Television Reporter, Newsreader, Documentary Maker and Family Man
Peter Clark became a household name in the south of England during his 26 year news broadcasting career in the 1960s, 70s and 80s with Southern Television, the first ITV regional station in the south. He appeared most days of the week on Day by Day at 6 o'clock. He then joined Southern's successor company Television South (TVS) appearing regularly on Coast to Coast. A former national daily newspaper reporter, he won three world awards for his widely broadcast documentary 'Take It From Us'.
Peter and Valerie celebrated their 65th Wedding Anniversary on August 9th 2023. They were married at Ripley, Derbyshire.
Peter covered all kinds of stories but specialised in the role of troubleshooter. He created Complaints Box to deal with the problems of viewers, the first slot of its kind on British regional television.
Peter was also a prolific crime reporter and ran a weekly police programme with the cooperation of forces across the south tracking down scores of villains.
The two roles brought problems and at one stage Peter, his wife Valerie and children Jeremy and Nicholas were given round the clock police protection after threats on Peter's life.
Peter stuck to his guns and ran the two programmes for fourteen years, winning nationwide publicity for the results they brought.
Peter and Valerie have twelve grandchildren, six of them great grandchildren. Their family is their pride and joy.
Newly weds Valerie and Peter socialising
Peter and Valerie's sons Nicholas and Jeremy
Peter, Valerie, Jeremy and Nicholas in the garden of their home for more than 60 years in Hedge End, Southampton
And then, some years on, these two smart fellows were successful in business and both were fathers of three
Meanwhile their dad was forging a great career in television
Peter with Sarah Kennedy who went on to present the BBC Radio 2 breakfast programme for many years and also starred on the Saturday night TV show "Game for a Laugh".
Peter was a prolific newsreader performing more than 3,000 bulletins. Above he is at the newsdesk in the 1960s. But he did have his critics...
And here he is at the newsdesk in the 80s.
Peter and Valerie unveiled the new Ford Cortina at a launch party in Southampton.
Peter and Valerie at a Hampshire sports event which Peter opened
Peter and Valerie with Jeremy and Nicholas
For 15 years Peter researched, wrote and presented Crime Desk, later to be renamed Police Action in conjunction with the police forces of the south tracking down countless offenders.
Peter and Valerie's son Jeremy was one of the Kiddie Cop programme's first presenters
Taking on a troubleshooter role, Peter created, researched and presented for eighteen years Complaints Box, a platform for the every day problems of viewers. Peter took all the legal decisions and occasionally was chased by lawyers. But he shook them off thanks to his law training at college and in the job of journalism.
Ex national newspaper reporter Peter Clark's hard hitting exploits as a crime reporter and troubleshooter on TV landed him in danger. Threats of death and kidnap gave him and his family many scares. At one stage Hampshire's top detective rang him to say the force were taking one of the threats very seriously. A squad of officers were assigned to protect Peter and his family 24 hours a day. And on one night this included a beauty contest. Two detectives protected Peter that night. One officer sat next to Peter during the judging and correctly predicted the winner! The other was from the Dorset force and mingled with onlookers.
Peter and son Jeremy at a Dutch Fayre in Bournemouth which Peter opened. On the right Peter with son Nick
Growing up. Peter and Valerie's sons Jeremy and Nicholas
Mindful of the crime surge, the Duke of Edinburgh's Award Scheme was being well promoted by Prince Edward who visited Southampton as part of it. Peter and Valerie spent several minutes with him in a somewhat controversial discussion about the media.
Peter and Valerie met Princess Alexandra at a function at the West Sussex Fire Headquarters in Chichester. They said they had a delightful chat with the Princess who recalled her happy holidays in Sussex when she was young.
Peter's many years on the crime beat made him concerned with the amount of time police spent on investigating crimes that their victims brought on themselves through sheer carelessness and forgetfulness. He highlighted this problem in many of his items.
Peter and Valerie describe son Nick as cheerful and caring, a splendid fellow. On leaving school he went on to become a highly successful businessman, like his brother Jeremy.
Peter and Valerie's sons Jeremy and Nick
Peter's father Leonard served in the Second World War as Warrant Officer Class 1 (Regimental Sergeant Major).
Peter's mother Nora
Peter says: "They were wonderful parents, loving, caring, supportive and Christian."
Day By Day in the 60s and 70s with weather man Trevor Baker, presenter Barry Westwood and Peter
From UK Press Gazette
Peter and Valerie's son Jeremy, father of sons James and Alex and daughter Jasy, spent much of his working life in Spain heading his world-wide investment business.
Peter and Valerie's son Nicholas also ran his own finance business and, like Jeremy, had a three-figure workforce.
Awards for Peter
Peter won world awards for his documentary 'Take it From Us'. The programme tested the public's reaction when confronted with various kinds of lawlessness. It also looked at the extent to which people took notice of simple advice on how to prevent crime and consequently save the nation millions of pounds.
The film was shown across many States in America and the Mayor of New York at the time launched a crime prevention campaign based on it.
The film that Peter created, researched, wrote and presented beat 200 entries to win a major award at the Leipzig Film and Television Festival. It also won second prize in the television documentary section at the Australian World Film Festival. It also won another award at a festival in Florida. In one scene Peter arranged for police to take the role of bandits in the staging of a daylight smash and grab robbery to test reactions of the public. Would they dial 999? Or get descriptions? Or even do the most obvious of all by calling the police? The good people of Portsmouth went a step further and arrested the bandits:
Berkeley Smith was the Southern Television Controller of Programmes at the time.
Peter's mother Nora, Valerie's father Sydney and mother Kathleen with Peter's father Leonard
In Complaints Box Peter took on government departments, local councils, business organisations and anybody who appeared to be dishing out shoddy service. Lawyers threatened to sue as Peter solved hundreds of injustices but his hard news background taught him limits. No writs were ever issued!
Peter and Valerie with Peter's mother and father Nora and Leonard at a wedding
One of Peter's exclusives was the dramatic story of his involvement in the recapture of one of seven prisoners who escaped from a prison escort vehicle on its way from Winchester Crown Court:
Another exclusive interview. This time with world film star Gina Lollobrigida who brought the filming of 'Woman of Straw' in Dorset to a halt after a row with the director.
Peter, who was born in Nottingham in 1937, married Valerie Saxton a Derbyshire lass at Ripley in 1958. Their sons Jeremy and Nick, both highly successful in business, produced six grandchildren who in turn produced four great grandchildren. Peter says he lives for his family.
Pop legend Elton John (below) and his girlfriend Renata got married and spent their honeymoon on the liner QE2. Peter was there to meet them when they arrived back in Southampton:
Now turn to Part 2 to meet Peter and Valerie's family and see more of Peter's telly capers