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Alan Wood
Brian Walters
British Grand Prix
Brum
Cranbrook Winter
Cumbrian Memories
Diving
Dead Donkey Saga
Eric Davies
Eureka Moment
First London Depot
Helicopter Trials
H&S The Old Ways
Made Lived On
Mike Leigh
NAMU
Not a 9 to 5 Job
Percy the Pike
Peta Meter
Qatar- Phil Archer
Radio Test Area
Roy Hodgkinson
SAMBA
SCHOW
Skyshout
Snippets
Source
Special Services
Sub Surface Radio
TV Projects
TVP New Entrant
Weyhill CCTV
Wootton Hall

Directorate of Telecommunications
PERSONAL RECOLLECTIONS



Introduction
This section is devoted to personal memories contributed by individuals who were either working for, or who had contact with Directorate.

It is hoped over a period of time to attract many entries from people covering a range of interesting topics, such as:

  • technology, work environment,
  • people or places of the day
  • impact of organisational changes
    events occurring at national, regional or local level
  • conferences, exhibitions or special events
  • project related
  • humorous moments
  • your time in the Directorate or DTELS, which may include a potted history to-date since leaving the organisation.

Topic Selection
Simply click on appropriate picture icon in the index opposite or on the menu links to view the required personal recollection!

More Contributions Wanted!
Maybe after reading these articles it will stimulate you to sending in your own, so don’t put off until tomorrow what you could do today!

Please email your articles to the webmaster at the email address given at the footer of this page.

Acknowledgements:
Many thanks to the contributors who have sent in their articles for the rest of us to enjoy.


page updated: 17/08/23

DTELS Personal Recollections

TIMELINE

 

ARTICLE

1946

Brum by Bob Swann

BRUM
by: Robert Swann
How One Man Started Life with the Directorate from 1946 onwards.

1957

Recollections of my time in the Directorate by Roy Hodgkinson MBE

ROY HODGKINSON MBE
by: Roy Hodgkinson
A look back at Roy’s time in the Directorate from 1957 until 1990.

1960s

John Leary memories of  Police Comms at the British Grand Prix

BRITISH GRAND PRIX
by: John Leary

Memories of setting up Police communications at Silverstone during the British Grand Prix.

 

Lawrie Atkinson - Rooms 6 and 7

FIRST LONDON DEPOT?
by: Lawrie Atkinson

Some early memories of the work carried out in Rooms 6 & 7

 

Life Working in D of Tels

LIFE WORKING IN D of TELS
by: Mike Leigh

A look back at early days in Stanton Depot.

 

Not a 9 Till 5 Job by Bob Swann

NOT A 9 TILL 5 JOB!
by: Robert Swann

A look back at one busy day in the 1960’s that didn’t stop until the early hours of the following morning.

1962

PETA Meter by John Maloney

PETA METER
by: John Maloney

Memories of a Portable Electronic Traffic Analyser (PETA) in use one day in Cranbrook area during 1962.
 

1966-
1967

Police Radio Trials in an Army Helicopter by brian Hill

POLICE HELICOPTER TRIALS
by: Brian Hill

Police radio communication trials carried out in an Army Helicopter.

1967

John Leary memories of Wootton Hall

WOOTTON HALL
by: John Leary

Memories of a new recruit posted to the Wootton Hall Outstation in the late 1960’s.

 

Eric Davies memories on Bishops Cleeve MU and Control System Projects

CONTROL SYSTEMS & MU
by: Eric Davies

Memories of my time in Dtels, working on Control System projects and running Bishops Cleeve MU.

1967-
1971
 

Brian Hill memories of his first posting to Kidlington Outstation

TVP MEMORIES
by: Brian Hill

Memories of a new Directorate entrant posted to Kidlington Outstation

1968

Anecdotal memories from Alan Wood

ALAN WOOD
by: Alan Wood

A light hearted and anecdotal look back at Alan’s time in the Directorate and beyond.

1970s

MADE Lived On by Joe Bell

MADE LIVED ON
by: Joe Bell

A look back at the work carried out following the MADE trials.

 

Qatar Sub-Depot by Phil Archer

QATAR REGIONAL SUB-DEPOT
by: Phil Archer

Article and photographs recalling Phil’s DTels secondment to Qatar from 1973-1980.

 

Source by John Maloney

SOURCE
by: John Maloney

DOS Meters and the changing of calibrated source at CCE Harrow.

 

Sub Surface Radio by Peter Bridgeman

SUB SURFACE RADIO
by: Peter Bridgeman

A look back at FIGARO and the Home Office Line Linked Repeater.

 

That Eureka Moment by John Leary

EUREKA MOMENT
by: John Leary

Memories of the Rank PL201 3CH Handportable.
 

 

The Saga of the Dead Donkey by Dave Humphreys

THE SAGA OF THE DEAD DONKEY
by: Dave Humphreys

A humorous recollection of an tricky transportation matter from the 70s

 

Various Snippets by Gordon Wyatt

SNIPPETS
by: Gordon Wyatt

A couple of humorous moments from the 70s
 

1971

Percy the Pike by John Maloney

PERCY THE PIKE
by: John Maloney

A fishy tale about a pike at the Weedon site in the 70s.

1973

Cumbrian Memories by John Borradaile

CUMBRIAN MEMORIES
by: John Borradaile

Recollection of humorous moments whilst based at Penrith Detachment.
 

<1974

Brian Hill memories of pre-1974 Health & Safety days

HEALTH & SAFETY the old ways!
by: Brian Hill

Some recollections of pre-1974 Health and Safety times in the Directorate.

1975

NAMU by George Ramsay

NORTHERN AREA MU
by: George Ramsay

Looking back at some of the important tasks carried out NAMU based at Kippax, West Yorkshire.

 

Samba by John Maloney

SAMBA
by: John Maloney

Not the music, but recollections of a talk given at Bramshill Police Training College.

 

My time in Dtels and beyond by Brian Walters

BRIAN WALTERS
by: Brian Walters

A potted history of Brian’s time in Dtels and beyond.

 

Divers and Diverse Talk by John Maloney

DIVERS & DIVERSE TALK
by: John Maloney

A two year underwater communications project started in 1975 with photos.

 

Radio Test Area by Peter Bridgeman

RADIO TEST AREA
by: Peter Bridgeman

A look back at the function of Home Office Radio Test Area facility.

1976

Skyshout by John Maloney

SKYSHOUT
by: John Maloney

Looking back at helicopter public address trials for Police use.

1980s

Weyhill CCTV Section by John Perry

WEYHILL MU CCTV SECTION
by: John Perry

An overview of the 4th Line maintenance and support provided by the section in respect of Police, Prisons and Ambulance.

 

Special Services by Dave McKay

SPECIAL SERVICES
by: Dave McKay

Directorate Special Services from a user perspective

 

Thames Valley area projects by Gordon Wyatt

THAMES VALLEY PROJECTS
by: Gordon Wyatt

A look back at some of the projects undertaken by the Directorate in the Thames Valley area.

1986

SCHOW memories from Steven Cole

SCHOW
by: Steven Cole

Memories of Social Club Home Office Weyhill
(SCHOW) in 1986

1986-
1987

One winters day in Cranbrook Region by Fred Cornish

CRANBROOK WINTER 1986/87
by: Fred Cornish

Looking back at one chilly day when technical staff were dispatched to site by Army Helicopter

 

 

 

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