John Craven's father was held as a prisoner of war in Japan for three years during the Second World War.
12 Facts About John Craven
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2.
John Craven left school aged 16, and began an apprenticeship at Yorkshire Copperworks, writing for the company magazine.
3.
John Craven began his professional life in print journalism as a junior reporter on a local newspaper, the Harrogate Advertiser, before working for the Yorkshire Post and as a freelance correspondent and writer for national newspapers.
4.
John Craven joined the BBC staff in Newcastle upon Tyne to work on local radio and television, before moving to the BBC in Bristol in 1970.
5.
John Craven became associated with children's TV, and presented news items on other children's programmes such as Multi-Coloured Swap Shop and Saturday Superstore.
6.
John Craven left the Newsround programme in 1989, having presented more than 3,000 episodes, and began presenting a countryside news programme, Countryfile, for the BBC.
7.
In 2014, John Craven took part in Gareth Malone's All Star Choir.
8.
John Craven is one of nine presidents of the Young People's Trust for the Environment.
9.
John Craven is vice-president of the Waterways Trust and Patron of SPANA.
10.
John Craven was awarded the OBE in the 2000 New Year Honours for services to rural and children's broadcasting.
11.
John Craven is a fellow of the Linnean Society of London.
12.
In November 2011, John Craven attended the British Academy Children's Awards to collect a Special Award for Newsround in recognition of its contribution to television.