Letter: Tony Garnett was a great producer and a great man

When, in the late 1960s, I joined the BBC as an assistant floor manager in the Plays Department I had the joy of working with many great directors and producers – including Tony Garnett and Ken Loach, on the two-part film The Price of Coal.

Coming from theatre I was eager to learn what makes TV work, and with the encouragement of the head of the Plays Department, I directed my first Super 8 drama.

After editing it, as I saw it, to perfection, I invited Tony to review it. In his quiet, loving, empathetic way, Tony spent over two hours re-editing my “masterpiece”. In that time, in a tiny makeshift edit room on the fifth floor at TV Centre, I learned more about directing and storytelling than I did in the next five years working at the BBC.

When I give talks about my directing career I always mention that generous masterclass I received from Tony, a great producer and a great man. I am for ever in his debt.