Links and Bibliography

backup

the technical entertainment charity

Backup Tech is a charity that supports technical professionals working in live events, theatre, television and film who through no fault of their own are unable to support themselves or their families due to illness or accident.

If you have enjoyed reading this website, can I ask you to consider making a donation? Please visit www.backuptech.uk to find out how you can help. Even a few pounds will make a difference.

Thanks…

I am grateful for the use of the logos and other images which have been copied from several other sites or scanned from hard copies in old out-of-print books and publications.  I hope I have offended nobody by using them.  If you own the copyright to any image on this site and wish it to be removed, contact me and I shall be happy to do so immediately.  Or of course, if you wish to be given a missing credit for a photo I shall be very happy to oblige.

I am particularly grateful to the following for taking the trouble to provide me with corrections, further information or photographs.

Where they have websites of their own you can visit them by clicking on the name:

 

Roy Adcock, Cliff Ainsworth, Jean Ainsworth, John Aizlewood, Jerry Alderson, David Aley, Rod Allen, Steve Arnold, Rob Ashard, Phil Ashby, Glenn Aylett, Andy Backhouse, Steve Bailey, John Bain, Gary Bainbridge, Malcolm Baird, Ken Banwell, Jose Barbasa,   Louis Barfe, Frank Barker, John Barlow, Christine Barnard, Rab Barnard,  Robin Barrett, Warren Baxter, Malcolm Beattie,  Roger Beckwith , John Bell,  Brett Bentley-Leek, David Bertenshaw, Chris Billington, Alan Bird, Piers Bishop, Adrian Bishop-Laggett, Duncan Borrowman, Alex Bournat, Derek Brady, John Brady, Niall Brady, Alec Bray, Alan Brett, Richard Broadhurst, Anthony Brown, Martin Brown, Roger Brunskill, Bob Buckler, Dave Buckley, Bill Bulford, Ivan Burgess, John Burgess, Paul Burton, Peter Byram, Guy Caplin, Billy Casper, Glen Cardno, Hannah Chambers, Giles Chapman, Selina Charles, Lorraine Cheek, Peter Christy , Adrian Church, Gary Clarke, Roy Clarke, Bruce Cocks, Anthony Collins, John Constable, Jeff Coote, Lester Cowling, Dan Cranefield,  David Croxson, Brian Cuff, Robert Cunningham, Ray Cutler, Maurice Dale, Tony Dalton, James Daniel, Dudley Darby, John Darnell, Bernie Davis, Bob Davis, Tim Deane, Ben Dearing, Peter Dearing, Kevan Debonnaire, Howard Denyer, Martin Deutsch, Andy Dobbs, Alan Dobson, Dennis Donnelly, Derek Donoghue, Tim Dorney, George Douglass, Ian Dow, Euan Downing, Mike Du Boulay, Zuno Dunlop, Glyn Edwards, Mark Elliott, Chris Ellis, Simon Ellis, Mike Emery, Edwin Escobar, James Ewart, Victoria Ewart, Richard Fearne, Norman Fenner, David Ferris, Mike Fitch, Geoff Fletcher, Maurice Fleisher, Doug Ford, Adam Fowler, Roger Fox, Steve Fuller, Andrew Fullerton, Andrew Gannon, Brendan Gardiner, Phil Geeson, Jonathan Gibbs, Jeff Gibson, Alan Giles, Rick Glanvill, David Gledhill, Duncan Goddard, Nigel Godfrey, Joe Godwin, Matt Goodman, Alan Gowdy, Bruce Gowers, Richard Greenough, Dave Griffiths, Colin Grimshaw, Clive Gulliver, Matthew Hadley, Geoff Hale, Peter Hale, Ian Hall, Andy Hame, Fred Hamilton, Peter Hammond, David Harper, Peter Harris, Richard Harris, Michael Harrison, Bob Hart, Ian Haskell, Jonny Haw, Martin Hawkins , Alan Hayes, Arthur Hayes,  