| David George
Line (1946) |
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David Line is the second child and only son of the late George Henry and Ameilia Ann Line. He was born at Lewisham Hospital in South London on 7th August 1946 in advance of one of the worst winters on record. He retired from the BBC in 2000 and lives with his third wife and cousin Julia Evelyn Line in southern Touraine in the Indre-et-Loire departement of France. He is the author of this Line Family website. Despite a career in newspaper, magazine and radio journalism over 35 years, his lifelong interest has been all things steam. This includes the construction of a steam launch in 1982 which he used for ten years on the Norfolk Broads and, currently, a 7.25" garden railway at his present home. For more on the railway visit:
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His first school was at Lancelot Road in Downham (then in Kent, now a London Borough). In 1954 the family moved to 13 Beechmont Close in Downham and David transferred to Rangefield Road Primary School under the headmastership of Harry Gell. It was here that he was encouraged to build his first working steam engine - a turbine constructed from a Cadbury`s cocoa tin, various irtems of Meccano and a wine bottle cork. It ran for two minutes before disintegrating.
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In 1956 he went to one of the UK`s first comprehensive schools at Forest Hill in South London. Despite ample opportunities he had an uninspiring academic career. Amongst the many facilities on offer was the chance to undertake practical archaeology under the guidance of the emminent archaeologist and FHS history teacher Paul Ashbee. The picture (right) shows David and lifelong friend, Roger Bunce, undergoing neolithic arms training using antler picks at an experimental site in Dorset in 1962. One other notable event was his involvement in the school sponsored production of a full length feature film called
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In 1970 he married Wendy Elizabeth Thornton-Parry at Bushey Heath in Hertfordshire. They moved to the village of Tolleshunt D`Arcy in Essex. They were divorced in 1972. In 1975 he married Diane Elizabeth Robinson at Lewisham Registry Office ( seen left) and moved into their new home at Herne Bay ( see the page for George Frederick Line ). Following the death of Diane`s father, Edward G Robinson (yes), and the move by Haymarket Publishing from Central London to Teddington, they moved back into Diane`s family home at 13 Calmont Road in Bromley. On the 23rd of June 1980, Diane was tragically drowned in a boating accident off the Kent coast near the Isle of Sheppy.
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Following the death of his second wife, David moved to Blofield in Norfolk. He was appointed General Manager for the editorial section of a new magazine publishing wing of Eastern Counties Newspapers in Norwich. The enterprise failed in 1982 and for a year he pursued a freelance career. During this time he co-authored a number of books with his cousin Julia Evelyn Line . Soon after this he joined the BBC in Norwich. On the 21st July 1992 he married Julia at Norwich registry Office. |
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During his time with the BBC, David was attached to the Corporation`s outlets in Essex and the Channel Islands. He was also attached as a producer at BBC World Service at the outbreak of the Gulf War in 1991. In 1994, following a bet made with a friend, he passed his bus driving test and within six months had operated his first continental tour to Austria (top left) as a favour to a close friend in the Norfolk Constabulary, former police spokesman Mel Lacey.. It was a skiing holiday for members of the police in the county. Other follies included driving a stock car for BBC Radio Norfolk at the Great Yarmouth track (bottom left), restoring a 1956 Bond Minicar, and, while in the Channel islands, drinking with actor Oliver Reed.
Perhaps one of the last follies is this Westfield 7 - based on the Lotus 7 and just as exciting!..............
............but wait! There are still more follies to be committed
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