Thames Start Up and ITV Schools Slide - 1 February 1979

Thames TV start-up leading into networked schools standby from ATV, and a one-minute in-house edit of 'Frivolity'. Thanks to Robin Carmody for dating this to Thursday 1 February 1979. I do not claim ownership of this file - I had believed it to have originally came from MHP Chat, but this appears now not to be the case. If anyone objects to this posting I will happily remove the file.

[@stevebirch7175]

What a wonderful piece of music.

[@BruceDanton-xw6eg]

Yes it is too why not there too.

[@jacksugden8190]

As I well remember aged just 13 in 1979

[@brucedanton]

Thank you for the posting-it brings back many memories! It is nice to hear the voice of Philip Elsmore (senior Thames Television announcer) here. For those of us here in the London region who grew up with Thames, it makes me rather sad when you think they were were replaced with Carlton in 1993, and all the worse for it too! Also, it is nice to see the ATV flash zoom ident, which was the best ITV ident by far (well, in my view anyway!)

[@brucedanton3669]

And yes, indeed it is so too of course-but thank you anyway!!

[@brucedanton3669]

And thank you for that too-well done of course!!

[@BruceDanton-xw6eg]

And yes very nice too as before.

[@BMGraham]

I remember this and loved this music, I had forgotten all about it until I found this. I love those violins, especially when they go up the scale around 2:15. If I remember correctly I used to turn on the TV at the same time just so I could listen to this, when I could (I think it was during school time so it was only during vacations).

[@robmortimer4150]

Amazing how the quality of something from 1979 can be better than mid 80's VHS. If this is a home recording then I presume it was a nv1700 or similar, and the quality is impressive

[@kurtvanderbogarde8402]

What's that at the start of the clip? Horse racing?

[@kurtvanderbogarde8402]

all grotty old video once looked pristine on the original TV screen. Just like all b/w TV in the 60s once looked pristine whereas telerecordings make it all look like old 30s Ealing film prints.

[@bpage4132]

I love this piece,and still brings me back in my old schooldays

[@PeterRapley-gv5vt]

We heard this on a Friday morning in April 1982, when the then Holy Father Pope (now Saint) John Paul II came to visit this country.

[@sjmachrihanish]

I used to lap this stuff up. I have compact cassettes full of BBC trade test transmission instrumentals. Many thanks for posting, I haven't heard these two great themes for decades.

[@CaptainSiCo]

SJ Machrihanish I was exactly the same. Taped hours and hours of testcard/interval/schools music. I never imagined there were so many other people doing the same thing!! Frivolity (the tune over the Schools slide) epitomises ITV Schools for me.

[@RobertHellier]

I remember watching television for schools on black and white schools set then two years later we went colour watched these programmes live, way before video recorders were installed

[@Nige031077]

I was one year and four months old at the time. But knowing my family, it was probably on in the background.

[@garyhunt8067]

That music 🎶. Just to start the morning.

[@christopherhayes2556]

why on earth would anyone object to this posting some of the finest sooyhing music ever heard used to switch on tv just to hear this when staying at relatives house at southend during school hols

[@hectorlupino]

I remember the music playing over the clock! So now I know what it's called, thanks!

[@RETROCAM73]

Thank you I really enjoyed this February 1979 on the 17th I was 6 the music made the hairs on my neck stand up don't know why 😊👍🏻

[@CaptainSiCo]

Thanks for clarifying the date, Robin.

[@laurajane7452]

Thank you took me straight back to school days in hall watching the wheel in television

[@matelot95]

Jesus wept! That 1 minute of 'Frivolity' came flooding back like you wouldn't believe! I'm back on the setee in me mam's house, off school, and as bad as a dog. Thanks!

[@massivley]

I remember the music well when having a sick day off from school

[@cliveevans9795]

Muuum I don't feel well . today

[@cliveevans9795]

And a bunk

[@melaniebrady6670]

Oh my gosh! I remember those tunes, I was only 7.

[@CaptainSiCo]

I remember being off school because of the caretakers' strike that term, and remember several slides used - including the ski-er one which is on here somewhere.

[@RobRobintv]

Amazing bit of real continuity.....

