This year – 2022 – is especially noteworthy for the many anniversaries worthy of being marked in one way or another.
So today we took time out to look at two such events.
First off we looked at how the Chinese have got in on the act of marking the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.
Unfortunately one manufacturer who has perhaps spent too much time watching episodes of ONLY FOOLS AND HORSES, has made a “teeny, weensy” printing error, as immediately below a picture of Her Majesty on 10,800 teacups, mugs and plates – the event is shown as commemorating her THE PLATINUM JUBBLY!
The entire collection of misspelt items has been bought up by WHOLESALE CLEARANCE in Poole and in view of the publicity the error has engendered, may well do quite well out of the deal which, if you are interested, is currently available as a job lot for £32,400!
The second event we looked at concerns something particularly close to us at PHOENIX FM as today marks a big day in the history of radio – and especially for radio in Essex – as exactly 100 years ago today, one of the first radio stations to launch regular programmes was born in our county.
That station had the call sign 2MT and was born at 7:30 pm on the 14th February 1922 in a former army hut, then owned by the Marconi Company, in the village of Writtle, just outside Chelmsford.
We at PHOENIX FM will be marking this event when at 7:30 this evening we are privileged to premier a play written and produced by my guest today, TIM WANDER.
Now TIM, a former MARCONI employee is a man of many talents – historian, author, lecturer and curator of Science and industry at Chelmsford City Museum, has written a number of books about the birth of radio.
Like so many “firsts” in truth this was not actually the first station to actually broadcast since as early as January 1920 a certain Captain Round broadcast a programme of speech consisting of a listing of British Railway stations which was later expanded to play some gramophone records.
These broadcasts emanated from the Marconi station MZX in Chelmsford.
Indeed the Daily Mail sponsored the first ever entertainment broadcast advertised to the British public from that station, featuring the opera singer, DAME NELLIE MELBA who was paid the princely sum of £1000 for that broadcast which went out on the 15th June 1920 for 30 minutes.
Broadcasts continued twice daily until that station was forced to close in November of that year, on the grounds that broadcasting entertainment was likely to interfere with stations doing “real work”.
Following pressure from the various radio societies that had been established following the closure of MZX, the postmaster general eventually relented and 2MT was granted a licence to broadcast once a week.
2MT was so successful that over 50 stations applied to join the then-unregulated airwaves.
This resulted in the government deciding to create the British Broadcasting Company (BBC) with its first station as 2LO from Marconi House, London in December 30, 1922. For a month, families enjoyed 2MT and 2LO together before 2MT eventually closed down on the 17th January 1923.
The man behind 2MT was one PETER ECKERSLEY who went on to become the chief engineer at the fledgling BBC.
During those early days, the BBC struggled financially and was forced to run a number of programmes sponsored by various companies such as, The News of the World, the Daily Herald and Titbits, but sponsorship ended once the original BRITISH BROADCASTING COMPANY became the public corporation it remains to this day.
Today we broadcast the first part of my chat with Tim – the second part will be broadcast tomorrow, but you can listen to the entire interview here: –
Bit of a marathon today, but all being well I’ll see you again tomorrow,
Scott
