ORBEM
Recently added articles and photos

What's new - recently added or updated pages


May 2023: Type D desk in Studio 3G, Broadcasting House.

January 2023: The BRT/2 tape machines at Alexandra Palace.

May 2021: A description of the facilities at Millbank, home of the BBC's coverage of Parliament.

February 2021: A description of a pair of restored RP2/9s, by John Shaw.

Also by John, a page about the EMT 950 turntable.

David Savage's memories of joining Engineering Lines Department at the age of 16 in 1944.

January 2021: Ian Astbury describes the BBC's selection, specification and quality control of recording tapes and discusses the various factors involved. The article also covers the digital media that have gradually taken over from tape.

The structures built to protect the lower floors of Broadcasting House and the damage caused by bombing during WW2.

October 2020: Document with advice on the use and misuse of sound effects in radio plays.

August 2020: Documents from 1961 and 1989 regarding levels and dynamic range.

Playing some Blattnerphone tapes.

July 2020: The era of the Mutterbox.

A preserved item from Piccadilly studios - the master clock, fully restored and working.

David Babsky remembers a childhood audition for Chilrens Hour and meeting Trevor Hill.

February 2019: Three photos from Ariel featuring the Today programme in Studio 3B, 1967.

December 2018: Four photos of either B13 or B14 with a Type B desk taken c.1969.

October 2018: A description of the operation of the 1932 Control Room which appeared in the first issue of Ariel, the BBC's in-house magazine.

March 2018: Memories of Mary Lawson who worked in the Recording Unit during WWII.

Two photos of the transmitter hall at Alexandra Palace taken in the 1930s.

October 2017: Picture Post magazine reports on the BBC during WWII.

November 2017: Reporting war section slightly re-organised and extra material about, and photos of, correspondent Richard Sharp added.

Page describing the proposed 1930s BH extension and the Stronghold now includes information about other underground war preparations.

October 2017: Picture Post magazine reports on the BBC during WWII.

July 2017: An update on digital equipment at Radio Leicester.

February 2017: The label and a short audio clip of "Teddy Bears' Picnic", a record often used in studios to check the grams.

April 2016: Memories of working in the script printing department and the ticket unit by Sylvia Wredden.

March 2016: Some stories set in Continuity Suites in 1943.

May 2015: Two photos of the Wurlitzer organ console which was in the Playhouse, Manchester from 1970 to 1985.

June 2015: Memories of Horace Gregory.

May 2015: Two photos of the Wurlitzer organ console which was in the Playhouse, Manchester from 1970 to 1985.

April 2015: Extra information about the TD/7 grams player.

Jolly Japes and Wizard Weezes in BH Control Room.

January 2015: A 1960s photo of the Control Room at Wood Norton

February 2014: Rita Jaye's memories of 'H' Group transmitters during the war years.

January 2014: Rita Jaye's memories of 200 Oxford Street.

Photos of the Type D desk in Studio B6 during a late-night jazz programme.

More info about the Navy Lark music

December 2013: A 1978 recruitment booklet for Technical Operators.

November 2013: A photo of the 1970s/80s Calrec desk at the Royal Albert Hall.

A photo of Joe Latham training in the Langham in 1962 added to his memories page.

September 2013: Broadcasting House in the 1930s - section rebuilt with extra photos and text. Also a selection of articles about the building from the BBC Year Books 1931-3.

July 2013: Extra photo of Type C recorder.

May 2013: Extra photos of BT-H Carbon Microphone.

The 1944 Type A microphone Technical Instruction which describes the development of the original Type A to the AXBT.

The 1937 Regional Dramatic Control Panel (Type DC/4) Technical Instruction.

The 1943 Wartime Control Rooms and Studios Technical Instruction.

April 2013: Trevor Hill's memories of 200 Oxford Street during the war years.

March 2013: Extra photo added to Camden Theatre page.

January 2013: The 1936 Technical Instruction for the Type A microphone.

December 2012: The 1937 Technical Instruction for the Marconi-Stille Recorder.

Studio 8A in its final form before the rebuild of Broadcasting House.

Plan of BH Stronghold added.

November 2012: Some record labels and audio clips of station idents and signature tunes.

October 2012: Broadcasting House Extension - the final years of the Basement stduios.

A memory of Sir Arthur Bliss added to Roy Hayward's page.

More photos of the demolition of NBH, Manchester.

More test record labels added to Cue Grams section.

September 2012: Photos of the demolition of NBH, Manchester.

August 2012: Extra material on Cardiff continuities page.

May 2012: New (first) page added to section about GP desks.

March 2012: A tribute to the late Roy Hayward who died in March 2012.

Memories of Frank Doran, who joined the BBC in 1942 and later worked at Bedford, the home of BBC music during World War II.

February 2012: A tribute to the late Joe Latham who died in February 2012.

Two extra photos added to Cardiff continuities page.

January 2012: Photos of GP desks in Basement studios (B9, B12, B14-16) in Broadcasting House Extension.

Two extra photos added to Cardiff continuities page.

October 2011: A tribute to the late Johnny Longden who died in September 2011.

Extra picture of a recording channel (Cardiff W7) added to BTR/2 page.

And another shot of W7 showing the Marconi BD545 desk.

September 2011: A page about the Washford Radio Museum with photos of some of the collection.

July 2011: Colour shots of Type A desk in PP1, 1977.

Photos of Studio B6 equipped with Type D desk, 1984.

June 2011: GP desks and associated equipment in Studios B6 and B7 of Broadcasting House, c.1985.

Colour photo of the Neve desk in the Concert Hall added.

1960s photos of Wood Norton added to LG Smith's account of the site during the war years.

May 2011: Outside Studios: Some of the converted London theatres and cinemas used for audience shows and music recording.

Extra memory added to continuities section.

February 2011: Extra information about the BBC Coat of Arms.

January 2011: Photos of World War II press pass and uniform patches added to Reporting War page.

December 2010: Two new stories added to Continuities Memories page.

March 2010: Cardiff Continuities updated.

February 2010: Johnny Longden recalls joining the BBC in 1940 and working in Outside Broadcasts. On another page he also remembers building Continuity G in the Broadcasting House control room in 1967.

January 2010: Jim Butterworth remembers restoring a 1930s tape recorder - the Blattnerphone.

November 2009: Michael Cooke's memories of his time working for the BBC (1943-54).

November 2009: A picture of the 5XX 230kW transmitter at Droitwich added to Joe Latham's "Early Days article. Also minor changes on his page about 200 Oxford Street.

June 2009: Joe Latham writes about the career of Geoffrey Manuel in the "Memories" section.

June 2009: New story by Len Green added to his page in "Memories" section - a missed transmission.

February 2009: New photo of war correspondents and engineers in "Reporting from Europe" section.

November 2008: A review of Mark Hines' book "The Story of Broadcasting House: Home of the BBC".

July 2008: Memories of Alexandra Palace in the mid-1960s by Nick Flowers.

February 2008: