Forum for former BBC staff

Forum for former BBC staff
http://www.ex-bbc.net/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl >> Where are they now? >> The OU/BBC at Alexandra Palace http://www.ex-bbc.net/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?num=1506630063 Message started by Roger.H on Sep 28^th, 2017, 8:22pm

Title: The OU/BBC at Alexandra Palace
Post by Roger.H on Sep 28^th, 2017, 8:22pm

Dear forum members, as an OU lecturer/researcher, I'm doing some research for the curators at Ally Pally. You may know that the Palace has secured funding to enable the refurbishment of the East wing. This includes the BBC tower and studios and the Victorian theatre, all of which were not damaged by the last fire in 1980. The plan is to create exhibitions for the public and regular guided tours.

I'm seeking to talk to anyone who worked there in the 1970s in order to get a sense of how it was to be based there working on AV production during the early days of the OU.

Please make contact if you feel you can help me.

Roger Hancock

Title: Re: The OU/BBC at Alexandra Palace
Post by NigelT on Oct 12^th, 2018, 1:18pm

Hi Roger, I had fleeting contact with the OU at AP in the 70s. I joined Studio Capital Projects (SCPD) as a Graduate Trainee in 1979. Our training "circus" included brief attachments to many operational areas. At the time VT at TVC had lost many engineers to ITV and had recruited many new staff to replace them. Because of this they were unable to accept "hangers-on" like us so for VT operations experience we were sent to OU VT at AP. I spent a week there in late 1979. The VT area was accommodated in Portacabins in one of the halls and equipped with Ampex quad 2" VT machines. I was able to watch fascinated as they carried out two-machine editing. About the first thing I was asked after introducing myself was "do you play badminton?". The VT guys there were fanatical badminton players. Next day I went equipped with kit and racket. They would stop for lunch, change, play nearly a whole hour on a court marked up in the hall alongside, then quick change, grab sandwiches and back to editing! Sadly I can't remember any names.