BBC MCR21 outside broadcast van progress report
 

Our project

We are currently restoring a historic BBC Outside Broadcast van, MCR21, when finished it will go on public display, hopefully first at Amberley Chalk Pits Museum, and later in other places becoming we hope and artefact of national significance.

Our Trust, is a small and relativity new organisation run by the trustees and a band of volunteers. We have received support from many institutions including the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

Our project MCR21, to give it its BBC designation, will soon be leaving the vehicle restorers where it is having some body work restoration and a new coat of paint. We will then start the interior restoration work, refitting the vintage 1963 television equipment.

Now can you help!

We are looking for volunteers in the Reading - Camberley - Guilford areas who might like to take on the construction or restoration of an item of equipment or who could bring skills to the project like metalworking, woodworking, internal painting & cleaning and of course wiring. There is a lot of co-ax cables and mains cables to make up in the vintage 1963 ways.

Another area where we need help is finding a suitable indoor facility were this work can take place in the dry over winter. Our requirements are modest; reasonable security, a supply of electricity and in the Camberley area. To visualise MCR21 is the size of a medium bus, 7.5m long, 3.75m tall and 2.5m wide.

Ideally we would wish to find an enthusiastic sponsor who would provide us with a space to accommodate MCR21 and a little working area around it. We do have a sponsors page on our website:- http://mcr21.org.uk/our-supporters/

Our time frame for this part of the work is hard to predict, MCR21 should be ready to move in the next month or so and we expect the interior work to take some 5-7 months when it would move to the first of it's public museum displays.

Finally there is Fundraising!
Fundraising is a ongoing problem, although we do have a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund it does not cover the full costs and then there is the ongoing future funding to consider. Pamphonica has been doing a sterling job, selling donated and SK equipment but more help is still needed. If you feel able to make a donation, become a "friend", or have expertise in say crowdfunding please get in touch.


Donations web page http://mcr21.org.uk/get-involved/donate/

Useful links:-

https://www.bbc.com/historyofthebbc/research/mcr21
https://mailchi.mp/bf888e864f96/mcr2...r?e=a1e6cf3493 Our Newsletter.

www.mcr21.org.uk Our charitable organisation, The Broadcast Television Technology Trust, Reg. No. 1179333,

I do hope the moderators will look kindly on this rather unsual page......

Regards
Brian Summers (contact details on our website)
Broadcast Television Technology Trust
Camberley, England.

Re: BBC MCR21 outside broadcast van progress report
 

Can I just add that this isn't the only such project!

We've been beavering away recreating a 1950s BBC OB truck to full working condition for some years and we're now almost there - funded completely from private money and done with 100% graft. MCR21 has had Lottery money, we've done it 'the other way' which has meant some very long hours.

I'm sure people will have seen reference to our Project Vivat so I won't go on about it, but we do seem to be forgotten when MCR21 is mentioned :-)

We too are a registered charity and have several other projects under our belt with full public presentation.

I've attached a few pics of how Vivat currently looks inside and out with a pic of how she arrived in two-tone grey.

Without Covid 19 we had planned to launch operationally this September but that is now delayed until the Spring when we will make our first 'programme' - Covid hopefully being in check by then.

Please don't forget us - we need money too (and help).
If you would like a copy of our newsletter, please PM me and we can add you to our list.

Broadcast Engineering Conservation Group (BECG), see: https://becg.org.uk/
BECG is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO), number 1189469.

Specifically: Project Vivat See: https://becg.org.uk/projects/project-vivat/
She will be the oldest fully operational TV OB truck in the world - so far as we know . . .
We've gone from a hulk fit for the scrap yard to something of significance, but there's still lots to do :-)

Best regards,

Paul Marshall
Chairman
BECG

Re: BBC MCR21 outside broadcast van progress report
 

Now that both projects have given their sales pitch it's time to end this outside broadcast and return to the studio.

Thread closed.