Pat Heigham
Back in the 1960s at Lime Grove, The Geophysical Year programmes had managed to obtain the services of the Duke of Edinburgh as presenter, and he was excellent.
At the supper break, before recording, there was to be a reception shindig in Sangers 35, with all sorts of people invited, unconnected with the programme, anxious to mingle with HRH.(There exists in the Film Industry, a 10 point list of the progress of a production. No.10 is “reward of the uninvolved”).
HRH wasn’t there! Panic! Where was he… not in dressing room, not in wardrobe, not in make-up, not in the loo. No – he had discovered that one of the sparks had served on his ship in the Navy, so he was drinking tea out of a tin mug in the electricians’ cubby hole in the studio!
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Ian Dow
On duty in Lime Grove VAR and sound crew rang to complain the echo chamber wasn’t working properly.
All scratched heads, then found a dusty folder indicating that the echo chamber was actually an old air raid shelter with a mic at one end and a speaker at the other (did sound crew move the speaker nearer the mic to get to right delay?).
Opened door and descended down stone steps into the cellar. Very dark and couldn’t find light switch, but carried on down to the bottom. Although a warm day it was remarkably cold down there, and I was surprised. Not as surprised as when it gradually dawned on me that I was standing in 2ft of freezing water – at least we didn’t have to look any further for the fault!
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Alec Bray
Memories of Lime Grove!
Going across the Fire Escape bridge (especially in wet weather) to get to the canteen.
Jumping up and down in the old lift to Studio E (the lift farthest from the main entrance) – this was a very old-fashioned lift with “trellis” type doors, and it was easily stopped (mid floor) if you jumped!
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