The printing works of Waterlow and Sons, Ltd. built at Park Royal in Middlesex especially to print 'Radio Times'.
One of the most modern letterpress printing works in Great Britain in the mid 50s.There are few people who can now remember a time without the Radio Times being present in a living room to guide you through what was on radio and television. The digitisation of the London edition as part of the BBC Genome project has brought new life to the old schedules, providing easy access to a huge aspect of social history, but the stories behind the production of one of the largest circulation magazines in the UK are less accessible and being lost as time progresses.
This coming August is the 60th anniversary of the opening of the Radio Times printing works in East Kilbride, opened to print the Scottish, Northern Ireland and North of England editions and take the strain off of the main printing works in Park Royal (pictured above) that opened 80 years ago next January and had been working to capacity for some time.
I am researching the history of the Radio Times and other BBC magazines such as The Listener and London Calling, and would like to speak with anyone who that was involved with the production of the magazines - editorial, composition, printing or distribution - who has stories or anecdotes, mementos, photos or, most important of all, memories of day-to-day working.
Initially this is to preserve, for posterity, as much information as possible before it is lost, but ultimately it is hoped that the broader picture can be published.
I can be contacted via research@sarnold.co.uk or
Dr Steve Arnold
46 Orchard Road
South Ockendon
Essex RM15 6HD