Ilfracombe Radio Oral History Project

In September 2009 the Channel Arts Association decided to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the opening of the Ilfracombe Ship to Shore Radio Station along with the 20th Anniversary of the opening of the Ariel Studios in the old BT Radio Station.


Staff on the last day before closure of the Station in 1986

 Channel Arts invited all the contactable original staff of the Radio Station and invited them to revisit the Station and record their memories of working in, and with, what then was the cutting edge of technology. Six were able to attend and a memorable day of reminiscences and stories was had by all. All six spent time with Project Co-ordinator Penny Jackson and were recorded by Centre Manager Leigh Crossman for the production of an oral history CD.

This was presented to the Ilfracombe Museum on 2nd March 2010 (see picture below). The Museum has various artefacts from the Station on show, including one of the original communication consoles and the CD will be part of this collection.

Channel Arts Association Trustees, Museum Staff and Peter Spencer and Alan Norman at the handover of the completed Oral History CD.

The six staff who contributed to the Oral History Project are from left to right:

Leslie Butcher
Walter Cockerell
Peter Spencer
Cleve Gregory
Alan Norman
Bernard Haworth

Supported by: