CLUBS, SOCIETIES AND ONLINE DISCUSSION BOARDS

Here's a selection of groups you can join to meet like minds in virtually any vintage-related field!

Television-related

• BRITISH AMATEUR TELEVISION CLUB: Dave Lawton G0ANO, Grenehurst, Pinewood Road, High Wycombe, Bucks., HP12 4DD.
• NARROW BANDWIDTH TELEVISION ASSOCIATION: Doug Pitt, 1 Burnwood Drive, Wollaton, Nottingham, NG8 2DJ. Tel: 0115 928 2896. www.nbtv.wyenet.co.uk
• TEST CARD CIRCLE (TV trade test transmissions and test card music): 175 Kingsknowe Road North, EDINBURGH. EH14 2DY. Web site: www.testcardcircle.org.uk
  
• BBC TEST CARD CLUB, Keith Hamer, 7 Epping Close, Derby, DE3 4HR.
• TELERADIO NEWS (current radio and TV transmitter news, long-distance reception): Keith Hamer, 7 Epping Close, Derby, DE3 4HR.
• TRANSDIFFUSION. A historical society dedicated to documenting and preserving broadcasting history. Consists of over three dozen websites. www.transdiffusion.org/

Television Programming

• LAUGH Magazine, 89 Welford Road, Kingsthorpe, Northampton, NN2 8AJ. In-depth information for people who enjoy old and new TV and radio humour.
• MAUSOLEUM CLUB DISCUSSION FORUM. An online forum to discuss old radio and television programmes. www.mausoleumclubforum.org.uk
• PROGRAMME PRESERVATION SOCIETY: (aims to help members lend each other copies of old television and radio programmes). Run by Martin Hearn, Richard Berry and John Hutchinson. Contact Richard Berry at: Flat 2, 11 Rudloe Road, Clapham, London SW12 0DR. Or email him here: richard@pps-tv.co.uk.
• SAVERS OF TELEVISION AND RADIO SHOWS (S.T.A.R.S.): now incorporated in PPS (above).
• STOP MESSING ABOUT, Carl St John, 27 Brookmead Way, Orpington, Kent, BR5 1BQ. This is the magazine for those interested in the ‘Carry On’ films and their stars. Also runs features on Tony Hancock and details of old radio shows featuring comedy stars.
• WHIRLIGIG. 1950s British TV Nostalgia. www.whirligig-tv.co.uk

Appreciation Societies See also the Cult TV page

• ALAN WHICKER APPRECIATION SOCIETY
  South Street, Ditchling, Sussex, BN6 8UQ.
• CROSSROADS APPRECIATION SOCIETY
  Flat 8, Harewood Apartments, 9 Undercliff Road, Bournemouth, BH5 1BL.
• ENTHUSIASTS CLUB (News and views about television)
  64 Daisy Road, Brighouse, HD6 3SX.
• EUROVISION NETWORK (The Eurovision Song Contest Fan Club
  1 Byres Road (4/3), Glasgow, G11 5RD.
• GOON SHOW PRESERVATION SOCIETY
  27 Kew Drive, Davyhulme, Urmston, Manchester, M31 2WW or 83 Babington Road, Dagenham, RM8 2XR.
• TONY HANCOCK APPRECIATION SOCIETY
  426 Romford Road, Forest Gate, London, E7 8DF.
• TONY HANCOCK SOCIETY
  89 Woodthorne Road South, Tettenhall, Wolverhampton, WV6 8XL.
  
  The two Tony Hancock groups are not related!
  
  
• KENNETH WILLIAMS AND SID JAMES SOCIETY
  27 Brookmead Way, Orpington, Kent, BR5 2BQ.
• ON THE BUSES FAN CLUB
  Phil Leong/Nick Reiss, 28 Greenway, Sedgley, Dudley. DY3 1PQ.
• POLDARK APPRECIATION SOCIETY
  Box 25, Charing, TN27 0JZ.
• PRISONER: CELL BLOCK H
  Room 28, St James Chambers, St James Street, Derby, DE1 1QZ.
• RANDALL AND HOPKIRK (DECEASED) APPRECIATION SOCIETY
  10 Brook Avenue, Edgware, HA8 9XF.
• SCARECROW AND MRS KING FELLOWSHIP
  30 Kirkdale Green, Rye Hill, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE4 6HU.
• SOOTY FAN CLUB
  Windhill Manor, Leeds Road, Shipley, BD18 1BP.
• STAY TUNED (authorised fan club for The Avengers)
  114 Dartmouth Street, Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffs., ST6 1HE.
• STEPTOE & SON APPRECIATION SOCIETY
  47 Cornwell Crescent, Stanford-le-Hope, SS17 7DC.
• SUMMER WINE APPRECIATION SOCIETY
  114 Dalesfield Road, Normanton, WF6 1PS.
• TAKE THE HIGH ROAD FAN CLUB
  Box 25, Charing, TN27 0JZ.
• THE PRISONER: SIX OF ONE
  Box 60, Harrogate. HG1 2TP.
• THE SAINT CLUB
  8 Beverley Road, Hampton Wick, Kingston-upon-Thames, KT1 4DZ.
• V
  The Freedom League, 30 Borodin Close, Basingstoke, RG22 4EN.
• WESTERNS
  Laramie Trail, 196 Whitehouse Common Road, Sutton Coldfield, B75 6DN.

