Christopher Bland facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Christopher Bland
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| Born |
Francis Christopher Buchan Bland
29 May 1938 Yokohama, Japan
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| Died | 28 January 2017 (aged 78) Clanville, Hampshire, England
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| Nationality | British |
| Education | Sedbergh School, Cumbria (independent boarding school) |
| Alma mater | The Queen's College, Oxford |
| Occupation | Chairman, Administrator, Author |
| Family | Father of Archie Bland; husband of Lady Bland; stepfather of William Byng, 9th Earl of Stafford, Georgia Byng and Jamie Byng |
Sir Francis Christopher Buchan Bland (born May 29, 1938 – died January 28, 2017) was a well-known British businessman and politician. He held many important jobs throughout his life. He was a leader at the Independent Television Authority (which later became the Independent Broadcasting Authority) and then became chairman of London Weekend Television. He was also the chairman of the Board of Governors of the BBC from 1996 to 2001. After that, he became chairman of British Telecommunications plc (BT), a big phone and internet company.
Sir Christopher was also interested in wine. In 1995, he bought a house with a huge wine cellar. A few years later, he bought a small vineyard in France. He even became chairman of Leiths School of Food and Wine, a famous cooking school.
Early Life and School
Sir Christopher Bland was born in Yokohama, Japan. He lived there for his first two years. His father worked for Shell, a big oil company, and moved around the world a lot. Because of this, Christopher and his younger brother were mostly raised by relatives in Northern Ireland.
He went to Sedbergh School, which was a boarding school for boys in Cumbria, England. After that, he studied at The Queen's College, Oxford at the University of Oxford. While at Oxford, he was part of the Irish Olympic fencing team in 1960. He was also the captain of Oxford University's Fencing and Modern Pentathlon teams. After university, he joined the army for his National Service and then became involved in politics with the Conservative Party.
Career Highlights
Sir Christopher Bland had a very busy career. He worked as a management consultant, helping different companies. He also wrote a paper in 1964 about immigration, suggesting ways to help immigrant communities.
He was elected as a member of the Greater London Council (GLC) for Lewisham in 1967. The GLC was like the local government for London. He later became chairman of the Schools committee for the Inner London Education Authority (ILEA). He also led a group called the Bow Group, which was a "think tank" – a group that comes up with ideas and policies.
During the 1970s, Sir Christopher ran several businesses, including a construction company and a printing firm. In 1972, he became the Deputy Chairman of the Independent Television Authority, which was in charge of regulating TV channels. He kept this role for several years.
In 1982, he joined the board of London Weekend Television (LWT) and became its chairman in 1984. He also worked with other TV companies like ITN and GMTV. When LWT was bought by another company, Granada, Sir Christopher became very wealthy.
Sir Christopher was also involved in healthcare. From 1982 to 1997, he was chairman of the Hammersmith and Queen Charlotte's Hospitals. He was even made a knight in 1993 for his important work in the National Health Service (NHS).
From 1996 to 2001, he was the Chairman of the BBC Board of Governors. The BBC is the UK's main public broadcaster. After that, he became chairman of the BT Board from 2001 to 2007. He also led the Royal Shakespeare Company from 2004 to 2011. During his time there, the famous Royal Shakespeare Theatre was rebuilt.
In 2014, he published his first novel, called Ashes in the Wind.
Family Life
Sir Christopher Bland was married to Jennifer Mary Denise May, who became known as Lady Bland. He had a son named Archie Bland, who is a journalist. He also became a stepfather to four children from his wife's previous marriage. These children include the author Georgia Byng and Jamie Byng, who runs a publishing company.
Death
Sir Christopher Bland passed away on January 28, 2017. His son, Archie, shared the news on Twitter. He had been battling prostate cancer.
