The Wilson TV - UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Discussion Forum

ben · 8th Jun 2018, 12:04 am

Just saw this - ex PM Harold Wilson's late wife, Mary, (who worked on Wirral too

) adjusting the TV!
Looks like a coin meter on top. Any observations as to model etc. welcomed.

dave walsh · 8th Jun 2018, 12:26 am

Can't help you with the TV but She was on Woman's Hour today Ben [ a Radio 4 recording ] re her poetry. Private Eye used to lampoon her [Mrs Wilson's Diary] but she came across very well I thought. Her description of finally finding the right word for a line [at last] reminded me of sorting a repair on a Forum thread

Dave

Synchrodyne · 8th Jun 2018, 1:42 am

The attached provides context but does not identify the make and model of the TV receiver involved.

Click image for larger version

Name: Briggs & Roberts p.163.jpg
Views: 288
Size: 50.3 KB
ID: 164233

Click image for larger version

Name: Briggs & Roberts p.164.jpg
Views: 90
Size: 22.2 KB
ID: 164234

Cheers,

Heatercathodeshort · 8th Jun 2018, 9:46 am

No idea of the TV. Probably a special.
That is an odd picture. During the early 60's the Wimbledon area was wired for 'Pay TV'
Large valve distribution amplifiers were bolted to the sides of buildings with a thick cable looped around the houses.

Some of these cables and rusted out distribution boxes were in place until recent years. The system never got off the ground so to speak and when Harold Wilson became Prime Minister in April 1964 the government ordered, giving reasons of customer affordability the closure of the unfinished system.

The control room was situated at the rear of the Telefusion [?] shop in Kingston Road, now Adams fish bar.

I was 16 at the time but remember this saga well. We lived at Chatsworth Avenue Merton Park and my mum signed a wayleave to allow the cable to be attached to the house. It never happened.

It just seems ironic to see the wife of the Prime Minister who's government put a stop to Pay TV, getting involved with it. All a long time ago.

Next time I travel through Wimbledon I will see if there is any trace of it left. John

dazzlevision · 8th Jun 2018, 10:26 am

That circular badge/motif at the bottom left hand side of the TV does look very "Pye" to me.

Nanozeugma · 8th Jun 2018, 10:31 am

Around that time, I worked for British Relay Wireless (BRW) in South London. They had originally started out distributing radio programmes via a cable system to rented loudspeakers. By the time I worked for them, it was rented monochrome and later colour tv receivers, still using the balanced pair cable distribution system. The fourth pair of wires in the cable, at that time not required for a broadcast channel (we only had BBC1, 2 and ITV) were for a time used for Pay TV which used receivers and pay boxes remarkably similar to your picture. That set looks very much like one of the PYE monochrome cable receivers we rented, specifically a P24/9.

Richard_FM · 8th Jun 2018, 1:25 pm

I heard she was a fan of Crossroads, & supposedly tried to get Harold to persuade Thames to start showing it, as they stopped networking after the 1968 franchise changeover from Redeffusion.

I've heard that some early cable systems had a 2nd ITV region on the 4th channel, which would have been useful to her!

AC/HL · 8th Jun 2018, 4:56 pm

I recall Bardwell's in Sheffield selling some set top boxes years ago. They looked more like a radio than the one in that photo, and were valved!

Mikey405 · 9th Jun 2018, 6:22 pm

I would suggest that it's an Invicta. Couldn't tell you the model number though.

Mike.

D Cassidy · 10th Jun 2018, 9:41 am

Hello.
Discussing this with a friend I'm told the set is a Pye made British Relay Mark 9 chassis a 23/9. It had a plug in Lopt which were very unreliable. The later Mark 10 was very similar with a STFE (Silicon Transistorised Front End) the earlier Mk9 had a germanium type. The last Mk 10 came with the 24 inch A61-120W tubes.

D Cassidy · 10th Jun 2018, 9:55 am

Hello.
I forgot to add this to the last post. My friend also explained that a normal off air set could be used on the British Relay line by adding a Relaydapta that gave an RF output to the aerial socket of the TV. This was during the 405 line only era. When 625 was transmitted the off air TV could be modified with a VID box, it would supply baseband video and audio to the TV but the set had to be physically changed for this, the internal tuner and IF were made redundant.

Richard_FM · 11th Jun 2018, 1:46 pm

I was wondering if British Relay had any sort of adaptor box like Rediffusion, though this sounds like it worked the other way round.

8th Jun 2018, 12:04 am	#1
ben Dekatron Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Madrid, Spain / Wirral, UK Posts: 7,498	The Wilson TV Just saw this - ex PM Harold Wilson's late wife, Mary, (who worked on Wirral too ) adjusting the TV! Looks like a coin meter on top. Any observations as to model etc. welcomed. Attached Thumbnails __________________ Regards, Ben.