Paul Hayes, Margot Hayhoe, David Heeley, Andrew Hewkin, Hector Hill, Ian Hillson, Peter Hitchcock, Jeremy Hoare , John Hoare, Richard Holland, John Holmes, Charles Hope, David Hornsby, David Hounsell, Dave Howell, Simon Howells,  Dicky Howett , Cliff Hughes, Gary Hughes, Mike Hughes, Ron Isted, Andrew James, Andy James, Rich James, Bill Jenkin,  Nick Jenner, Mark Johnson, Barry Johnstone, Chris Jones,  Mike Jones,  Peter Jones, Richard Jones, Steve Jones,  Linda Kaye, Steve Kelly, John King, Simon King, Martin Kisner, Gill Kivi,  Michael Klaw, Alan Knight, Roy Knight, Darren Knipe, Antony Koeller, John Latus,  Michael Leader , Bill Lee, Russ Lee, Clive Leighton, Graham Le Page, Ken Levon, Heather Lewis, Oli Lifely, John Liffen, Ray Liffen, Richard Lindsay, Stephen Livingston, Sydney Lopez,  Frederick Lucas, James Lund, Aidan Lunn, Kieran McAleer, John McCafferty, Dick McCarthy, Jeff McCrory, Alan McIntosh, Anthony McKay, Tony McKay, Andrew McKean, Dave Markie, Alan Marsden,  Paul Marshall , Mike Mason-Green, Howard Michaels, Paul Middleton, Peter Middleton, James Mitchell, Mitch Mitchell, Sam Morrison, Hugh Moules, Chris Mower, Leigh Mulpeter, Mark Mumford, Dave Mundy, Ed Nassour, Jeff Naylor, William Neale, Stephen Neil, Patrick Neill, Peter Neill, David Nelson, John New, Bernie Newnham, Garth Nicholson, John O’Brien, Andy Onion, Peter Orton, Keith  G Palmer,  Trevor Parkins, Chris Patten, Adam Paull, Nicholas Payne, George Peacock, Alan Pemberton, Richard Perry, David Petrie, Matt Phelps, Peter Piddock, Roger Pittman, Harvey Pope, Danny Popkin, Geoff Posner, Trevor Powell, Peter Price, Andrew Prince, David Rawsthorn, Bob Redman, Paul Reid, Mike Renshall, Patricia Rhodes, Phil Richards, Bob Richardson, Gary Richardson, Martin Rider, Graham Rimmington, Paddy Robinson-Griffin, Pete Rogers, Steve Rogers, Keith Rodgerson, Brian Rose, Mick Rose, Damian Ross, John Rossetti, Les Roworth, Alastair Roxburgh, Paul Round, Steve Rush, Colin Russell, Richard Russell, Phil Rutter, Nick Sanders, Peter Scott, David Scott-Cowan, Jane Scutt, Bob Scrivener, Jonathan Sellers, Steve Sharpe, Len Shorey, Alan Shubrook, Steve Simon, David Simmons, Pete Simpkin, Tim Smit, Tom Smit, Richard Smith, Nigel Southworth, Chris Stacey, Andy Stagles, Nick Stanbra, Philip Stevens, Duncan Stewart, Ian Stewart, Jane Stewart, John Stewart, Roderick Stewart, Richard Stibbons, Alan Stokes,  Paul Stone, Robin Stonestreet, Peter Stoughton, Charles Sturridge, Raphael Szynowski, Adam Tandy, Phil Tapp, John Tarby,  Bob Taylor, David Taylor, Gerry Taylor, James Taylor, Paul Thackray, Mark Thackeray, Clint Thomas, David Thomas, Duncan Thomas, Peter Thurlow, Mark Tinkler, John Tomlinson, Rob Tompsett, Roger Tone, Courtenay Tordoff, Kevin Townsend, Catherine Trigg, Brian Turner, Tony Tyrer, Robin Vanags, Simon Vaughan, Paul Venner, Malcolm C Walker, Graeme Wall Neil Wallace, Andy Walmesley, John Wardle, Ewan Ward-Thomas, Peter Watson, Nick Way, Mark Webb, Dennis Weinreich, Martyn Welch, Paul Welsh, Rosemary Wenzerul, Mike While, George White, Chris Whitehead, Keith Wilkinson, Neil Wilson, Kris Winser, Mark Williams, Steve Williams, Steve Williams, Barry Wilson, Roger Wilson, John Winn, Ronald Wolstencroft, Kevin Wood, Mike Wood, Clive Woodward, Andrew Wright, David Wright, Alan Yardley, Henry Young, Nicholas Young.

