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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Entertainment
Letters

John Craven’s Newsround was cherished by us grownups too

John Craven presenting Newsround.
John Craven, who beat Clive Merrison to become the presenter of Newsround. Photograph: BBC Pictures Archives

Your feature on John Craven’s Newsround did not mention one group who loved and benefited from the programme (‘Kids are interested in everything’: Krishnan Guru-Murthy and Lizo Mzimba on Newsround at 50, 4 April). Throughout the 1980s, we at Fawley Refinery started our night shifts around half five, too early to catch the six o’clock news aimed at grownups. Instead, after having our first cup of tea of the shift, we would discuss the news reports that we had seen on Newsround. Thanks to Mr Craven and co for keeping us adults informed.
Alan McElevey
Hythe, Kent

• I always have an acute pang when I read about the gestation of Newsround. At the beginning of the 1970s, I was sent to Bristol on several occasions to audition for a newfangled children’s news programme. It finally came down to me and one other. They went with the other because of his journalistic background and they weren’t wrong. However, Clive Merrison’s Newsround still gives me that pang and then a deep shiver.
Clive Merrison
Sibton, Suffolk

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