Reader recalls Shrewsbury’s role in Baird television history - your letters, plus a snapshot of Wednesday nights at The Wheel

Town’s link to Logie Baird

Following on from Toby Neal’s interesting article on a home-made 1933 clockwork television and the celebration of the 100th anniversary of John Logie Baird’s demonstration of a working television I thought I would write about Shrewsbury’s connection to Baird Television.

In the 1930s, William (Bill) Hartley set up Hartley and Co in Frankwell, Shrewsbury, trading as Electrical Engineers. The company did some work with a crane maker from Swansea making prefabricated wiring harnesses in the name Octopus Wiring. In 1939 a new company was formed and John Symonds of Octopus, moved to Shrewsbury to assist with the sales of Hartley’s products and services. The wiring harness business grew and the company built preformed house wiring kits in Ironbridge and Ketley. In 1949 the company moved to the former WWI aircraft hangers Octopus Works in Monkmoor Road in Shrewsbury, The extra space was needed to fulfil some major orders for wiring kits for 20,000 houses to be made for Airey Homes of Leeds, and later kits for prefabricated houses all over Britain. Over 250,000 wiring kits were supplied for the UK housing market and kits were also exported to Kuwait and New Zealand.

By 1954, after taking over Duratube and Wire and Trust Accessories Hartleys was taken over by Baird Television Ltd the name changed to Hartley Baird with Bill Hartley as managing director. The new company then took over Ambassador Radio and Television and produced a range of electrical and mechanical products including wood burning stoves and continued to make Baird television sets for Radio Rentals.

Hartley Baird made radio sets for Hacker Radio and their own designed portable battery operated Wondergram and Supergram. Another innovation was the Taperiter system, which was a dictation system for large offices, used a tape cassette system based on full size reels of tape in a metal case that could be lifted off the tape recorder for transcription elsewhere. Certainly a very early cassette tape player. The Company also produced defence electrics, and later electronic equipment and offered post design services. At its peak the company employed over 700 people.

In 1972 the company was sold to C&N Electrical Engineers Ltd of Gosport, which was part of Cray Electronics Ltd. In 1978 I joined C&N Electrical Industries it was still known to many locally as Hartley Electromotive or Hartleys. In 1979 the company’s name changed to Shrewsbury Technology Ltd, and continued to develop new products including computers for the Stock Exchange and a liquid level monitor. Another major contract was supplying microfiche readers to Barclays Bank and another to British Telecom for the Directory Enquiry Service, as an interim step before the providing a fully computer based service. In 1993 the Cray Group was in difficulties and Shrewsbury Technology was closed.

When I left the company 1985, I recall there were some parts of an original Baird Drum Televisor from the 1930s, held in the stores. It would be interesting to know if any these components have survived in Shropshire as I believe they may have gone to one of the local colleges. I would also be interested if anyone has a Baird TV in their garage or loft?

Nigel J Hinton, Shrewsbury

Slow to act on speed cameras

Speed cameras on so-called smart motorways. Why did it take National Highways four years to find the problem? 

Could it be they knew and thought they could make more revenue by fining innocent people? 

In my eyes it's like the Post Office scandal, innocent people again.

Shame on you, you know there was a fault just like the Post Office did. It was all fine and dandy, all that extra revenue until you got caught.

I do hope they are going to get compensation very soon or will you hang it out as long as possible?

Carol Prince, Craven Arms

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