[@chloelaw1818]

Living in Mid wales and watching the Granada start up was boring. That was a still, then breifly ATV and finally HTV. Theirs was a short film around Wales. I have finally listened to the extended version of "Salute to Thames" and what a tune it is. I thought it would be sounded in a F note (The animation of the skyline ident that I am used to and the music it accomplies). It sounded different and more triumphant and that sneaky ident tune right at the end.

[@201081hero]

Excellent clip that with "Chateaux" playing over the clock - speaking of which I thought this version of it was introduced after the ITV strike...?

[@bpage4132]

Oh yes,I recognise the theme tune for schools clock,which was used in the children`s TV series called Count Duckula.

[@CaptainSiCo]

Lack of footage confirmed as being from Autumn 1978 makes it hard to be sure. Certainly that would appear to make more sense, but it could have as much to do with an ATV rebrand than anything else. The school of thought for a long time was that the clock changed in Autumn 1979 - I clearly remembered it was around in Spring 1979 but couldn't prove it until this footage turned up!

[@CaptainSiCo]

Frivolity by Andrew Jackman

[@IainLucey1972]

fabulous clip!!!! all those years ago!!!!!!!!!!

[@darrenbrunning841]

Thank Captain- it's very very similar!

[@56postoffice]

Man,I remember this!!! Thanks for the upload:D

[@paultynan399]

56postoffice

[@CaptainSiCo]

This version of the clock was actually introduced in January 1979, despite it being a common misconception that it was introduced later that year after the strike.

[@grahampearson5670]

The ITV Schools clock seen in this video definitely came out in early 1979 and was more substantial than the older one it replaced.

[@TumbleTower]

Actually I think this version of the clock was first used Autumn Term 1978.

[@LuannOsbourne]

5:38 cool song to remind me of someone who I love

[@RobinCarmody]

The actual date of this clip is Thursday 1st February 1979.

[@LuannOsbourne]

Love uk music

[@WillCWilson]

0:00-0:08 Get this fuckin' baseball crowd ass shit out of the way! Thames is taking over, to bring you some real quality shit! We gon' give ya some great stuff, Benny Hill, Danger Mouse, Wind in the Willows, Count Duckula, The World at War, and all that other great stuff the people want! We gon' blast our big 'Salute to Thames' fanfare, so we can let the people know that WE are the ONE!

[@CaptainSiCo]

@RobinCarmody Robin, can I ask how you dated the recording? I only ask this because either this schools slide, or a very similar slide, was used during w/c 19th March. It was unusual, though not unheard of, for the same slide to be used more than once a term.

[@CaptainSiCo]

@Phil Durrant Similar but not the same, Phil. It cropped up on a trailer for Rosemary and Thyme though.

[@darrenbrunning841]

Wasn't the schools music used by Yorkshire TV for In Lovely Memory as well?

[@garrysimpson1395]

What was the music on the ITV for Schools and Colleges slides I rember it at the time and it is great

[@CJODell12]

Looks like they're having technical problems during the first few seconds.

[@mattypad777]

Associated television logo has been found

[@CaptainSiCo]

Matthews piston cup vids aka.Danny bro 19# ICE - I don’t think it was ever lost!!

[@CaptainSiCo]

I'm pretty sure this is Thursday 22nd March 1979.

[@andrewrobertsheehy]

This brought back memorys! Whats this music called?

[@34tohayes]

Perpetuum Mobile

[@CaptainSiCo]

I think it's just the quality of the recording'

[@RobinCarmody]

@CaptainSiCo via TV Times listings.

[@christopherhayes2556]

sorry that should have read soothing

[@melaniebrady6670]

I miss Thames and LWT....just rubbish Carlton TV now.

[@CaptainSiCo]

Melanie Brady Not even Carlton now - though that name is still sometimes used internally. "ITV London" is the new name of the service 7 days a week, and just branded on-air as ITV. I miss the regional ITV stations!

[@melaniebrady6670]

When did it change to ITV London?

[@CaptainSiCo]

28th October 2002!

[@melaniebrady6670]

Thank you

[@stigwardduke7546]

And ATV was the best of the stations.

[@sirachasauce3426]

What happened with the signal at 0:00

[@solojinglesradio1]

You'll never know the magic of a recording into another recording, lad...

[@TheRejekstan]

Why at the beginning, the music is distorted?

[@solojinglesradio1]

You'll never know the magic of a recording into another recording, lad... again for you man