OTD 1959: ATV Midlands’ third anniversary dance

On this Day: February 13th, 1959.

ATV Midlands News reported on a party held to celebrate the Birmingham-based station’s 3rd anniversary.

The event was held at Adelphi Ballroom in West Bromwich, with ATV personalities and viewers enjoying an evening of entertainment to mark the launch of ATV Midlands on February 17th 1956. The station was the ITV Midlands weekday service with ABC TV operating over Saturday and Sunday. In 1968 ATV Midlands went seven days a week, but the original station ATV London – launched in 1955 – departed the airwaves. ATV London was replaced by LWT while ABC TV and Rediffision merged to create Thames TV.

In the ballroom footage below we see ATV presenter Philip Garston-Jones take on a bike battle with its believed to be the Marquis of Hertford (from Ragley Hall). Other personalities featured include Pat Astley and Patricia Cox.