Dave Mundy

Here’s a useful notice to stick on your appliances, just in case they stop working just when you need them not to!

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Jeff Booth

This reminds me of being on the air at TVC. The machine only went wrong when the red light was on!

See also The Support Proximity Effect and Percussive Maintenance

Dave Mundy

… one of my favourites:

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(a variation on this has been used in Model Railway exhibitions for donkey’s years … (APB))

… and following the above cod-German notice here is the cod-English version from Germany – who says they haven’t got a sense of humour!

Sara Newman

I remember a really good notice outside a technical workshop that had a time sheet/schedule  regarding the days in the month. There was an inordinate amount of Fridays as apparently everyone wanted their piece of equipment by Friday – at the latest. Other days of the week had specific designations too.  The technician in said workshop rarely displayed any humour as I remember but I would chuckle every time I read his notice.

Pat Heigham

A TR90 under my ‘control’ went apeshit on playing the end music during (luckily) rehearsal). – press play button – tape rolled then speeded up “widdly, widdly, whoossh!”

Tried again – same result.

SS and I tried again, and watched, mystified, as the tape crawled up the pinch roller and flipped over the capstan, whereby the take-up spooled it on at increasing speed, as it was still in contact with the replay head!

Thus were the problems in the days of 1/4 inch!  

I also remember witnessing a TR90 being delivered to LG – probably for one of my “Dr. Who”s – the delivery chaps just dragged it off the tailgate for a four foot drop to the ground!

John Howell (Hibou)

Sound Sup. John Staple recorded and leadered up all the music cues for a drama at home (his Hi-Fi was better than the BBC’s equipment of course) and while the crew rigged he got me to play through to check levels and cue points.

All fine and I put the TR90 into rewind. When the tape was nearly back on the supply reel the machine had reached a considerable speed and the usual plan was to let it run off the end and shred a few inches of leader as the brakes came on. This time however John, alerted by the spin-dryer effects and the draught on the back of his neck, spun around, yelled “Dear God!” and punched the Stop button.

I reckoned that only the first 5 cues had been ‘bootlaced’ and had disappeared inside the cheeks of the spools. but others suffered severe creasing. The upshot of it all was John going home and re-recording most of the music. He re-appeared with a new tape just in time for lunch. Not bad going, but anyone who had experienced John’s ‘enthusiastic’ driving style would not be surprised.

I also recall a derig when John was on the studio floor, standing chatting to Dave Newbitt when someone behind the cyc asked for a cable to be freed. Dave, seeing the problem, and with the speed of a stand-up comedian yelled “I can’t, it’s Stapled to the floor!”