What's New and the Pre-History
08 Aug 98
LWT, ATV, ITN, Miscellany all added.
BBC1, BBC2, BBC Sport updated.
16 May 98
03 May 98
TV-am, Grampian and Children's BBC have all recently joined the Ident Zone
BBC2 Section updated with new theme specials and a new "Perfect Christmas" section.
A new section kicks of with Kif's Story Parts 1 and 2
08 Mar 98
The TCG has been slimmed down, so that it now concentrates on Test Cards and Tuning Signals. This section is now dedicated to what was (is) broadcast before programmes begin and after they have ended.
We've now got a picture of the first electronically generated Test Card F from 1981, showing a very simple form of "BBC1" identification.
We also have what for many viewers will be their first glimpse of the widescreen version of Test Card F. Both of these are in the "BBC Test Cards" page.
On the ITA/IBA page, we have a very early version of the IBA ETP-1 Test Card from 1978, before the design had been finalised. Also added is a picture of the S4C identified ETP-1 from the IBA era.
On the BSB page there is a link to Colin McCormick's BSB web pages.
Keith Hamer has contributed more letters from "Test Cards" magazine, and reviews the Apollo Sound Test Card Music CD Volume 2.
The new section presents television
graphics from the past. This section will hopefully grow and grow, but it starts off with
an almost complete history of BBC2 on screen graphics from 1964 to 1998. It includes all
of the standard idents and clocks used, plus many of the rarities. The post-1991 idents
get a full catalogue, plus 23 of the theme night specials.
Also included is a page full of short animations, including half a dozen RealVideos. Look
out for the Play School music, which has found a home in this section.
The UKTV service will not have been seen by most, but it is a set of commercial BBC channels, currently available only on cable, with a satellite compilation channel also available. A range of the current UKTV idents are presented here.
The Open University page tracks the idents used on both BBC1 and BBC2 from 1971 to 1998. As well as images of almost all of the standard idents used, we include RealAudio of the haunting theme, RealVideo of the early seventies mechanical version, and a RealVideo of the very latest 1998 ident.
Pick of the Continuity Announcements
Another new section, this time one that has broken away from the Test Card Gallery. It's a home for Mr Cockup, both in terms of things going wrong and of plans changing.
It includes the early experimental colour page and the launch of Channel 5, which haven't changed since they were part of the Test Card Gallery. The Death of Diana feature has been updated, with RealAudio of Mike Dickin on Talk Radio when the news was announced.
In the "We Appear To Have a Problem" page, two Realaudio clips, one of Elizabeth Cowell introducing programmes on the BBC Television Service prior to WW2 and another of a BBC announcer explaining what happens when the picture is too bad to broadcast. Both clips come courtesy of Jeremy Rogers. Also added to this page is the BBC3 apology caption taken from an episode of Doctor Who.
In the "Guest Room", there is now a very plain apology caption from BBC2, apologising that programmes are delayed due to industrial action.
In "Engineering Announcements", one of the slides used by the BBC with the picture of a transmitter now appears, as do two RealAudio clips of BBC Transmitter news, relating to the introduction of colour in 1969. Also added are some more stills from the IBA programme and the audio and video clips previously held in Resources now appear in their proper place.
The ITV Start-up sequences have been added to. You can now listen to 1985 startup music from both Central and Yorkshire, and listen to a morning menu rundown from Anglia.
New mid-eighties images from Ceefax, Westcountry regional index on Teletext, and Westcountry ancillary index in the Ancillary service page.
Elsewhere
The Site Index has been updated to help you find your way around. The credits page has been updated, if I've missed you off, please send me a gentle reminder.
24 Jan 98
Recent updates include 4 new video clips in the Resources section and an update to the news section. Plus some more old TV Listings in What We Used To Watch.
11 Jan 98
A New Year, and a new section. "What We Used To Watch" features TV lisitngs from years gone by.
Also an update to the news section.
