Margaret Hubble
Encyclopedia
Margaret Elinor Hubble was a British radio broadcaster. She was best known as a presenter of Woman's Hour
in the 1950s.
Hubble was born in Kent, the youngest of five children of a farmer. She attended a boarding school in Sussex, and joined the commercial radio department at advertising agency Erwin Wasey in 1938. She joined the Women's Land Army
when the Second World War broke out, making use of her agricultural upbringing, but then joined the BBC
in 1940 as a secretary, but quickly moved into broadcasting. She became an overseas presentation assistant in 1941, and then chief announcer for the BBC African Service in 1942, presenting Forces Favourites, a request programme in which members of the armed forces abroad, and their families at home, could ask the "compère", as presenters were called, to play their favourite music. There, she helped Jean Metcalfe
make her first broadcast.
She was the first woman announcer to broadcast on the Allied Expeditionary Forces Programme, the successor to the General Forces Programme, in 1943, and she was one of the first announcers on the Light Programme
in 1945.
She married Albert Cuthbert in June 1945, and, like most married women, resigned her full-time job to become a full-time wife. She rejoined the BBC in 1948 after her husband's early death.
Hubble appeared on Desert Island Discs
in September 1945, standing in at short notice for Roy Plomley
's invited guest, Valerie Hobson
, who had flu. She occasionally presented Family Favourites
(also known as Two-Way Family Favourites), the peacetime successor to Forces Favourites, from 1945 until 1952. She became an announcer on Woman's Hour
in 1951, with Marjorie Anderson
and Jean Metcalfe.
She married Philip Horne
in 1950, and resigned from the BBC again in 1952. She continued to work as on a freelance basis, rejoining Woman's Hour in 1957, and presenting other programmes on the Light Programme. She also took part in Children's Hour
on the Home Service
, and Saturday Excursion on television.
Hubble narrated Children's Newsreel from 1959, alongside Douglas Henderson, and presented Call from Home for the British Forces Broadcasting Service
from 1969.
Her second husband died in 1982. She was survived by a daughter from her first marriage and three sons from her second marriage.
Woman's Hour
Woman's Hour is a radio magazine programme broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in the United Kingdom.-History:Created by Norman Collins and originally presented by Alan Ivimey the programme was first broadcast on 7 October 1946 on the BBC's Light Programme . It was transferred to its current home in 1973...
in the 1950s.
Hubble was born in Kent, the youngest of five children of a farmer. She attended a boarding school in Sussex, and joined the commercial radio department at advertising agency Erwin Wasey in 1938. She joined the Women's Land Army
Women's Land Army
The Women's Land Army was a British civilian organisation created during the First and Second World Wars to work in agriculture replacing men called up to the military. Women who worked for the WLA were commonly known as Land Girls...
when the Second World War broke out, making use of her agricultural upbringing, but then joined the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
in 1940 as a secretary, but quickly moved into broadcasting. She became an overseas presentation assistant in 1941, and then chief announcer for the BBC African Service in 1942, presenting Forces Favourites, a request programme in which members of the armed forces abroad, and their families at home, could ask the "compère", as presenters were called, to play their favourite music. There, she helped Jean Metcalfe
Jean Metcalfe
Jean Metcalfe was an English radio broadcaster.-Early life:She was the eldest child of Guy Vivian Metcalfe, a railway clerk with the Southern Railway at Waterloo station, and Gwendoline Annie, née Reed...
make her first broadcast.
She was the first woman announcer to broadcast on the Allied Expeditionary Forces Programme, the successor to the General Forces Programme, in 1943, and she was one of the first announcers on the Light Programme
BBC Light Programme
The Light Programme was a BBC radio station which broadcast mainstream light entertainment and music from 1945 until 1967, when it was rebranded as BBC Radio 2...
in 1945.
She married Albert Cuthbert in June 1945, and, like most married women, resigned her full-time job to become a full-time wife. She rejoined the BBC in 1948 after her husband's early death.
Hubble appeared on Desert Island Discs
Desert Island Discs
Desert Island Discs is a BBC Radio 4 programme first broadcast on 29 January 1942. It is the second longest-running radio programme , and is the longest-running factual programme in the history of radio...
in September 1945, standing in at short notice for Roy Plomley
Roy Plomley
Francis Roy Plomley , OBE was an English radio broadcaster, producer, playwright and novelist.-Early life:Plomley was the son of a pharmacist and was educated at King's College School, Wimbledon...
's invited guest, Valerie Hobson
Valerie Hobson
Valerie Hobson was a British actress who appeared in a number of British films during the 1940s and 1950s...
, who had flu. She occasionally presented Family Favourites
Family Favourites
Successor to the wartime show Forces Favourites, Family Favourites was broadcast at Sunday lunchtimes on the BBC Light Programme, BBC Radio 2 and the British Forces Broadcasting Service until 1980...
(also known as Two-Way Family Favourites), the peacetime successor to Forces Favourites, from 1945 until 1952. She became an announcer on Woman's Hour
Woman's Hour
Woman's Hour is a radio magazine programme broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in the United Kingdom.-History:Created by Norman Collins and originally presented by Alan Ivimey the programme was first broadcast on 7 October 1946 on the BBC's Light Programme . It was transferred to its current home in 1973...
in 1951, with Marjorie Anderson
Marjorie Anderson
Marjorie Anderson was a leading BBC radio broadcaster for over thirty years. From 1940 to 1945 she presented Forces Favourites on the World War II BBC Forces Programme and BBC General Forces Programmes and then its peacetime successor Family Favourites on the BBC Light Programme...
and Jean Metcalfe.
She married Philip Horne
Philip Horne
Philip Horne is a teacher and literary critic specializing in 19th century literature, particularly Henry James and Charles Dickens. Educated at King's College School and Cambridge University, he is currently Professor of English at University College London....
in 1950, and resigned from the BBC again in 1952. She continued to work as on a freelance basis, rejoining Woman's Hour in 1957, and presenting other programmes on the Light Programme. She also took part in Children's Hour
Children's Hour
Children's Hour—at first: "The Children's Hour", from a verse by Longfellow—was the name of the BBC's principal recreational service for children during the period when radio dominated broadcasting....
on the Home Service
BBC Home Service
The BBC Home Service was a British national radio station which broadcast from 1939 until 1967.-Development:Between the 1920s and the outbreak of The Second World War, the BBC had developed two nationwide radio services, the BBC National Programme and the BBC Regional Programme...
, and Saturday Excursion on television.
Hubble narrated Children's Newsreel from 1959, alongside Douglas Henderson, and presented Call from Home for the British Forces Broadcasting Service
British Forces Broadcasting Service
The British Forces Broadcasting Service provides radio and television programmes for HM Forces, and their dependents, in Afghanistan, Bosnia, Brunei, Canada, Cyprus, the Falkland Islands, Germany, Gibraltar, Kosovo, the Middle East, Northern Ireland and Tristan da Cunha as well as a live satellite...
from 1969.
Her second husband died in 1982. She was survived by a daughter from her first marriage and three sons from her second marriage.