Church Street memories: BBC producer Hilary Robinson on the skills that shaped her career

Award-winning children’s author and BBC radio producer Hilary Robinson credits her time at Barnsley College’s Church Street campus with giving her the skills and confidence to launch her career.

Hilary, who has produced radio programmes for the BBC for more than 30 years, has also written over 70 books for children since her first in 1995.  

Despite her year at the University Centre (soon to be reopened after a multi-million-pound refurbishment project) being one small part of a rich and varied career, she describes it as ‘the best thing I could ever have done’.

Unsure whether to pursue journalism or teaching after her A Levels, she enrolled on the London Chamber of Commerce Diploma in Secretarial Studies in 1980.

“I still believe the education I got at Barnsley College set me up in such a brilliant way for a career in media,” said Hilary.

“I always talk about Barnsley and the year I spent here as having made me. It gave me the skills and encouraged me.”

Hilary moved to Yorkshire with her family in the late 1960s, her father Peter Turner having started working at the College as Head of Business Studies – his knowledge of working in Nigeria and Kenya was valued, when numbers of foreign students were increasing.

His colleagues included Lord David Blunkett, who taught Industrial Relations and Politics before becoming an MP.

“It was an interesting time with a lot of training and intensive courses,” added Hilary. “I learnt to type on what they called golf ball typewriters, which were quite advanced at the time.

“We used to type from dictation. We also did Pitman shorthand at a high level, which served me very well when I went into a career in the media. We were taught by a man who had been a PA in Saudi Arabia.

“Learning to touch-type seemed quite rudimentary at the time, but now, I write for a living and it has been the best asset I could’ve ever wished for.

“Research was one of the things we were taught at College too – we were encouraged to find out more about where we would like to channel our interests.

“Because we were taught in such a professional way, and developed skills which were quite advanced, we were able to focus on other aspects of our work in more detail.”

Towards the end of her course, a visit to the library set her on a new path.

“I just happened to find a leaflet listing all the independent radio stations starting up. I wrote to every single one.

“We didn’t have computers in those days, no mobile phones, no means of being able to do anything in any quantity other than taking carbon copies. One station was recruiting, and I managed to get straight in as the programme controller’s secretary.

“Back then, a secretarial course could open the door to any industry you were particularly passionate about.”

Come along and explore the history of the Church Street campus at our upcoming community event.