Books

• OLD TELEVISION by Andrew Emmerson. Shire Publications, 1998, £2.95. I put my own book first only because it's the cheapest introduction to the subject.
• BOX OF DELIGHTS by Hilary Kingsley and Geoff Tibballs. Macmillan, £14.95. Masterpiece research combined with gifted, sympathetic writing, covering the 1950s to the 1980s. Programmes, personalities and even favourite commercials are all included, plus a Where are they now? section.
• BRITISH TELEVISION by Tise Vahimagi. Monster illustrated paperback from the Oxford University Press, £12.99. Detailed entries on more than 1,100 favourite TV programmes from 1936 to the present.
• CLASSIC BRITISH TV by Paul Cornell, Martin Day and Keith Topping. Guinness Books, £14.99. Substantial in-depth study of over 100 classic and well-loved programmes.
• COLLECTOR'S GUIDE TO VINTAGE TELEVISIONS by Bryan Durbal and Glenn Bubenheimer is an identification and price guide published in the USA. In 176 pages it surveys 1,400 different vintage sets from 1945 to 1960 and transistor sets down to 1980. There are 200 colour photos and the price is $15.95 plus postage. You can get it from ARC, Box 2, Carlisle, MA 01741, USA (phone 00 1 978 371 0512, fax 371 7129, e-mail ARC@antiqueradio.com, web www.antiqueradio.com); credit cards are welcome.
• GOLDEN AGE OF CHILDREN'S TELEVISION by Geoff Tibballs. Titan Books, £9.99. Large format paperback covering the years 1950 to 1975, difficult to fault.
• HISTORIC TELEVISIONS & VIDEO RECORDERS by Michael Bennett-Levy (£15 post-paid from MBL Publications, Monkton House, Old Craighall, Musselburgh, Midlothian, EH21 8SF). Large colour illustrated paperback, the title says it all - a picture book of delightful old equipment.
• TV IS KING by Michael Bennett-Levy (£17 post-paid from MBL Publications, Monkton House, Old Craighall, Musselburgh, Midlothian, EH21 8SF). More sumptuous colour illustrations, the sequel to Historic Televisions and Video Recorders.
• WHAT'S ON THE BOX by David Lazell (£9.99 from Evergreen, P.O. Box 52, Cheltenham, Glos., GL50 1YQ). An engaging history of television viewing from early times to modern.

Magazines

• 405 Alive First magazine devoted entirely to vintage television topics. Now incorporated into the BVWS.
• Journal of the TEST CARD CIRCLE (TV trade test transmissions and test card music). Send SAE for details to 20 Seymour Road, Wollescote, Stourbridge, DY9 8TB.
• TEST CARDS and TV GRAPHICS REVIEW. Two magazines edited by Keith Hamer, 7 Epping Close, Derby, DE3 4HR.
• Newsletter of the PROGRAMME PRESERVATION SOCIETY (this aims to help members lend each other copies of old television and radio programmes). Richard Berry, 230 Selsdon Road, Croydon, Surrey CR2 6PL.

Back to Information index