Forum for former BBC staff

Forum for former BBC staff
http://www.ex-bbc.net/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl >> News and Comment >> Call to save AP http://www.ex-bbc.net/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?num=1321097460 Message started by Administrator on Nov 12^th, 2011, 11:32am

Title: Call to save AP
Post by Administrator on Nov 12^th, 2011, 11:32am

This letter appeared in the Guardian, November 12 2011:

Further to your article regarding the 75th anniversary of television (In praise of… Alexandra Palace, 4 November), my husband and I visited Alexandra Palace last weekend, as the studios were open to the public. We both worked at Alexandra Palace for BBC TV News from 1963 to 1969, when news moved to Television Centre. We even met and married while working there.

I cannot begin to say how saddened we both were at the state of neglect and condition of the studios – in fact only Studio A was open as Studio B was closed due to its unsafe condition. The studios have not been regularly used since 1981.

Television has had a major impact on so much of the world in a variety of ways, from being instrumental in helping to bring democracy to many countries, to informing and entertaining vast numbers of people – Frozen Planet and Downton Abbey currently being prime examples. Surely we should not allow this internationally important historic building, the very birthplace of television, to deteriorate to extinction. It should be preserved.

I realise that funding would currently be a problem for a project of this size, especially for the trustees of Alexandra Palace on their own. However, this would surely be a good candidate for national lottery funding. Perhaps after the Olympics next year, the restoration of these studios could be considered. Less than 40 miles away is the birthplace of radio, in Chelmsford. Would it not be fitting for Alexandra Palace to become a celebration of radio and television. After all, both of these immensely important media forms are British inventions of which we should be justly proud.

Hazel Willingale
Great Dunmow, Essex

Title: Re: Call to save AP
Post by Roundabout on Nov 13^th, 2011, 8:23am

Couldn't agree more Hazel...........don't think the BBC will be interested if the scant coverage they gave to the 75th anniverary was anything to go by. No dinosaurs or Dr Who involved you see.

Title: Re: Call to save AP
Post by JohnW on Nov 14^th, 2011, 11:27am

I'll third that proposal!! [Even though I only worked in 'News' from '96 to '03!]
But since there's unlikely to be anyone in current "Management" who'd even remember that the Beeb ever used AP, I think there's unlikely to be a push for this from within the present organisation. Shame on them.

Title: Re: Call to save AP
Post by Mikej on Nov 18^th, 2011, 5:24pm

I also went along on the Saturday, even though I only went to AP a couple of times while at the BBC and once while still at school to watch the lunchtime news!
It was all rather sad actually. The "canteen" was selling not much and the "music" was unrelated to the occasion and stopped any possibility of the visitors hearing the start of the lectures. Why not a few TVs there showing REAL old televison programmes.
Studio A seemed to be mainly filled with old TV sets and VHS recordrs (no Betamax here!) with a "Madam Taussauds" display trying to replicate Picture Post and two dummies (mummified production staff?) in a fake gallery.
The lecture was rather brief and the film clips brief and not too informative.
There was far more of interest for visitors in the Theatre foyer showing off 240 line TV and a re-built Image Iconoscope camera up to CSO and 3D displays.
Unfortunately I have to agree with earlier posters in that the BBC is really not interested in any heritage activities/memories unless they are Government related items kept at Caversham and the on-line posting of old Radio Times is a waste of time. What do we learn about "real TV production" from that.
I am sure English Heritage (who apparantly now manage the building) will similarly not be very interested and the Friends of AP have their time cut out restoring the theatre.
Ah well, back to sleep.