Tyneside-born Tom Coyne became a familiar face for midlands television, hosting the BBC's 'Midlands Today' as well being the co-host of the first edition of 'Top Gear' in 1977, with Angela Rippon, a time when a female host strangely was not quite such an issue as it is today in this ridiculous era of gender politics (time to get off the soapbox, TMIB!).