Vintage Wireless Museum, November 2017

[ppppenguin]

I went down to the Vintage Wireless Museum in Dulwich today. As many of you know, there are some very big changes happening. The house is nearing the end of an extensive building programme while the Museum itself will be concentrated in the sheds. A new and substantial timber shed has been built in the area that was previously the valve lab, transformer store and quadrangle.

The Museum is closed to visitors at the moment but should re-open sometime in 2018. I hope it will be before Easter but nothing is ever certain. It's all pretty chaotic at the moment, with the emphasis on keeping all the exhibits safe and dry. I took this photo of the TV area.

[Doodlebug]

I can recall way, way back in the early 1970's rot was found in the wooden huts under the floors.
Gerry and a few of we volunteers rebuilt a lot of it.
One hut was extended into the next door's garden at the time as well.

I daresay I wouldn't recognise it all now, some nearly 50 years on.
Last time I was there a fellow, Charles, did a lot of the cabinet recovery work
and French polishing.
Long gone now I daresay. :-(

[ppppenguin]

Charles used to occupy a workshop in the frontmost shed which was repalced long ago by Gerry with one of his "Swiss chalet" designs. Charles also lived in a flat at the back of the first floor of the house which was subsequently converted into display space. I think he died and so Gerry got the space back. Don't remember the dates by c1990 seems like a fair guess.

The sheds have suffered a fair amount of rot over the years. c1988 I remember being part of a team that demolished the old 2 storey shed whch was well past its "use by" date. Gerry built a repalcement 2 storey shed in his clerestory "victorian team room" style which survives to this day.

Many years ago (early 1980s?) Gerry bought part of the garden of one of the neighbours houses and this is where the new shed and several older ones reside.

[Doodlebug]

I left London in 1983, that was just after Gerry extended into next door garden.
Charles was alive then. I seem to recall he slept in the front room of the house
at one time when I visited every week.

Gerry and I used to a go to a local café in his little van each week and
have sausage, egg and chips. Them's were the days.