George Guthrie Moir MA (30 October 1917 – 29 November 1993), was a British television producer, Liberal Party politician, prominent Christian and writer who was one of the founders of Independent Television.
Background He was the son of James William and May Flora Moir. He was educated at Berkhamsted School in Hertfordshire and Peterhouse, Cambridge. In 1951 he married Sheila Maureen Ryan, SRN. They had one son and two daughters.'MOIR, (George) Guthrie’, Who Was Who, A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc, 1920–2014; online edn, Oxford University Press, 2014; online edn, April 2014 accessed 19 Sept 2014 One of his daughters was Suzy Moir who married The Reverend Canon David Reindorp.
In 1940 he joined up with the 5th Suffolk Regiment as an officer. In 1942 he became a Prisoner of War in Singapore.'MOIR, (George) Guthrie’, Who Was Who, A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc, 1920–2014; online edn, Oxford University Press, 2014; online edn, April 2014 accessed 19 Sept 2014 He was put to work on the notorious Burma Railway for three and a half years."Guthrie Moir." Times [London, England] 4 Dec. 1993: 19. The Times Digital Archive. Web. 19 Sept. 2014.
Political career He was a member of the Liberal Party. His first involvement in politics was being elected to Aylesbury Rural District CouncilThe Times House of Commons, 1950 in 1947, on which he served for two years.Who's Who of 475 Liberal Candidates fighting the 1950 General Election In 1949 he was elected as an Independent to Buckinghamshire County Council on which he served until 1975.'MOIR, (George) Guthrie’, Who Was Who, A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc, 1920–2014; online edn, Oxford University Press, 2014; online edn, April 2014 accessed 19 Sept 2014 He stood as a Liberal candidate at the United Kingdom general election of 1950 in his home constituency of Aylesbury in Buckinghamshire. He finished third and did not stand for parliament again.British Parliamentary Election Results 1950-1973 by FWS Craig
In 1950 he became the Director of the European Youth Campaign. In 1952 he was elected the second ever President of the World Assembly of Youth, serving until 1956.'MOIR, (George) Guthrie’, Who Was Who, A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc, 1920–2014; online edn, Oxford University Press, 2014; online edn, April 2014 accessed 19 Sept 2014
Professional career In 1958 he became Assistant Controller and Executive Producer at Rediffusion Television. In 1968 he became head of Education and Religious programmes at Thames Television. (He was a Member of the General Synod of the Church of England, formerly House of Laity, Church Assembly, from 1956–75.)'MOIR, (George) Guthrie’, Who Was Who, A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc, 1920–2014; online edn, Oxford University Press, 2014; online edn, April 2014 accessed 19 Sept 2014
Publications (editor) Why I Believe, 1964 (editor) Life’s Work, 1965 (editor) Teaching and Television: ETV Explained, 1967 (editor) Beyond Hatred, 1969 The Suffolk Regiment, 1969 Into Television, 1969 He wrote contributions for The Times, Times Educational Supplement, Church Times, The Contemporary Review and The Frontier.'MOIR, (George) Guthrie’, Who Was Who, A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc, 1920–2014; online edn, Oxford University Press, 2014; online edn, April 2014 accessed 19 Sept 2014
See also World Assembly of Youth Aylesbury (UK Parliament constituency)
References