 

Clearly none of the above is responsible for any errors or opinions expressed on this website. Those are entirely down to me!

Each of the above has provided useful information but special mention must go to Richard Greenough.  He was a BBC designer at Alexandra Palace and Lime Grove and in 1955 became head of design at ATV until they left Elstree in 1983.  He provided me with a fascinating summary of his career and plans of all the studios he worked in. He also kept all the studio schedules from the first day of ATV at Foley Street and Wood Green to the last day at Elstree so had proof of when each studio opened and closed.  This information has cleared up many confusions and helped me enormously! Sadly, Richard passed away in August 2010 but his lifetime’s work is certainly not forgotten.

Many thanks to those staffers who have provided me with information but asked that their names are not published.  Also, I am especially grateful that so many people have contacted me and simply said they enjoyed reading the site. Thanks to you all for taking the trouble to write.

This website concentrates on the fabric of the studios themselves and only touches on the shows made in them. As a companion volume, may I recommend Louis Barfe’s excellent book on the history of British light entertainment – Turned Out Nice Again.  It is extremely well researched, very easy to read and contains many anecdotes and stories all about the artistes and producers who occupied the studios mentioned here.

For further information you might like to go to the following websites which are not in alphabetical order – sorry:

 

BBC:

History of the BBC (official website)

BBC technical operations history site (unofficial anecdotes, stories and stills)

BBC VT history site (history of videotape in the BBC from Vera to digital. Some excellent images.)

BBC engineering info (unofficial site with recollections of BBC engineering from 1922 – 1997)

BBC TV from Alexandra Palace (unofficial site)

Official BBC Comedy site

Old BBC Radio Broadcasting Equipment and Memories

Bob Taylor’s memories of his days as an engineer in BBC News

ITV:

Transdiffusion (network of several interesting sites – highly recommended!)

Twickenham Museum (includes history of Teddington Studios)

general TV history:

Timeline and brief history of broadcasting in the USA

Museum of the Broadcast Television Camera

History of Outside Broadcasts in the UK (unofficial site)

Baird Television (website run by the great man’s son)

Web page on history of John Logie Baird

British Film Institute – television history

RTS (site includes documents listing historical TV buildings)

Digital Spy – TV news

Television Heaven

UK Gameshows website

British TV Comedy

Dinosaur TV – British black and white TV shows

Whirligig – 1950s TV nostalgia

TV Cream

Trumptonshire Web (unofficial site about all things Trumpton)

Rubovia (site about puppet master Gordon Murray)

History of TV Post Production

The Big Breakfast – history site for fans of the show

New York’s Broadcasting History (recommended by young TV historian Dylan.)

Film studios:

The Studio Map (invaluable resource listing all film and TV studios in the UK and abroad.)

Elstree Screen Heritage (historical organisation)

Avengerland (website with images showing studios and locations used in various ’60s filmed TV series)

Britmovie – the home of UK films

I would be grateful if you could let me know of any other sites that include interesting background material relating to the history of London’s TV studios.  I have not listed links to all the studios’ own websites as they are very easily found using any good search engine.  However, several do include historical  information about  their studios.

 

Bibliography

Cinema:​

MGM British Studios – Hollywood in Hertfordshire (2020)Paul WelshElstree Screen Heritage
Lights, Camera, Merton! – the films of Merton Park Studios (2019)Clive WhichelowEnigma Publishing
Inside Bray Studios – the complete story of Hammer’s house studio (2018)Wayne KinseyPeveril Publishing
MGM British Studios: Hollywood in Borehamwood (2015)Derek PykettBearManor Media
Elstree Studios – A Celebration of Film and Television (2015)Morris Bright and Paul BurtonMichael O’Mara Books
British Film Studios (2013)Kiri Bloom WaldenShire Publications
The Making of The Empire Strikes Back (2010)J W RinzlerAurum Press
Hammer Films – The Unsung Heroes (2010)Wayne KinseyTomahawk Press
The Hammer Story (2007)Marcus Hearn & Alan BarnesTitan Books
The Pinewood Story (2006)Gareth Owen with Brian BurfordReynolds and Hearn
Shepperton Babylon – the lost worlds of British cinema (2005)Matthew SweetFaber & Faber
Shepperton Studios – a visual celebration (2005)Morris BrightSouthbank Publishing
Hammer Films – The Bray Studios Years (2002)Wayne KinseyReynolds And Hearn
British Film Studios (1995)Patricia WarrenBatsford
Shepperton Studios – an independent view (1994)Derek ThreadgallBFI
Elstree – the British Hollywood (1983)Patricia WarrenElm Tree Books
Movies From the Mansion – a history of Pinewood Studios (1976)George PerryElm Tree Books
BFI Film and Television Yearbook 1988-89Patience CosterBFI
BFI Film and Television Yearbook 1986Mundy EllisBFI
BFI Film and Television Yearbook 1983Mundy EllisBFI
The British Film and Television Yearbook 1968Peter NobleBritish and American Film Press
The British Film and Television Yearbook 1967Peter NobleBritish and American Film Press
The British Film and Television Yearbook 1961-62Peter NobleBritish and American Film Press