Vintage Wireless

• ANTIQUE RADIO, Mose’ Edizioni, Via Bosco 4, 31010 Maser (TV) Italy. Tel. 00 39 423-950385; Fax 00 39 423-529049; e-mail: mose@tv.shineline.it
• ANTIQUE RADIO CLASSIFIED, P.O. Box 802-A12, Carlisle, MA 01741, USA.
• BRITISH VINTAGE WIRELESS SOCIETY: Mike Barker, 59 Dunsford Close, Swindon, SN1 4PW.
• IRISH VINTAGE RADIO & SOUND SOCIETY: Henry Moore, 9 Auburn Close, Killiney, Co. Dublin.
• RADIO BYGONES (vintage radio technology): Allen House, East Borough, Wimborne, BH21 1PF (01202-881749, fax 01202-881692).
• THE RADIOPHILE (vintage radio): Chas. E. Miller, ‘Larkhill’, Newport Road, Woodseaves, Stafford, ST20 0NP.
• TUNE INTO YESTERDAY (Old-Time Radio Show Collectors Association): Membership secretary: John Wolstenholme, 56 Melbourne Avenue, Dronfield Woodhouse, Sheffield, S18 5YW.
• VINTAGE RADIO PROGRAMME COLLECTORS CIRCLE, Roger Bickerton, 3 Park Edge, Harrogate, Yorks., HG2 8JU (01423-887452). Email: roger.bickerton@ntlworld.com Caters for collectors of spoken word and other radio broadcasts, especially radio drama of all categories and feature/documentary programmes.

Music, especially broadcast-related

• FROM SILENTS TO SATELLITE The journal of film and TV music. Details from John Williams, 1 Folly Square, Bridport, Dorset, DT6 3PU.
• IEAM ENCORE. Official journal of the Institute of Entertainment and Arts Management. Editor/Advertising Manager: Peter G. Foot, 240 Tolworth Rise South, Surbiton, Surrey.
• IN TUNE INTERNATIONAL. A magazine for those who are in tune with the music of the years 1935-1960. Each issue is crammed with information on the record starts of the period, plus reviews and new releases. 10 Collingwood Drive,Mundesley, Norfolk, NR11 8JB.
• MEMORY LANE. A nostalgia magazine covering the popular music and jazz scene of the 78rpm era. With the accent placed on British dance music of the 30s and 40s, it is eagerly read by nostalgia enthusiasts worldwide. Published quarterly. Sample copy and subscription rates in return for two first class stamps (or IRCs). Write to Ray Pallett, P.O. Box 1939, Leigh- on-Sea, Essex, SS9 3UH.
• NZ FILM MUSIC BULLETIN. A magazine for film enthusiasts published quarterly by Colin Adamson, 35 Jenkin Street, Invercargill, New Zealand.
• ROBERT FARNON SOCIETY. Web site: www.rfsoc.org.uk   Light music from all composers, which incidentally includes coverage of many television and radio themes. The Robert Farnon Society was founded in 1956, and its aims remain to publicise the work of Robert Farnon in particular and similar musicians involved in light and film music. At least four magazines are published each year, and London meetings are held in April and November. Membership should be considered essential for anyone interested in the resurgent field of 'light music' and there's an efficient and comprehensive CD supply service available. Free sample magazine available from the Secretary, David Ades, Stone Gables, Upton Lane, Seavington St. Michael, Ilminster, Somerset, TA19 0PZ.

Film

• CINE 9.5 NEDERLAND, Zutendaalstraat 21, 1066 KT Amsterdam, Netherlands (00 31 20-617 2725, fax 00 31 20-688 0618). Dutch 9.5mm society.
• CLUB NIEPCE LUMIERE (Association Culturelle pour la Recherce et la Préservation d'Appareils, d'Images et de Documents Photographiques et Cinématiques). Alain Gomet +33 1 4011 1675, fax +33 1 3419 7445). Holds collectors fairs in collaboration with Le Comité International des Collectionneurs de Cinéma at Engien-les-Bains.
• GROUP 9.5 (for the 9.5mm cine enthusiast), Ron Price, 4 Higher Mead, Lychpit, Basingstoke, Hants., RG24 8YL.
• PROJECTED PICTURE TRUST (cinema history): Enigma Cinema, Bletchley Park, Milton Keynes, MK3 6EB, Bucks. (www.ppttrust.org.)
• VINTAGE FILM CIRCLE (for collectors and all lovers of old films): Alex Woolliams, 11 Norton Road, Knowle, Bristol, BS4 2EZ.

Not television-related but also of possible interest:

• ASSOCIATION FOR RECORDED SOUND COLLECTIONS, PO Box 543, Annapolis, MD 21404-0543, USA. This is a group comprising professional archivists and librarians, individual collectors, and assorted others who come together as people interested in the general topic of recorded sound. Some specialise in various media (e.g. cylinders), some in specific genres (e.g. popular music), while most generalise more and are interested in recorded sound as a whole.
• TUBE COLLECTORS ASSOCIATION. A group of collector-historians has recently formed the "Tube Collectors Association". This is in response to the need for a focused group dedicated to the growing activity of collecting radio/wireless tubes and to sharing historical insight about them. As a tube enthusiast, you'll probably be interested in this development, and may want to help guide the activities of the group from the start. For more information and an application go to:

Can't see it above?

Then look in the Directory of British Associations. This book can be found in main libraries and it can also be bought from CBD Research Ltd, 15 Wickham Road, Beckenham, Kent, BR3 2JS.