My friend Barrie Sales, who has died aged 84, was a TV executive who was director of news and current affairs for Thames Television at the time of its controversial Death on the Rock documentary in 1988.
Born in Rotherham, Barrie was the son of a steel worker, George Sales, and his wife, Ellen (nee Hansbury). He passed the 11-plus, hiding his school cap so that he was not roughed up on his estate, left Rotherham grammar school before A-levels and joined the Royal Artillery, becoming a bombardier.