BBC studios:

The Exhibitions – Great White City, Shepherds Bush (2008 reprint to mark the 100th anniversary of the Franco-British Exhibition)

Donald R KnightBarnard and Westwood/Print Mania

Scenery Block, BBC TV Centre (magazine article published in August 1954.)

Graham Dawbarn and M T TudsberyThe Architect and Building News

Television Centre Stage V set of architect’s plans and drawings Oct ’85

BBC architectural and civil engineering dept.BBC

The BBC Television Centre (published 1960) (book)

BBC

BBC Television Centre (published 1970) (pamphlet)

BBC

BBC Television Centre technical guide (1970) (pamphlet)

BBC
History of BBC Television Centre (2001)Guy Saitchinternal paper

article in magazine – probably Wireless World, 27th May 1950) (includes proposed dimensions of TV Centre studios)

BBC Handbook 1958BBC
BBC Handbook 1959BBC
BBC Handbook 1960BBC
BBC Handbook 1961BBC
BBC Handbook 1962BBC
BBC Handbook 1963BBC
BBC Handbook 1964BBC
BBC Handbook 1965BBC
BBC Handbook 1966BBC
BBC Handbook 1967BBC
BBC Handbook 1968BBC
BBC Handbook 1969BBC
BBC Handbook 1970BBC
BBC Handbook 1971BBC
BBC Handbook 1972BBC
BBC Handbook 1984BBC
Enjoying Radio and Television (1954)Robert DunnettPhoenix House
BBC Television Picture Book 1930-1950David ClaytonBBC
Television Jubilee – the story of 25 years of BBC TelevisionGordon RossW H Allen
Twenty-five years of BBC Television (BBC Engineering)Harold BishopBBC
Technical description – Open University, Alexandra Palace (1975)K S MossmanBBC
The Fantasy Factory – Lime Grove Studios 1915-1991 (1996)Jocelyn LukinsVenta Books
BBC Riverside TV studios – the architectural aspects (1957)E A FowlerBBC
BBC Riverside TV studios – aspects of technical planning and equipmentNickels and GrubbBBC
The Equipment of the BBC Television Film Studios at Ealing (1960)N F ChapmanBBC
A History of the BBC’s Film Department (1983)David Martin
Inside BBC Television – A Year Behind the Camera (1983)Ruth RosanthalWebb & Bower
Zoom In When You See The Tears – autobiography (2011)Fred HamiltonFantom

Eng Inf  (BBC engineering quarterly newsletters)  (1980 – 1990)

BBC

ITV studios:​

ITV 1964 A Guide to Independent TelevisionITA
ITV 1968 A Guide to Independent TelevisionITA
ITV 1970 Guide to Independent TelevisionEric CrostonITA
ITV 1972 Guide to Independent TelevisionEric CrostonITA
ITV 1973 Guide to Independent TelevisionEric CrostonITA
ITV 1974 Guide to Independent TelevisionEric CrostonIBA
ITV 75 Guide to Independent TelevisionEric CrostonIBA
Television and Radio 1977Eric CrostonIBA
Television and Radio 1978Eric CrostonIBA
Television and Radio 1981Eric CrostonIBA
Television and Radio 1982Eric CrostonIBA
Television and Radio 1983Eric CrostonIBA
Television and Radio 1984Eric CrostonIBA
Television and Radio 1985Eric CrostonIBA
Television and Radio 1986Mike MelaniphyIBA
Television and Radio 1988Mike MelaniphyIBA
Independent Television in Britain (1982) Vol 1 – 1946-62Bernard SendallIBA / Macmillan
Independent Television in Britain (1983) Vol 2 – 1958-68Bernard SendallIBA / Macmillan
Independent Television in Britain: ITV and IBA 1981-92: The Old RelationshipPaul Bonner, Lesley AstonPalgrave / Macmillan
25 Years on ITV 1955-1980ITV / Michael Joseph
ITV: The People’s Channel – ITV 50 (2005)Simon CherryReynolds and Hearn
ITV Cultures – independent television over 50 yearsJohnson and TurnockOU

