10 May 2012.

A video evening watching films from BVWS (The British Vintage Wireless Society) These short films were originally made as Public Service films; the first made by the Post Office is a snapshot of the then coastal wireless service operations. The story is a typical ‘day in the life of’ and centres on a couple of dramas at sea to highlight the importance of the service and it’s contribution to the fishing and shipping community. The film is believed to date from the late 1960s.

Following that, a story about EMI dating from the 1970s.  We saw the colossal size of the organisation at the time when the company was still manufacturing around the globe. The film was primarily a publicity article designed to promote and inform the viewer of the various activities, notably in the fields of recording, television, and CT scanners.

Another film appears to  have been made to inform GIs coming home to the USA after the war. Since many had experience in radio, electronics and radar, they might find a new career in the ‘up and coming’ TV industry.

A short film from Philips called ‘The Secret Writing of the Electrons’ told of Philips produced oscilloscopes but also showed a display of Cathode Ray tubes.

The final video wasn’t from BVWS but appeared on uTube. Called ‘Stairway to Heaven’ and showed a worker climbing a 1768 foot radio mast!  Just watching was enough to give one vertigo!