{"id":6907,"date":"2017-05-05T16:39:34","date_gmt":"2017-05-05T16:39:34","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/tech-ops.co.uk\/next\/?page_id=6907"},"modified":"2024-03-24T14:14:00","modified_gmt":"2024-03-24T14:14:00","slug":"you-can-call-it-home","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"http:\/\/tech-ops.co.uk\/next\/you-can-call-it-home\/","title":{"rendered":"You can call it home"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Alec Bray<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

From “The Times” Friday 17th January 2017.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, obviously, the BBC is the home of British television.  Of course it is!
And, for my first job, I called it “home”…<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"u_call_1\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Roger Bunce<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

I have everything in hand. I plan to buy the old Allocations Office, on the fourth floor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I already have a large glossy, hardback brochure, all about the building.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My son gave it to me as a Christmas present (he also bought me a Doctor Who scarf! What more could an old BBC Granddad ask for?) . He had cheekily gone into a posh estate agent, trying to look rich, and made enquiries. We had a guided tour Saturday 25th<\/sup> February 2017, three generations of Bunces posing as eccentric millionaires seeking to expand their property portfolio.  Here are some photos from the visit to TV Centre.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The final photo shows the model of the basement ‘Hub’ – the former VT area, turned Studio Ops Allocations office – now to become a gym, complete with swimming pool.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0(Click on the pictures below to see a larger or clearer version of the picture:
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Click the “X” button (top right) to close the newly opened picture.)<\/em>
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\"u_call_2\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"u_call_3\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"u_call_4\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"u_call_5\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Nick Ware<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Good idea putting a swimming pool in the basement. Somewhere for the water to go when the fountain starts leaking again. Should have done that decades ago!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Geoff Fletcher<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

It looks a lot smaller than I remember it …<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ian Hillson<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

… everywhere looks smaller, the older you get!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mike Jordan<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Passing by this evening after dark (on the way back from town on the A40 and then turning off into Acton to avoid the queue at Savoy Circus) – I see there is finally something being built on the site of the Savoy Cinema – see there are still loads of lights on in the ET. Not only some in offices but a whole load of very bright ones on the top floor and the roof.  Never mind, I am sure the developers can pay the leccy bills!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

TVC even gets into Ealing Gazette!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"u_call_6\"<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Tony Crake<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

How Ghastly ! The Beeb sold the Centre for \u00a3200M .. and probably have paid more than that to “re – furbish” those 3 Studios which probably didn\u2019t need it . Anybody explain the Maths to us all?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Roger Bunce<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

It’s a different budget! Silly boy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All can be explained by the word “Accountants”. These are people you employ if you want to prove to the Shareholders that you’ve made a massive profit while, simultaneously, proving to the Taxman that you’ve made a massive loss. (We just slide all the money from Account ‘A’ into ‘Account ‘B’, the day before the audit, then we slide it all back again the day before the tax returns are due, meanwhile we’ll turn Studios into a completely separate, but wholly owned, company, so that we can conceal expenditure for . . . etc.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All very good for fiddling and money-laundering, but not so good for accurate adding up!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dave Plowman<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Was it total costing I remember coming in in the ’60s?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An accountant found it was cheaper to make a prog on film at Ealing. So a studio and crew were left blank at TC while Ealing struggled to fit it in with lots of overtime.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The said accountant then found it was cheaper to make it outside. So not only was the TC crew and studio dark, but so was the Ealing one.  All, of course, still being paid for.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bit like having a store man on duty 24\/7 to issue a penny floor marking crayon – with paperwork, to make sure someone doesn’t have two where one would suffice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nick Way<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The BBC is not the Beeb we joined. I have always called it home for the sixteen years I was there. I bought a flat twelve minutes walk from Frithville Gate – half of the walk undercover through the market if it was raining!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Perhaps we all should reflect on how privileged we are to be in this family and to have worked with each other on such programmes with such professionals. TVC RIP.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dave Mundy<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Hear, hear, Nick, well said. ‘Money is the root of all evil’ goes the old saying, how true it is, especially where the Tories and Murdoch are concerned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Geoff Fletcher, Graeme Wall<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The original quote was “The love of money is the root of all evil” (according to a book of quotations), which actually makes a lot more sense. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Peter Cook<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

‘Arrogance and Ignorance and Greed’, live on \u201cThe Andrew Marr Show\u201d Sunday 6th February 2011<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Show Of Hands – Arrogance Ignorance and Greed (AIG)<\/a><\/h4>

Live on The Andrew Marr Show Sunday 6th February 2011<\/p><\/blockquote>