BBC2 Daytime Closedown 1983

[chennygrapes]

i had that computer ! wow memories :''')

[keithmcneill55]

Really liked this fascinating look back at the old days. Superb! Don't suppose you have the re opening at 5.10pm?

[brucedanton]

How I wish there were these sorts of closedowns today-sadly not of course!

Thank you for the posting though-it is brilliant-well done!

[michael196782]

I may remembered that PM5544 BBC2 COLOUR Testcard instead of BBC2 COLOUR Testcard F the date was Monday 14th March 1983 before the full time Pages Of Ceefax was introduced was Thursday 28th April 1983.

[andycolbourne]

I know I wasn't born at the time this particular clip aired, but watching BBC actually close down takes me back to when I was a kid.

[Malcyb2000]

Strange Feeling is the title of the closing track followed by a few seconds of Autumn Twilight from the BBC-2 Tulsa tape.

[dcanmore]

not even selected pages from CEEFAX sheesh!

[mrpfct]

Who was the continuity announcer? Memories of when I was a child and it just feels like this was Mr BBC in the 70's n 80's! I love the way you can hear him flicking switches! Music's awesome too... The opening number is kind of similar to 'The Odd Couple' theme at the begining... I'm just checking out the Test Card Circle for the first time too... I'm one of those guys that thought 'I was the only person that liked this!' Leominster, here I come!

[wogfun]

very cool stuff here. I love watching old broadcasts! TV used to be somewhat classy, don't you think?

[thelyniezian]

What was the reason for the tone breaking the music at regular intervals? I presume it must have had something with the need to test equipment or something...

[cwilliams1976]

@thelyniezian Because each trade test tape was scheduled to last an hour and so this tone could be heard while the engineers had changed the tapes over.

[chriss505]

@cwilliams1976

There are no tapes. A testcard is made by an testcard-generator. The tone (music or beeps) comes from band,later from CD or even Radio. They are used to test and calibrate television, audio and video equipment, not for relaxing reasons ;)

[cwilliams1976]

@chriss505 The music was recorded on tape or cartridge, which is relaxing but the tones were radiated from Broadcasting House I do believe and the kit is still there apparently.

[tsangari]

@cwilliams1976 You got this tune somewhere in your library?

[cwilliams1976]

@tsangari Yes I have on the Tulsa tape

[brucedanton]

I too miss the test card-it is such a shame we don't have anything like it today.

Thanks for a great posting all the same!

[JFredUK]

I miss the test card. Either this one or test card F. A time when the Beeb would take a break and you could, 'kick back', and relax, listening to some wonderful musical compositions.

[branie99]

I remember that (irsh television) would play classical music over their testcards

[GiggityGiggityGoo22]

I intend to write a story about music being played over the test card with breaks for the tone at 25 and 55 minutes for the regulation tone

[redsnapper1959]

@GiggityGiggityGoo22 They was certainly the regulatory tone times in the days of BBC1 with test card D in the mid-to-late 1960s ... then again briefly in the mid-1970s with test card F.

[mukatuna]

LOL Commodore PET model 2001. Already quite an old computer in 1983

[UKArchiveTV]

14 March 1983. Later that evening was Pot Black, part two of My Cousin Rachel, the Daphne Du Maurier adaptation, and an edition of Horizon on the tunnel between the River Derwent and a reservoir at Carsington.

The children's programmes on BBC1 were Yogi Bear, Jackanory, Grandad and Blue Peter.

[TommyWylie]

The tape is called TULSA, performed by the "Opus Orchestra", although it is a different Opus Orchestra from the one featured on BBC Radfioplay LPs.

[timonline2000]

I believe the "Opus Orchestra" featured on the Tulsa tape was actually several groupings recorded in Czechoslovakia, connected with CSSR Radio. The groups were given the name "Opus Orchestra" by their British distributer. Either way, there are at least 4 different combos playing on "Tulsa", which is also my all time trade test selection!

[moveitbetts]

Trade test transmissions on BBC2 ended on Thursday 28th April 1983.

[wolfschmidt11]

david allan is the best announcer.

[exploder76]

David Allan is announcing here.

[HUG49]

Fantastic!! Many thanks, this Test Card tune takes me right back to 1983 when I had a cup of coffee and a Belgian Speculoos biscuit at Auntie Susan's Epsom Maisonette.

[Jeet27]

micros in the classroom, wow i remember that picture.

[PagesFromCeefax]

Really great to see authentic recordings on YouTube from these glory days of broadcasting, thank you very much for posting this, Presentation Guru !

[PresentationGuru]

Very welcome! I try to gather genuine stuff where possible. Glad you enjoyed.

[PagesFromCeefax]

Yes, fantastic stuff indeed! Seeing as you are in NI, do you ever remember the Ceefax breaks of the early 1990s which used to be only shown in NI, during the Daytime on 2 programmes in the morning? I always saw them scheduled in the Radio Times, long after England stopped all Ceefax daytime transmissions.

[GarthBeatty]

This is BBC was all about.

[tsangari]

We've got like a whole planet's worth of radio stations. Is there one with tunes like this round the clock? Cwilliams has a done a commendable job of putting hours worth of tunes here on Tube - helps me get on with my work.

[2MAKEMYDAY]

This is a track from the tape "Tulsa" 1981-1984

[timonline2000]

Thanks for that!

[hollyoaks132003]

I THINK THEY USE A TAPE FULL OF MUSIC

[timonline2000]

I think so too, but I'm wondering what it's called, as it doesn't appear to be on cwilliams's videos of trade test sequences.

[cwilliams1976]

@timonline2000 Hi Tim, I can confirm that these tracks are from the Tulsa tape.

[timonline2000]

What playlist does the test card music come from? Any trade test fans know?

[cwilliams1976]

Hi there!!!! This was definitely the Tulsa tape by the Opus Orchestra and these tracks played towards the end of the tape, and there were seventeen tracks on this tape; Dixieland Parade 3 had 27 tracks and Victorian Drawing Room had at least 27 tracks as well, but as each tape was originally 72 minutes long (later this was reduced to 60 minutes in length) it wasn't always possible to listen to each tape right through to the end.

[PresentationGuru]

Two very different tracks to be from the same orchestra aren't they. Would love to find an authentic recording of this card with the legendary pop tunes tape (Live and Let Die, Old School Yard etc). Asked a few Beeb friends of mine but I'm in Belfast and BBC NI didn't even own a testcard! Black and tone was all we got lol. I assume said tape was played from Birmingham or somewhere.

[TommyWylie]

Dixieland Parade 3 was 68 minutes, Victorian Drawing Room was about 65.