My haven, Clive Myrie: The BAFTA-nominated BBC News presenter, 56, in the study of his home in north London

  • Clive Myrie, 56, shares items of personal significance in his home in London
  • He treasures a photograph with his mother and brother taken in 1969
  • BBC News presenter also values a photograph taken on his wedding day 

By York Membery For Weekend Magazine

Published: | Updated:

Clive Myrie, 56, (pictured) who is a BAFTA nominated BBC presenter, reveals the items of personal significance in the study of his home in north London

Clive Myrie, 56, (pictured) who is a BAFTA nominated BBC presenter, reveals the items of personal significance in the study of his home in north London

1. FAMILY TIES 

Here I am with my Jamaican-born mother Lynne and my younger brother Garfield – I’m on the left, dressed to the nines with a little bow tie. The photo was taken in 1969 and reminds me of my childhood in Bolton. 

Mum worked as a seamstress making dresses for Mary Quant, and she and my father carved out a successful life for themselves, buying their own house and putting my four siblings and me through university. 

Not bad for a couple who arrived in Britain from the Caribbean in 1962 with just a few pounds in their pockets.

2. CHAIRWOMAN 

My wife Catherine is a furniture restorer and upholsterer. We love to browse in second-hand stores and antique shops, and she picked up this beautiful early-19th-century chair for next to nothing at an auction. 

It was a complete wreck but it now looks incredible. It takes pride of place in the study, which is my refuge and contains my personal belongings going back to my uni days and beyond.

3. SOUNDING OFF 

I played the violin and trumpet at school and in the local youth orchestra. 

Then I got into jazz at university, discovering the greats like John Coltrane and Miles Davis – his landmark 1959 album, Porgy And Bess, is a particular favourite. 

Clive treasures this photograph from his wedding day at the Corpus Christi Catholic Church in Covent Garden

Clive treasures this photograph from his wedding day at the Corpus Christi Catholic Church in Covent Garden

I now have quite a collection of vinyl records, and love going to jazz clubs like Ronnie Scott’s whenever possible. Sadly, my trumpet-playing is pretty rusty now so I don’t think I’ll ever be able to give up the day job.

4. BOWLED OVER 

Growing up in Lancashire, I was a keen football and cricket fan. My team, Manchester City, have had their ups and downs, but I look forward to the day when I can see them again, Covid restrictions permitting. 

As a boy, I also lapped up the Test series in the 1970s and early 1980s when the West Indies were pre-eminent – they were the background to my youth. This souvenir programme is from 1976.

5. HAPPY SNAPS 

This book reminds me of meeting the great photographer Norman Parkinson at an exhibition in the 1980s. It featured his high-fashion work and gritty inner-city pictures from early in his career, some with black people as subjects. 

He was surrounded by PR people fussing over him, but he heard me say his more realist pictures were better than his stylised fashion work. 

Putting his hand on my shoulder, he said, ‘I think so too,’ and walked me to a corner of the room where we had a lovely chat about photography as his PR people looked on perplexed. A treasured memory.

6. SWISS BLISS 

I met Catherine, who then worked in publishing, at the 1992 London launch of a book about Swiss cheeses... even though I don’t much like cheese! It was love at first sight for me. 

Six years later we married at the Corpus Christi Catholic Church in Covent Garden. 

I’d just been made the BBC’s LA correspondent, so after returning to the UK for our big day, we flew back to the States before honeymooning on Venezuela’s Maracaibo coast.

As told to York Membery. Clive Myrie is a presenter and Chief Correspondent for BBC News. Twitter: @CliveMyrieBBC

Clive Myrie

Most watched News videos

Comments 0

Share what you think

No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards.

We are no longer accepting comments on this article.