Rediffusion Central Services

Associated Companies in over 175 towns in Great Britain and in Barbados, Bermuda. Canada, Ceylon, Guyana,
Hong Kong, Jamaica, Malaya, Malta, Singapore, South Africa, Trinidad and West Africa etc.

After a year or so, I relinquished the writing part of the job, and spent all my time instructing, after becoming familiar with all the Television and Cable Vision courses. I also followed Jack Peacock on the Network Planning course and the Push-Button Remote Control course.

In 1976 Dick Scrine retired, and I took over as Head of Training and Publications Division. Following Parkinson (divide and rule) I appointed Stuart Wright as Head of Training, and Bill Gibson as Head of Publications. I also inherited from Dick the thrice-yearly task of editing the Rediffusion Technical Supplement, which we renamed ‘Rediffusion Engineering’. I enjoyed getting to grips with print technology (but I could never learn to use picas as units of length). We also had the major task of keeping the Engineering Manual up to date, and so we ran our own litho print shop. (Our first word processors used 8” floppies.)

During the following years, as technology moved on, we were required to develop training courses on 625 and dual-standard receivers, transistors, colour receivers, VCRs and Prestel.

Other developments in the next few years included the provision of audio-visual and video training aids for the Regions. The Industrial Training Act led to the establishment of Regional Training Officers, and eventually the Youth Training Scheme, which we administered from Poulton. We also ran the Technicians’ Merit Examinations.

Memoirs of: Jake Loddington. Head of Rediffusion Training and Publications Division

To read Jake Loddington's "Nostalgia Time" follow the link !

Tel: 0253 882278

Rediffusion Central Services Limited

Training and Publications Division,
The Manor, Moorland Road, Poulton-le-Fylde, Blackpool. FY6 7HA

In September 1954 I joined Rediffusion (East Midlands) at the Nottingham branch as a Junior Maintenance Engineer (JME), maintaining substation and central control audio equipment.

Jake in early days as JME, with an A126 at Manvers substation, adjusting the quiescent current of the V1505 output triodes.

In July 1956 I became Senior Equipment Engineer, and then attended the Advanced Audio Maintenance course at the Central Training School at Poulton. I fell in love with the place, and commented to my wife that I’d like a job there.

In June 1959 I was about to be promoted to Regional Test Engineer when a vacancy was advertised at Poulton. I was interviewed by Dick Scrine, and was offered the job.

So we moved to the North-West, and in September 1959 I began work at The Manor, as 50% Technical Writer (for the Engineering Manual) and 50% Technical Instructor. Despite my familiarity with audio equipment, I knew very little about television receivers, and so there was a lot to learn from Bob Hull, Joe O’Connor and Jack Peacock.

The staff of The Central Training School at The Manor in April 1959, five months before Jake arrived.

In 1985 came the Granada take-over, and on Friday 15 March, the Manor finally closed. I took early retirement, and in September I began a second career at Queen Elizabeth’s Grammar School in Blackburn, teaching IT and generally organising the computer facilities.

And in 1991 I retired for good..

The staff of The Manor in 1985, just before the closure.

Click the thumbnail below for a large image.