UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Powered By Google Custom Search Vintage Radio and TV Service Data

Go Back   UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Discussion Forum > Specific Vintage Equipment > Vintage Television and Video

Notices

Vintage Television and Video Vintage television and video equipment, programmes, VCRs etc.

Closed Thread
 
Thread Tools
Old 19th Feb 2015, 3:01 pm   #41
JaneyB50
Retired Dormant Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: Wirral, Merseyside, UK.
Posts: 1
Default Re: Derwent TV

I remember Vera very well and we exchanged Christmas cards until a couple of years ago. I first met her in Bromley when I worked there in the summer of 1980. I was actually based at Head Office in Liverpool, firstly on placement from my Uni course and then from 1982 in the Personnel department. I really liked Vera and we had a bond as we were both from Lancashire.
JaneyB50 is offline  
Old 10th Jul 2015, 2:32 am   #42
The Necromancer
Retired Dormant Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: Newton-le-Willows, Merseyside, UK.
Posts: 1
Default Re: Derwent TV

In the 1960s my mother worked as a field engineer for Derwent Television, based at Derwent House on London Road in Liverpool (then part of Lancashire) until the late 70s. They ceased trading under the Derwent name in 1987 when they were taken over by Bennet's TV Rentals and these too were taken over by Radio Rentals in the early 1990s).

As a consequence of my mother working for Derwent and our living close by, we as a family had several Derwent television sets between 1962 and 1980. They specialised in the sale, but particularly rental, of quality televisions and radiograms as well as premium home furnishings from manufacturers such as Ercol and G-plan. Ercol manufactured some of the wooden cabinets for Derwent-badged TVs and radiograms. Most of the chassis and components for the TVs were predominantly UK-sourced but they also used some USA-sourced chassis and circuits too and for a while also used some Russian chassis and valve-circuit architecture.

They had strong links with Philips, Marconi and Plessey (which also had a major manufacturing base in Liverpool, later GEC-Plessey) and subsequently with TI/Thorn/EMI and Ferguson.

They were a major retailer and service centre for Marconi radios and particularly radiograms. They had a number of TVs badged with their own name which were predominantly based on the Philips 210 series. The majority of their televisions were names after areas of the English Lake District (Derwent itself being the famous lake). In the late 60s and early 70s their most popular models (based on the Philips 210) were the monochrome 19" Rydal and 23" Windermere. They also produced the 23" Langdale and the Thirlmere which was one of the models with a quality bespoke wooden cabinet.

As Derwent were a rentals company (the most popular way to have a TV in the 60s, 70s and early 80s) and they were responsible for the maintenance of units it was in their interest to ensure they were reliable so they benefited from trusted, proven designs such as the Philips 201 and also good build-quality - they would often modify third-party architecture to ensure this.

With the widespread adoption of colour TV, monochrome units dropped in price and became less popular and Derwent were slow in recognising this. Oddly (especially by today's standards) when their TVs were nearing the end of their economically serviceable life, rather than selling them on it was usual for Derwent to just scrap the units returned to the premises.
The Necromancer is offline  
Old 15th Jul 2015, 5:35 pm   #43
FERNSEH
Dekatron
 
FERNSEH's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, UK.
Posts: 7,444
Default Re: Derwent TV

Quote:
Originally Posted by The Necromancer View Post
With the widespread adoption oddly (especially by today's standards) when their TVs were nearing the end of their economically serviceable life, rather than selling them on it was usual for Derwent to just scrap the units returned to the premises.
There was at the time tax relief benefits for completely writing off the sets as scrap rather than selling them. Also, many rental firms took the view it was better to remove the old sets from the marketplace because quite simply there might be the possibility of of lost sales and rentals due to the sale of the old ex-rental sets.

DFWB.
FERNSEH is online now  
Old 16th Jul 2015, 9:37 am   #44
Peter.N.
Dekatron
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Charmouth, Dorset, UK.
Posts: 3,601
Default Re: Derwent TV

There were still plenty about though but you had to travel to get what you wanted, I bought hundreds.

Peter
Peter.N. is offline  
Old 24th Sep 2015, 9:39 am   #45
Peter Golding
Diode
 
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Torrevieja, Spain
Posts: 2
Default Re: Derwent TV

I knew Vera very well lovely lady
Peter Golding is offline  
Old 13th Jul 2016, 5:41 am   #46
peterlayton
Diode
 
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Posts: 1
Default Re: Derwent TV

Quote:
Originally Posted by G3UPW/PETER View Post
Would be pleased to correspond. Spent nearly all my life at Perivale. Need to email or other means. Have a copy of The happy listener 1937.
Hi Peter, I was at Perivale from 1966 -1969ish. I was employed by Ron Withers. I remember you working upstairs. I started putting backs & cabinets on the Phillips B/W tv's we put together in the factory. I progressed to setting them up & fixing a few. I used to fix the integrated UHF/VHF phillips tuners I heard you guys took on the job upstairs for awhile. I went to Kensington branch to do field service on B/W tv's. Think I left Derwent about 1969/70 'cause I wanted a car. Multibroadcast offered me a job at Staines with a car. I am retired now living in Melbourne Australia. Worked for Varian / Agilent for 32yrs developing ICP-OES ( inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometers )

All the best to you Peter Layton
peterlayton is offline  
Old 15th Jul 2016, 11:17 am   #47
Heatercathodeshort
Dekatron
 
Heatercathodeshort's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Warnham, West Sussex. 10 miles south of DORKING.
Posts: 9,145
Default Re: Derwent TV

Classified advert in 'The Wimbledon Boro News' 2nd November 1956.
I wonder who got the job?
Attached Thumbnails
Click image for larger version

Name:	img352.jpg
Views:	216
Size:	20.6 KB
ID:	127442  
Heatercathodeshort is offline  
Closed Thread

Thread Tools



All times are GMT +1. The time now is 3:34 pm.


All information and advice on this forum is subject to the WARNING AND DISCLAIMER located at https://www.vintage-radio.net/rules.html.
Failure to heed this warning may result in death or serious injury to yourself and/or others.


Powered by vBulletin®
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Copyright ©2002 - 2023, Paul Stenning.