From Dawn Till Dusk (2007) –  a history of independent television in the Midlands

John W PettingerBrewin Books

Television studio planning.   (Papers from a symposium held by the Television Society at the IEE in 1963)

ABC TV / The Television Society

Teddington Studios – an overview (2005) (historical paper)

Morris Bright
The Story of Teddington Studios (2002)John Tasker
Both Sides of the Camera (ABC TV – 1960)Marie DonaldsonWeidenfeld and Nicolson
Anatomy of a Television Play (ABC TV – 1962)John Russell TaylorWeidenfeld and Nicolson

A Tour of the ATV Television Theatres  (article in ‘Practical Television’, January 1957)

Emergency-Ward 10  souvenir booklet  (1958)

Antony KeareyATV
ATV Television Star Book (1960)Joan GriffithsPurnell
ATV Television Show Book (1961) Purnell

An Arabian Night – souvenir booklet on opening of Wembley studio 5  (1960)

Associated-Rediffusion
Television – Behind the scenes in the television studios (1961)Kenneth OdyAssociated Newspapers

Chelsea Palace Music Hall  (article in ‘Practical Television’, February 1958)

Independent studios:

Spring Meeting at Limehouse  (article in ‘Television Lighting’ magazine, 1984)

John O’Keefe and Ken MacGregorSociety of Television Lighting Directors

Limehouse Studios  (article fom ‘Building’ magazine – April 1984)

Anthony Williams

Limehouse Goes On Stream (article from ‘Professional Video’ October 1983)

Tim Leigh Smith

Limehouse Studios 1983-1989 RIP (article from ‘Zerb’ magazine Autumn 1989)

Martin HawkinsGuild of Television Cameramen

General television history:​

Greenfinger – The Rise of Michael Green and Carlton Communications (1996)Raymond SnoddyFaber & Faber
Mr Towers of London – a life in showbusiness (2013)Harry Alan TowersBearManor Media

One Summer: America 1927 (2013) (includes history of early television pioneers but is also an excellent read!)

Bill BrysonBlack Swan
Turned Out Nice Again – the story of British light entertainment (2009)Louis BarfeAtlantic Books

Television and Me (2004) – memoirs of Baird, edited by his son Malcolm

John Logie BairdMercat Press
John Logie Baird – A Life (2002)Antony Kamm and Malcolm BairdNMS Publishing

Richard R Greenough – BBC 1948-1955, ATV 1955-1983  autobiographical paper summarising career as BBC designer and head of design at ATV  (2004)

Richard Greenough

Adventure in Vision – the first 25 years of television (1950)

John SwiftJohn Leymann

Coming to you Live – Behind-the-screen Memories of 40s and 50s  TV (1985)

Denis Norden, Sybil Harper and Norma GilbertMethuen
40 Years of British television (1992)Harbord and WrightBoxtree
The Penguin TV Companion (2006)Jeff EvansPenguin
The Television History Book (2003)Michelle HilmesBFI
Old TelevisionAndrew EmmersonShire
Film and Television Parade (approx 1950)Heirloom
TV Mirror Annual 1956TV Mirror
Television Annual for 1950/51Kenneth BailyOdhams
Television Annual for 1957Kenneth BailyOdhams
Television Annual for 1960Kenneth BailyOdhams

405 Alive (magazine articles published between 1989 and 2001)

Dicky Howett plus othersBritish Vintage Wireless Society

The Bulletin (magazine of British Vintage Wireless Society – various editions)

various authorsBritish Vintage Wireless Society
Sixty Years of Light Work (2001)Fred BenthamStrand Lighting

Most Secret War (1978) (description of the use of AP for jamming Luftwaffe radio signals)

R V JonesHamish Hamilton