14 Dec 97
Unfortunately, for technical and financial reasons, the Feedback Forum had to be withdrawn mid-month. Put simply - it was so popular it overloaded the server. As a replacement, we launched our mhp-chat discussion mailing list, which anyone can join and contribute to.
Other items included in this month's update include:
An update to our BBC Idents feature
Some new BBC Test Cards from the past
An update to the Engineering Information section
Some new continuity captions, including two from the 1979 ITV Strike
An addition to our "Start of ITV" section
In the Diana, Princess of Wales coverage, new clips from radio, including the bits the public didn't hear.
Among the new sound and video samples are:
RealVideo of the very first BBC2 ident from 1964
RealVideo of a Children's BBC ident from 1989
RealVideo of a Central TV start up from 1984
RealAudio of the BBC Schools Diamond music
RealAudio of the BBC Schools Dots music
RealAudio of the 1989 IBA Engineering Announcements Theme
RealAudio of an entire bulletin of IBA Engineering
RealAudio of a BBC1 breakdown announcement from Nov 97
RealAudio of the Diana clips as above.
Haven't had time to update the Teletext section this month, but will do in January, plus we apologise but the Add A Link service still isn't working - it's on the list. Happy browsing.
8 Nov 97
2 Nov 97
A new look and many new features, too many to list. Nearly every part of the MHP has been updated, revised or expanded, with many new sections. Highlights include:
So take your time browsing!
12 Oct 97
| 10 Oct 97 | Resources Updated. Now includes some Westward and TWW idents, plus the Woodentops and Welcome Home to ITV. |
| 4 Oct 97 | The new BBC Logos MHP Nominated for UKTV Site of the Year 1997 New images in the Test Card Gallery Coverage of Diana, Princess of Wales |
| 22 Aug 97 | Some New Resources, including Southern Rhapsody and TSW 1 & 2 in RealVideo |
| 16 Aug 97 | New pages for the Test Card Circle |
| 12 Jul 97 | A new set of articles from
Keith Hamer has been received, including
details and reviews of two new Test Card Music CDs.
The Test Card Gallery has been updated with what is beleived to be a new BBC Test Card, used in overnight tests. |
| 16 Jun 97 | The Test Card
Gallery has been updated with a new section of early BBC Colour tests and an update to the Continuity Announcements section. The Teletext feature has had a major revision, including updates to the Ceefax and World sections, and a new Satellite section. There is a new selection of Charivari stories. The Feedback section has been extensively revised and there have been additions to the Help Wanted page. The Resources have been revised. |
| 5 May 97 | Soapbox updated,
with my thoughts on Election 97 coverage. Test Card Circle pages updated, with three samples of Test Card Music. Resources updated. |
| 21 Apr 97 | We welcome the Test
Card Circle with their own set of pages. We hope to bring some RealAudio Test Card music soon. |
| 15 Apr 97 | A few minor corrections and an update to the Test Card FAQ. Apparently Carole Hersee is not left handed after all! |
| 11 Apr 97 | New layout for the front page. New page within the Test Card Gallery for the Test Card Circle, including the Radio Netherlands feature as RealAudio. |
| 6 Apr 97 | Some new Charivari stories added. |
| 30 Mar 97 | Channel 5 is launched, details and vidcaps on the Channel 5 Page, plus a RealAudio of that Spice Girls video. |
| 25 Mar 97 | New pages added to the Teletext Then and Now section, some new images from Oracle and
Ulster Television joins our ancillary services. A new image can be found on the Channel 5 page. |
| 24 Mar 97 | More Resources added. Test Card FAQ added. |
| 21 Mar 97 | Details of new BBC Engineering Information
site added. Channel 5 countdown timer added. Scottish Television teletext pages added. |
| 18 Mar 97 | A few links fixed in the teletext section, and a new image for the "Continuity Announcements page, that of Syliva Peters, an early on screen announcer for the BBC. I had hoped to include an audio clip, but a hard disk failure means that this will be delayed. Election Soapbox is here! |
