Equipment Department - List of Reminiscences

Steve Snook's BBC career, including Equipment Department, Management Services Group and Designs Department.

Savoy Hill to Avenue House, Clapham, by A.C. Patrick
A brief article outlining the move of BBC Engineering away from the BBC's first building.

Equipment Department - the beginning, by "L.G." Smith
The life and work of Equipment Department at Avenue House, Clapham.

Thanks are due to "L.G." Smith for providing the above articles.

In 1929 “L.G.” (as he is known to his friends and colleagues) joined the BBC direct from secondary school as a tracer in Equipment Department.  During the whole of his career his work was associated with the design, planning, installation and testing of sound studio and control room equipment, through many changes and transfers of departmental names—ED, SDID, DID, PID, SPID.  He retired in 1971 but worked part-time until 1974 on 'special duties' attached to the Director of Engineering’s office.  He is pictured below in the Belfast Control Room in 1933.  L.G. is in the centre and Reg Bullen is on the left of the picture.  Things were a bit different then! The desk was built out of an office table and components from an outside broadcast four channel fader. The remainder was paid for out of petty cash.