Rediffusion History - Memories of working for Rediffusion in Chessington

The best job I ever had was with Rediffusion in Fullers Way South, Chessington, Surrey (near Tolworth, I loved working there.
Rediffusion at Chessington was quite a large place with a workshop/office area above the warehouse which was about 3 floors high (if i can remember correctly?) it could be seen whilst driving along the A3 Kingston By Pass.
I remember in 1979 i had just left my painting job and went looking for another better paid job, I had tried a few factories on the Chessington industrial estate asking for work but had no luck, I then found Rediffusion in Fullers Way South, Chessington. I remember asking at the main front office if they had any job vacancies, i was sent round the side of the building to the warehouse main office, I had a short interview and was asked if i could start there and then, I said I could start the next morning (which i did) I was 18 years old then.
Those were the days when you could walk out of one job into another the same day. I also had the privilege to meet some smashing people who worked at Chessington: Charlie (Olly) Hurst, Alister (New Wave guitar player), Terry, (Munchkin), Paul, Mark W, (Bug the Rocker) (The Motorcycle Kid) Ken Jackson (Rediffusion lorry driver) there were other drivers but i can't remember their names.
I was nicknamed Sid by Alister, which is my middle name. I vaguely remember Linda Salter in Accounts who prepared our (real) wages every week. The office had windows facing into the warehouse, it was in the days when we had wage packets and 'clocking in' machines. To get into the warehouse we had to press a door button and Linda (I think) would check to see who she was letting in, I remember her mentioning she was leaving to go and live in Australia.

Us warehouse pirates at Chessington used to load/unload TV sets and videos when the lorries came in, the large TV's were stacked 5-6 high, with each 5 wide stack having a thin sheet of wooden board placed on top of each row to keep them steady and secure. We also helped the Warehouse manager (Charlie) do stock taking and sort all the outgoing parcels, they were laid out on the floor in long neat rows within white painted lines, at the head of each painted row was lettering for the parcel destination areas. In the warehouse there was also a lock-up storage cupboard where all the small electrical items were stored, things like Binatone LED radio clocks, Amstrad electricals, Tape Decks and other boxed electical goodies. I remember different brands of portable colour TV's being stocked at out warehouse (the lightweights). The warehouse had a certain smell to it, kind of a woody, solder electrical smell. I also enjoyed the occasional overtime session at Chessington as well (5pm - 6:30pm)..

There was a waist-high roller system installed throughout the warehouse, which we used to load the TV sets onto so they could be loaded onto the lorries via a tilt-able electric conveyor belt, which could be angled into the back of the Rediffusion lorries. There were three loading bays at our warehouse which included the main loading door with the conveyor system. If I can remember correctly.. there used to be two narrow warehouse access roads that had chain link gates with barbed wire, this is where the lorries would come and go, I think these access roads used to lead into Ashcroft Road and Cedarcroft Road at the back of the Rediffusion site.

Rediffusion staff were given a 'staff members privilege card', I think that's what it was called?, it allowed for price reductions in any Rediffusion high street shop. I remember using the card in a Rediffusion shop in Sutton high street, south London to buy a Panasonic music centre for my mum and dad.

One unique thing was, years after leaving my job at Rediffusion Chessington, I worked on the same spot 6 years later, but as a hod carrier on a building site where the old Rediffusion site used to be, how unique is that! Working in the same place twice in two different jobs within 6 years.

We were like one big family at Chessington (smashing people), I really miss them days.

Best wishes to all Rediffusion staff everywhere,

Clive. August 6 2016.