Perhaps because of Figaro the parrot, who lived with her for 42 years, I always thought of Nancy Thomas as like a bird. She combined the chirpy vitality of a sparrow with the infinite sagacity of a wise old owl who has seen it all. For those of us privileged to have known her in BBC Education in the 1970s, Nancy was a good-natured source of inspiration and encouragement through her passionate commitment to the BBC, her engagement with the arts, and a deep commitment to fair play and social justice. She could be tough when needed, with an acerbic wit, but she will be remembered by many individuals for innumerable acts of kindness and support, especially among younger programme makers.
I got to know Nancy even better in retirement and spent many hours in her chaotic flat, surrounded by piles of books, papers and files, listening to her reminiscences of the good and the great, from Kenneth Clark (“K” as she called him) to future prime ministers, Churchill, Eden, Macmillan, and numerous heavyweights in television. Referring to her first job in the BBC, as a secretary to the director general William Haley, whom she greatly admired, she said, “It was good to start at the top and work my way down!” While she talked fondly of household names such as David Attenborough and Melvyn Bragg, she also spoke warmly of her various carers who enabled her to live in her flat to the end. She mentioned one, Rosa, a huge Arsenal fan, who talked so much about her favourite team Nancy came to think of herself as an expert on Arsenal, without ever having seen them play.
