John Wyver writes: On the morning of Thursday 9 June 1938 the BBC's mobile control room provided an 80-minute outside broadcast from Whitehall of the King's Birthday Parade, otherwise known as Trooping the Colour. This was just over a year more
John Wyver writes: Seven months after the start of the schedule from Alexandra Palace, on Monday 7 June television's offerings were a typical mix of, in the afternoon between 3pm and 4pm, a local OB, a newsreel and an upscale more
John Wyver writes: For nearly 50 minutes on the afternoon of Wednesday 1 June 1938 viewers in London were transported to Epsom for Derby Day scenes including limited shots of the race itself. But the broadcast was not seen solely more
John Wyver writes: Just as for the BBC's coverage this week, 87 years ago the corporation's mobile unit visited Chelsea Flower Show (above) for three broadcasts, beginning with a 40-minute broadcast on Sunday 22 May with Freddie Grisewood and Elizabeth more
John Wyver writes: Today's post is an extract from chapter 7 of Magic Rays of Light: The Early Years of Television in Britain, to be published in January 2026. On or about 12 May 1937 British television changed. That was certainly more
John Wyver writes: Saturday 6 May 1939 saw an exceptional morning broadcast from midday covering the departure from Waterloo of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, along with the Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret (both only going as far as Portsmouth), more
John Wyver writes: 'One of the big television occasions of the year,' was how Radio Times (above) trailed the live outside broadcast of the musical comedy Me and My Girl from the Victoria Palace on the evening of Monday more
John Wyver writes: Saturday 29 April 1939 was some way off the heady days of my youth when FA Cup Final day was one of those rare and much-anticipated occasions when television began early on a Saturday morning. But already more
John Wyver writes: Monday 24 April 1939 saw one of the BBC's pair of mobile control rooms parked outside Burlington House for an afternoon outside broadcast from Varnishing Day for the Royal Academy's Summer Exhibition. Above is the image Radio more
John Wyver writes: On St George’s Day 1938, Saturday 23 April, and on the following evening, a ‘local OB’ from the lake close by the AP studios transmitted a reconstruction of the First World War naval attack exactly twenty more