8th Jun 2018, 12:26 am	#2
dave walsh Dekatron Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Ramsbottom (Nr Bury) Lancs or Bexhill (Nr Hastings) Sussex. Posts: 5,817	Re: The Wilson TV Can't help you with the TV but She was on Woman's Hour today Ben [ a Radio 4 recording ] re her poetry. Private Eye used to lampoon her [Mrs Wilson's Diary] but she came across very well I thought. Her description of finally finding the right word for a line [at last] reminded me of sorting a repair on a Forum thread Dave

8th Jun 2018, 1:42 am	#3
Synchrodyne Nonode Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Papamoa Beach, Bay of Plenty, New Zealand Posts: 2,944	Re: The Wilson TV The attached provides context but does not identify the make and model of the TV receiver involved. Cheers,

8th Jun 2018, 9:46 am	#4
Heatercathodeshort Dekatron Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Warnham, West Sussex. 10 miles south of DORKING. Posts: 9,147	Re: The Wilson TV No idea of the TV. Probably a special. That is an odd picture. During the early 60's the Wimbledon area was wired for 'Pay TV' Large valve distribution amplifiers were bolted to the sides of buildings with a thick cable looped around the houses. Some of these cables and rusted out distribution boxes were in place until recent years. The system never got off the ground so to speak and when Harold Wilson became Prime Minister in April 1964 the government ordered, giving reasons of customer affordability the closure of the unfinished system. The control room was situated at the rear of the Telefusion [?] shop in Kingston Road, now Adams fish bar. I was 16 at the time but remember this saga well. We lived at Chatsworth Avenue Merton Park and my mum signed a wayleave to allow the cable to be attached to the house. It never happened. It just seems ironic to see the wife of the Prime Minister who's government put a stop to Pay TV, getting involved with it. All a long time ago. Next time I travel through Wimbledon I will see if there is any trace of it left. John

8th Jun 2018, 10:26 am	#5
dazzlevision Dekatron Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Near Swindon, North Wiltshire, UK. Posts: 3,612	Re: The Wilson TV That circular badge/motif at the bottom left hand side of the TV does look very "Pye" to me.

8th Jun 2018, 10:31 am	#6
Nanozeugma Heptode Join Date: Nov 2017 Location: London, UK. Bury, Lancashire quite regularly :) Posts: 611	Re: The Wilson TV Around that time, I worked for British Relay Wireless (BRW) in South London. They had originally started out distributing radio programmes via a cable system to rented loudspeakers. By the time I worked for them, it was rented monochrome and later colour tv receivers, still using the balanced pair cable distribution system. The fourth pair of wires in the cable, at that time not required for a broadcast channel (we only had BBC1, 2 and ITV) were for a time used for Pay TV which used receivers and pay boxes remarkably similar to your picture. That set looks very much like one of the PYE monochrome cable receivers we rented, specifically a P24/9.

8th Jun 2018, 1:25 pm	#7
Richard_FM Nonode Join Date: Sep 2017 Location: Stockport, Cheshire, UK. Posts: 2,002	Re: The Wilson TV I heard she was a fan of Crossroads, & supposedly tried to get Harold to persuade Thames to start showing it, as they stopped networking after the 1968 franchise changeover from Redeffusion. I've heard that some early cable systems had a 2nd ITV region on the 4th channel, which would have been useful to her!

8th Jun 2018, 4:56 pm	#8
AC/HL Dekatron Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Heckmondwike, West Yorkshire, UK. Posts: 9,642	Re: The Wilson TV I recall Bardwell's in Sheffield selling some set top boxes years ago. They looked more like a radio than the one in that photo, and were valved!

9th Jun 2018, 6:22 pm	#9
Mikey405 Octode Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Solihull, West Midlands and Beaford, Devon Posts: 1,626	Re: The Wilson TV I would suggest that it's an Invicta. Couldn't tell you the model number though. Mike. __________________ G7TRF

10th Jun 2018, 9:41 am	#10
D Cassidy Retired Dormant Member Join Date: Oct 2015 Location: Fenwick, Glasgow, UK. Posts: 127	Re: The Wilson TV Hello. Discussing this with a friend I'm told the set is a Pye made British Relay Mark 9 chassis a 23/9. It had a plug in Lopt which were very unreliable. The later Mark 10 was very similar with a STFE (Silicon Transistorised Front End) the earlier Mk9 had a germanium type. The last Mk 10 came with the 24 inch A61-120W tubes.

10th Jun 2018, 9:55 am	#11
D Cassidy Retired Dormant Member Join Date: Oct 2015 Location: Fenwick, Glasgow, UK. Posts: 127	Re: The Wilson TV Hello. I forgot to add this to the last post. My friend also explained that a normal off air set could be used on the British Relay line by adding a Relaydapta that gave an RF output to the aerial socket of the TV. This was during the 405 line only era. When 625 was transmitted the off air TV could be modified with a VID box, it would supply baseband video and audio to the TV but the set had to be physically changed for this, the internal tuner and IF were made redundant.

11th Jun 2018, 1:46 pm	#12
Richard_FM Nonode Join Date: Sep 2017 Location: Stockport, Cheshire, UK. Posts: 2,002	Re: The Wilson TV I was wondering if British Relay had any sort of adaptor box like Rediffusion, though this sounds like it worked the other way round.