Rediffusion (Redihire) Harrow

Rediffusion Harrow was part of the Redihire group providing off-air television reception to the Greater London area.The region covered an area of 1500 sq. miles extending to 30miles North and South of the city and 50 miles to the East and West. The business supported over 76000 subscribers and was entirely Aerial Televisions.

The Harrow Service Manager, Peter Mole, joined the Company in 1963 at Park Royal as the Senior Vision Engineer and later became Service Supervisor there.
The Service Supervisor was Bill Pingram who joined Redihire in 1959 to take charge of the Palmers Green workshop. He transferred to the Harrow branch in 1967 to supervise in turn the Watford and Harrow service centres.

Michael Moore was the Service Supervisor at Park Royal. He joined the Region in 1966 at Harrow and one year later was appointed Deputy at Watford. He was promoted to Supervisor of the Harrow Service Centre in 1971. The Deputy Service Supervisor was Peter Hill. He joined the team at Park Royal in 1971 and was appointed to this position in 1974.

The Harrow workshop was supervised by Mr Skibington (Skib) in the early 1970's. Terry Bates who defected from Derwent in 1968 was promoted to this position in 1974. Nigel Clift took on the role in th late 1970's, his deputy being Chris Staplton.

The business was acquired with the Granada takeover in 1984 and the service branch closed. The building was demolished sometime later. See pictures.

John Buckle, who worked at the Harrow branch as a service engineer from 1973 until it's closure has supplied some pictures of the workshop and staff taken during his time there. He also is the proud owner of a Ford Escort Rediffusion service car still in the Rediffusion livery and looking as good as the day it was new.