OTD 1960: Noele Gordon goes down a colliery pit

Lunch Box the pioneering daytime magazine show saw host Noele Gordon often get involved in various ‘have a go’ features. On this day in 1960 Noele was off to Lea Hall Colliery near Rugeley in Staffordshire where she joined in with the miners on their workday.

Lunch Box was devised by Noele and producer Reg Watson, the latter went on to create Australian soap operas such as The Young Doctors, Prisoner: Cell Block H, Sons and Daughters and soon to return to screens, Neighbours. Noele Gordon was the first female executive at ITV, helping launch the channel in 1955. She would present many network programmes including the primetime series Talk of the Town and her own chat show Tea with Noele Gordon. Noele hosted over 1000 episodes of Lunch Box between 1956 and 1964. She will be the subject of an ITV drama next year.