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Celebrating television's This Is Your Life

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THIS IS YOUR LIFE - Arthur Baldwin, retired chauffeur, was surprised by Eamonn Andrews at the BBC’s Costa Green studios in Birmingham. He and his wife were one of three couples in the audience celebrating their diamond wedding anniversary.

Arthur, who was born into a family of 10 in the village of Apethorpe in Northamptonshire, spent fifty years in service with the Fielden family at Kineton House, Warwickshire, first as a groom, then coachman and when cars replaced horses for road travel, finally chauffeur.

As one of the first British drivers to cross the continent, Arthur later drove ambulances through the Coventry blitz during the Second World War. Having retired in 1945, he took up gardening and became a member of the village flower show committee.

programme details...

• Edition No: 200
• Subject No: 201
• Broadcast date: Tue 30 Oct 1962
• Broadcast time: 7.55-8.25pm
• Recorded: Tues 16 Oct 1962
• Venue: Costa Green Studios, Birmingham
• Series: 8
• Edition: 5

on the guest list...

• Lizzie - wife
• Bab Stilwell - sister-in-law
• George - brother
• Trevor Owen
• Victor Knight
• Gerald Baylis
• Edward Lowe
• Kit Brannan - daughter
• William 'Jackie' Mears
Filmed tributes:
• Frances Holbech
• Lionel Fielden

production team...

• Director: Vere Lorrimer
• Producer: T Leslie Jackson

• with thanks to Peter Ashley-Smith of the Kineton and District Local History Group for his contribution to this page

Jack of all Trades

from domestic cleaner to teacher

This Is Your Life

Radio Times marks the 200th edition

Photographs of Arthur Baldwin This Is Your Life

Coventry Evening Telegraph 31 October 1962

LAST NIGHT'S TV

A most human contribution - without tears

If anything can save the threadbare formula of This Is Your Life it will be such cheerful performances as that of the Kineton brothers Baldwin, 86-year-old Arthur - whose evening it was - and 91-year-old George.

This was one of the most human contributions to the old series for a long time, and for once there was no lumps in the throat to swallow.

Memories of life in rural Warwickshire 70 years ago were recalled in last night's This Is Your Life by 86-year-old Mr Arthur Baldwin, of Kineton. One of the first cars he drove was brought from a museum - and he showed the controls to his brother, Mr George Baldwin (aged 91) and Eamonn Andrews

Unknown source and date

Life story told on television

There was particular interest for local people in the BBC's This Is Your Life programme on Tuesday when the subject was Mr Arthur Baldwin, who was married at Stibbington in 1902.

Mr Baldwin appeared with his wife, and part of the story dealt with Mr Baldwin's connection with Apethorpe, where he was employed at the time of his marriage.

A former colleague at Apethorpe, Mr T Myers, was one of those who appeared to pay tribute to Mr Baldwin, who spent 50 years in service with one family.

Stratford Herald, November 1962

Mr George Baldwin and his brother, Arthur, of Kineton, who at 91 and 87 respectively are still cycling. For more than 50 years they worked together - George as head groom, Arthur as chauffeur - for the late Joshua Fielden, MFH, at Farnborough Hall, and Kineton House. They live next door to each other and share the same interests, and on Tuesday they appeared on television together in the BBC feature This Is Your Life, when Arthur Baldwin was the subject of the programme, introduced by Eamonn Andrews. He and his wife celebrated their diamond wedding anniversary in July. Other members of the family who appeared were Mrs Baldwin, Mrs E Brannan, their only daughter, and Mrs E Stilwell, Mr Arthur Baldwin's sister, who was a bridesmaid at the wedding. The programme was recorded in Birmingham two weeks ago, when Mr and Mrs Baldwin were invited to the television studios on the pretext of meeting other diamond wedding couples.

Coventry Evening Telegraph, 11 February 1963

Kineton TV 'Star' Dies Aged 86

The death occurred at Kineton on Saturday of Mr Arthur Baldwin, of Warwick Road, who was the subject of the BBC This Is Your Life programme last November. He was 86.

He worked for 60 years as a stud groom and later as a chauffeur for the Fielden family at Kineton. He retired in 1945.

He drove ambulances in both world wars and was at one time a whipper-in to the Warwickshire Hunt.

Mr Baldwin was a member of the Kineton Flower Show Committee. He was a sidesman at Kineton Church and a member of the Parochial Church Council.

He leaves a widow and a daughter.

Stratford Herald, 15 February 1963

He lived a TV life - Only three months after he was the subject of BBC TV's programme This Is Your Life Mr Arthur Baldwin, of Warwick Road, Kineton, has died at the age of 86. Mr Baldwin, who was born in Northamptonshire, claimed to be one of the first English motorists to drive on the Continent in 1910, when he was chauffeur to the Fielden family at Kineton. Mr and Mrs Baldwin celebrated their diamond wedding anniversary last July.