| 10 Mar 97 | Welcome to the new version of the Meldrum
Home Page, now hosted on the Meldrum Associates server. In addition to the new location, there are a few updates this time around. The
AtoZ index is now back online, there are new resources, including early LWT idents, and
the RealAudio files are now streamed so that you can listen on-line. |
| 5 Mar 97 | Minor corrections to narrative, thanks for
spotting the factual errors! , Resources reorganised, Navigating the Test Card Gallery is
a little easier. ... and the first wide-screen picture to appear in the Test Card Gallery, in the "Around the World" section. |
| 1 Mar 97 | Major Update to the Meldrum Home Page The Test Card Gallery has been extensively revised and expanded to include more test cards, early tuning signals and apology captions. A new section from Keith Hamer is included. The Teletext Then and Now section has been revamped and some new images from the Tyne Tees (Channel 3 North East) region added. A brand new "Charivari" section has been introduced The Channel 5 page has been revised. The UK Transmitters page has been replace by Mike Brown's list. A Did You Know? section of archive facts appears for the first time The Links page has been redesigned and expanded A new resources section of sound bytes and video clips included. |
| 30 Jan 97 | New FEEDBACK section |
| 27 Jan 97 | Minor amendments to commentary, following feedback. |
| 26 Jan 97 | Major update to the Test Card Gallery
incorporating "Pick of the continuity announcements" Updated information on Videos for sale, Test Card Club etc. OFAH has finished it's visit, and gone. Channel 5 Croydon Vidcaps in stock now! |
| 24 Jan 97 | You can now register for email notification of updates to this page. |
| 22 Jan 97 | Channel 5 Croydon details added |
| 21 Jan 97 | We've identified the mystery tune! Links updated |
| 18 Jan 97 | YTV Teletext images appear, minor updates to teletext pages, updates to the credits page, a few new links and general tinkering. |
| 16 Jan 97 | New "In Memory" page, gives
details of the Test Card Circle, 405 Alive and the Test Card Club. The A to Z Index appears for the first time. Soapbox page updated. |
| 14 Jan 97 | Updates to the Test Card Gallery, some music to listen to, and the Channel 5 page. |
| 12 Jan 97 | A new look for the front page, and a new puzzle. Can you identify that tune? |
| 11 Jan 97 | The Ceefax page in Teletext Then and Now has been updated, with probably the earliest Ceefax index page from 1973/74 when the service was still "experimental". |
| The "Only Fools and Horses" images are just visiting, see them while you can! | |
| 09 Jan 97 | The links page has been updated. |
| 07 Jan 97 | More Test Cards, this time some early '50s ITA test cards and '40s vintage BBC Tuning signals |
| The credits, previously hidden away in How Do They Do That? now have a page of their own | |
| 30 Dec 96 | New for 1997, the Test Card Gallery gets a facelift with some new arrivals. |
| Check out the Baird 30 Line Test Chart and the BBC Test Card A |
| 20 Dec 96 | The links have out grown the front page. A separate links page is provided. |
| Minor modifications to the Ceefax page and some links. | |
| 17 Dec 96 | The Teletext pages get a major relaunch. In true
teletext style, the content is the same but the page numbers are different! |
| New frames added in teletext section, new
international section, BBC Telesoftware statement. |
|
| 16 Dec 96 | Test Card D makes its debut on the Test Card Gallery |
| British Comedy Clearing House added to the recommended links. | |
| 13 Dec 96 | New improved versions of the test cards and introducing Test Card G |
| Typos removed from the Hauppauge Win/TV page. Minor revisions. | |
| The new Web Snatcher Wanted Poster | |
| 11 Dec 96 | Minor revision to the Test Card page. |
| 09 Dec 96 | Web Snatcher Warning Added |
| 07 Dec 96 | UK Television Transmitter Page added |
| 06 Dec 96 | New teletext images added to the Ceefax, Oracle and "Other" sections. |
| 05 Dec 96 | What's New Section added |
| Ceefax Pages updated with pictures from the ATS manual | |
| Teletext Links added. | |
| Guestbook added | |
Last Update 29 Mar 2000