Harry Gration

Harry Gration, MBE (born 22 October 1950) is an English journalist and broadcaster in Leeds. He was one of the main anchors for the BBC Yorkshire regional magazine programme Look North.

Harry Gration
MBE
Gration (right) with Christa Ackroyd receiving an honorary degree from the University of Bradford in 2008
Born (1950-10-22) 22 October 1950
Bradford, West Riding of Yorkshire, England
NationalityBritish
Known forTelevision presenter, journalist
Spouse(s)Helen Gration
Childrentwin boys and one other child (with Helen), 1 child from first marriage, 2 from second.

Early life

Born in Bradford, West Riding of Yorkshire, Gration was raised in a back-to-back house in the city.[1] His father was a manager at a Boots store in the city and promotion took the family to first Leeds, then York.[2] Gration was educated at St Peter's School in York,[3] and after leaving education, he initially spent five years as a history teacher and eventually, a head of history at The Rodillian Academy,[4] a school in Lofthouse, Leeds.[2]

Career

Whilst still teaching, Gration became a sports commentator on rugby league games which led to a three-month contract with the BBC. He then ended up resigning from his teaching post and went into broadcasting full-time when he joined BBC Radio Leeds in 1978.[5][6]

Gration started presenting Look North in 1982.[7] By 2018, Gration had been broadcasting with the BBC for 40 years,[8] although he had a spell at BBC South Today between 1995–1999 whom he co presented with Sally Taylor.[2] He presented alongside Judith Stamper,[6] Clare Frisby, Christa Ackroyd, and his most recent co-anchor was Amy Garcia.[9]

He appeared on Top Gear in 2010. While supposedly reporting from Braithwell, Jeremy Clarkson crashes a Reliant Robin in the background.[10]

Gration was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2013 Birthday Honours for services to broadcasting.[11][12]

Gration regularly appears in the annual Christmas pantomime at the York Theatre Royal in a filmed segment with its main star and writer, Berwick Kaler.[13] In the 2016 production of Cinderella, Gration appeared in women's underwear.[14]

On 13 October 2020 Gration announced his retirement from the BBC, his final appearance as lead presenter on Look North was 21 October 2020 (the day before his 70th Birthday).[15]

Public office

In December 2009, Gration followed in the footsteps of his Look North colleague and Mayor of Wetwang, Paul Hudson, when he was declared honorary Mayor of Burn.[16] In June 2018, Gration performed the wedding ceremony between Keeley Donovan and Johnny I'Anson in Knaresborough; Donovan is a Look North weather presenter and reporter and I'Anson also broadcasts for the BBC.[17]

Personal life

Gration is married to Helen, his third wife, with whom he has three children.[5][18] He has three children from two previous marriages.

References
  1. "Look North's Gration to get MBE". BBC News. 15 June 2013. Retrieved 20 September 2018.
  2. "Love affair turned sour on Harry". Bradford Telegraph and Argus. 26 January 1999. Retrieved 20 September 2018.
  3. "My Yorkshire: Harry Gration on his favourite people and places". The Yorkshire Post. 17 February 2018. Retrieved 19 September 2018.
  4. "Honorary Fellow Harry Gration". Bradford College. 16 February 2016. Retrieved 18 June 2019.
  5. Dawson, Jayne (8 October 2014). "Harry Gration: I still love my job on Look North". The Yorkshire Post. Retrieved 15 February 2018.
  6. Hetherington, Alastair (1989). News in the regions : Plymouth Sound to Moray Firth. London: Macmillan. p. 48. ISBN 978-0-333-48232-2.
  7. "BBC Look North presenter Harry Gration opens up about his "traumatic" decision to leave the BBC after 42 years". www.yorkshirepost.co.uk. Retrieved 11 January 2021.
  8. Hirst, Andrew (19 March 2018). "Find out what Harry Gration's best memory from 40 years of broadcasting is". Huddersfield Examiner. Retrieved 20 September 2018.
  9. "Amy Garcia to join Harry Gration on BBC Look North sofa". Echo. 25 October 2013. Retrieved 20 September 2018.
  10. "Rolling a Reliant Robin - Top Gear - BBC - YouTube". www.youtube.com. Retrieved 11 January 2021.
  11. "No. 60534". The London Gazette (Supplement). 15 June 2013. p. 18.
  12. "Video: I shed a few tears says TV veteran Harry Gration". Yorkshire Post. 14 June 2013.
  13. "Harry Gration and Berwick Kaler shoot Theatre Royal pantomime film in York". The Argus. 18 November 2009. Retrieved 20 September 2018.
  14. Hickling, Alfred (13 December 2016). "Cinderella review – a Christmas miracle in York". The Guardian. Retrieved 19 September 2018.
  15. Dacey, Ruth (13 October 2020). "Harry Gration, the veteran presenter of regional news programme Look North is to retire amid local news cutbacks". Yorkshire Post. Retrieved 13 October 2020.
  16. "Burn elect Harry Gration and Hilda Ogden as its honorary mayor and mayoress". York Press. 7 December 2009. Retrieved 7 December 2009.
  17. Riley, Anna (25 June 2018). "Keeley Donovan shares details of 'wonderful' festival-themed wedding". Hull Daily Mail. Retrieved 20 September 2018.
  18. Gordon, Maxine (17 November 2017). "From the news to nurseries: Helen Gration talks about giving up a career in telly for a life with tiny tots". York Press. Retrieved 20 September 2018.


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