Ernest and Margaret Temple, Mayor and Mayoress of Stockton, watch the first north east demonstration of live 625-line television outside Barry’s radio and television shop, Stockton in the 1960s.
Photograph and details courtesy of Michael Temple.
Live 625-line Television Demo
Barry’s on the corner of the High Street and Yarm Lane was where my uncle Arthur (Clough) worked. It was in that shop that that he started a photography section selling cameras etc. I bought a Japanese flash from him for my KODAK Retinette 2A . It didn’t work but I proved it was my camera at fault, (bought at Turners camera shop at the other end of the High Street. Uncle Arthur said it was too expensive to repair. I’ve still got both!
Regards
Colin Hatton
Stockton Technical College was one of the first in the country to teach colour TV, before there were any broadcasts! When these started (on BBC2), they were transmitted exclusively on UHF (625 line) broadcasts – first from Pontop Pike, then from Bilsdale.
Also 625 lines were broadcast on ultra high frequency (UHF), rather than very high frequency (VHF) that the old 505 line system required. A new aerial might be needed, but inside aerials became possible.
I also think that when UHF came in, the BBC and ITV were compelled to use the same transmitter sites.
VHF was 405 lines. BBC and ITV already shared transmitters: fewer were needed at VHF than at UHF owing to range being greater (in turn partly because VHF waves are diffracted more than UHF). When ITV started in mid fifties our nearest trasnmitter was Burnhope (ch 10) then we got Pontop Pike (ch 8). Introduction of UHF needed a closer transmitter at Bilsdale.