Dunblane Cathedral and the Allan Water runs through the town centre, with the Cathedral and the High...
killings) and a Police and Criminal Evidence law.
In 2002 he failed to be re-elected in St Brelade, losing out to political newcomer Sarah Ferguson by 34 votes. In February 2003 he contested a by-election for Senator (an island-wide mandate) but lost out by 200 votes to Ted Vibert. In 2006 he was one of the founding members of the St Aubin Anti-Reclamation Group which opposes plans to reclaim land from the sea for a car park in his old parish of St Brelade.
He has had a life-long interest in aviation
Aviation
Aviation is the design, development, production, operation, and use of aircraft, especially heavier-than-air aircraft. Aviation is derived from avis, the Latin word for bird.-History:...
. In 1972 he wrote (with Michael de la Haye) Sixty Glorious Years: the History of Aviation in Jersey and, in 1987, Announcing the Arrival – to mark the fiftieth anniversary of the opening of Jersey Airport
Jersey Airport
-Busiest routes:Some airlines offer services between Jersey and other destinations with an intermediate stop at Guernsey. There are also periodic charter flights to European holiday destinations, Madeira and ski destinations operated by airlines such as Aurigny Air Services, Europe Airpost, Palmair...
. He led a group of enthusiasts who bought, at auction in 1990, a four-engined de Havilland Heron
De Havilland Heron
The de Havilland DH.114 Heron was a small, propeller-driven British airliner that first flew on 10 May 1950. It was a development of the twin-engine de Havilland Dove, with a stretched fuselage and two more engines. It was designed as a rugged, conventional low-wing monoplane with tricycle...
formerly owned by Jersey Airlines
Jersey Airlines
Jersey Airlines was an early post-World War II private, independentindependent from government-owned corporations British airline formed in 1948. In 1952, the airline operated its first scheduled service. Four years later, British European Airways took a 25% minority stake in Jersey Airlines and...
. It now flies from its former home-base. In 1996 he founded the National Air Pageant and, as chairman, led the campaign to prevent the world’s last airworthy de Havilland Comet Canopus being sold overseas. It was saved for the nation by Defence Secretary Michael Portillo
Michael Portillo
Michael Denzil Xavier Portillo is a British journalist, broadcaster, and former Conservative Party politician and Cabinet Minister...
and now lies at Bruntingthorpe in Leicestershire
Leicestershire
Leicestershire is a landlocked county in the English Midlands. It takes its name from the heavily populated City of Leicester, traditionally its administrative centre, although the City of Leicester unitary authority is today administered separately from the rest of Leicestershire...
.