User:Handsolo1978/Jeremy Hands

Jeremy Hands Born 4th April 1951, Died 11th March 1999 was a British Journalist, Author and Business man, best known for his work for ITN during the 1980's.

Born in Torquay, Devon in 1951, Hands moved to London as a child with his family where he attended St Marylebones Grammar School. His first job in Journalism came in 1970 when he worked at the Hendon and Finchly Times, and later at the Herald Express back in Torquay. In 1974 he worked as a researcher for Westward Television in Plymouth, Cornwall, and then moved up to Border Television in Carlisle, Cumbria to work as a reporter.

Hands's big break came in 1978 when he reported about a local farmer in Cumbria who used to the horn on his 4x4 to direct his sheep dog instead of the conventional whistling. The report was such a success it was used as an ITN News At Ten's "...and finally" segmant. Hands was given an interview by ITN, and subsequently offered a job as Investigatory Journalist. During his 11 years at ITN, Jeremy Hands reported on such events as the 1980 Iranian Embassy siege in London and the 1982 Falklands Conflict, where he travelled to the Falklands on board the P&O Cruise Liner SS Canberra with the Royal Marines. After the conflict, he teamed up with fellow journalist Robert McGowan to write two books, first Don't Cry For Me, Sergeant Major and then Try Not To Laugh, Sergeant Major. The books were said to be written from the sharp end and are still widely renowned by Falkland Veterans to this day.

In 1989, Hands decided to embark on a new challenge in broadcasting and became the anchor for Anglia Television's daily news programme "About Anglia", later becoming the editor of "Anglia News East". In 1994, Hands left broadcasting altogether to set up his own business "Jeremy Hands Associates", a company which helped orginisations deal with the media in times of crisis. He died in March 1999 after a short illness.