This Is Your Life: Cyril Smith

Sir Cyril SMITH MBE, MP (1928-2010)

THIS IS YOUR LIFE - Cyril Smith, politician, was surprised by Michael Aspel at Rochdale Town Hall, having been led to believe he was there as a guest of honour at a gala concert.

Cyril, who was born in Rochdale, joined the Liberal Party in 1947 while working as a clerk at a textile firm and, by the following year, was working full-time as a party agent in Stockport.

Having switched allegiance to the Labour Party and served as a Labour councillor in Rochdale from 1950, he became the town's mayor in 1966. Switching parties again, Cyril entered Parliament as a Liberal MP in 1972, winning his Rochdale seat on five further occasions.

"Thank you very much! Staggered! Well I knew there was a bit of a do on, but I didn't know it was this!"

programme details...

Edition No: 761
Subject No: 753
Broadcast date: Wed 15 Nov 1989
Broadcast time: 7.00-7.30pm
Recorded: Thu 26 Oct 1989
Repeated: Thu 16 Nov 1989 1.30pm
Venue: Rochdale Town Hall
Series: 30
Edition: 4
Code name: Access

on the guest list...

Carol Seymour
Norman - brother
Eunice - sister
Eva - mother
Dorothy Hoyle
Phyllis Hoyle
Kathleen Halstead
Ian Webster
Len Bottomley
Trevor Butterworth
David Trippier
Kirsty - great-niece
Adam - great-nephew
Donna - great-niece
Lisa - great-niece
Emily - great-niece
Jimmy Cricket
sisters and children of Beechwood Convent School
George Thomas, Lord Tonypandy
Jeremy Thorpe

production team...

Researcher: Elizabeth Ross
Writer: Roy Bottomley
Directors: Brian Klein, Paul Kirrage
Associate Producer: John Graham
Producer: Malcolm Morris

names above in bold indicate subjects of This Is Your Life

related pages...

Life on the Hustings

a cross-party celebration

Jimmy Cricket

George Thomas

Screenshots of Cyril Smith This Is Your Life

Scriptwriter Roy Bottomley recalls this edition of This Is Your Life in his book, This Is Your Life: The Story of Television's Famous Big Red Book...

In the neo-Gothic vastness of Rochdale Town Hall the vastness of Sir Cyril Smith MBE, MP, about to retire from the political arena, made a 'farewell' appearance while a brass band played 'My Way' - only to find Michael Aspel there to do it his way with the Big Red Book.

The audience cheered as though they were at a pop concert when Michael announced we would be telling the story there and then.

Where else could that story be told but Rochdale Town Hall? Cyril's mother had been the Town Hall char - still was when he made her his Lady Mayoress in 1966. Cyril never knew his father.

What a moment of pride it was when his eighty-five-year-old mother Eva, brother Norman and sister Eunice joined him on the platform at the truly amazing Victorian venue. We had borrowed his old Mayoral chair - a double-seater - to ensure his girth didn't bring the seat with him when he stood to welcome surprise guests.

These included son-of Rochdale, then Minister for the Environment and Countryside, David Trippier (MP for Rossendale) and Lord Tonypandy (from Cardiff). There was also a moving greeting from former Liberal leader Jeremy Thorpe.

Suffering from Parkinson's disease, he had made a supreme effort to record a few tremulous words to bury the hatchet with his former colleague, with whom he had fallen out when in his prime.

Sir Cyril knew the effort that had gone into Jeremy Thorpe recording those few words - his first in public for years - and the effect was there for viewers to see.

He managed a damp-eyed 'Thank you, Jeremy', and wrote to him, and to us, to say it was the greatest surprise of his life.

A postscript: a small hotel in the shadows of the stern Victorian edifice of Rochdale Town Hall. Michael Aspel, producer Malcolm Morris and our make-up girl go to find a room for Michael's camera make-up. To use any room in the Town Hall itself was too dangerous for security so close to the pick-up.

Michael, Malcolm and make-up girl stand at the postage-stamp 'reception' desk, no luggage between them, apart from the make-up case. Our programme organiser has booked a room.

The Lancashire voice from behind the desk, a totally unimpressed lady, asks, 'Will you be having breakfast?'

Michael: 'We're only here for about an hour.'

'Oh,' she says and hands over the keys, eyes returning to the bookings book.

Michael and Malcolm had to wait for our signal before they left the room, but the make-up girl was needed back at our HQ.

Mischievously, Michael told her, 'Go out weeping and clutching a handful of money.'

Half an hour later he himself left in full make-up.

The Rochdale lass behind the desk didn't even look up.

Producer Malcolm Morris recalls this edition of This Is Your Life in his book, This Is My Life...

Michael has a wicked sense of humour which was much in evidence when we were hiding from Sir Cyril Smith who was due to arrive at Rochdale Town Hall. Mandy Lee, our programme organiser, had arranged for Michael to be made up in a nearby hotel. The booking was, of course, made in my name and no one at the hotel knew of our plans. Once at the hotel, Michael, myself and the very attractive make-up girl approached the reception desk. I asked for the key to a room booked in my name and the receptionist gave me the key. She added that it was a single room while staring at Michael, me and the pretty girl who had turned up with a rubber shawl and a small basket of little camel hair brushes.

'Will you be wanting breakfast?' she asked.

'No,' I replied, 'we're only using it for an hour.'

It was then I began to realise what the receptionist was getting at and I looked at Michael who was staring straight ahead with a very determined look.

When we were in the room and the make-up was finished, Michael suggested to our make-up girl that she rush downstairs to the reception area sobbing her heart out. I was sorely tempted but thinking about the possible headlines in the local paper the next day I advised against it.

Series 30 subjects