Monday 5th October 1981 - BBC2 - Test Card - Music - Micros in the Classroom

[@brucedanton3669]

Thank you for this of course!!

[@thecelticdruid.6681]

Bring back the test card. I used to love listening to the music.

[@archibaldchuff3557]

Yes, agreed. Quite a fascinating thing as I remember as a kid. The days when television was more precious because you couldn't watch it all day long. It started, then it stopped again for the test card. I would also bring back the globe, complete with mirror. A much more premium look than a bunch of people standing there looking into the camera holding surfboards.

[@bobrew461]

Yeah, swap East Enders for the Test Card! Much more entertaining...

[@brucedanton3669]

You are so right of course-if only too!!

[@dvidclapperton]

​@@archibaldchuff3557 Bring back the weather charts with the magnetic symbols too.

[@grahampearson5670]

Even though the standard channel identity font was twin stripe on BBC2 in 1981, Test Card F still used the 1967 style channel identity caption but that's because it was generated off an expensive and sophisticated piece of equipment called a slide scanner.

[@martyn8999]

how did that work

[@grahampearson5670]

Read about it on the TV Room website.

[@martyn8999]

@@grahampearson5670 thanks

[@archibaldchuff3557]

There were actually two versions of the BBC2 fanfare used on BBC2 start-ups. The one played here is the standard 'premium' version played the majority of times. But there was also a cheaper, more 'twangy' version played more rarely. Listen out for it on here. Not sure why they had 2 versions of the same thing but the rarer version is out there somewhere.

[@archibaldchuff3557]

I was watching the Captain Scarlet boxset recently and Martin King pops up throughout providing the voices of a wide variety of secondary characters, including some very passable american accents. Sadly passed away not too long ago but his memory lives on forever in Gerry Anderson DVDs.

[@angelacooper2661]

I was eleven and had not long started senior school. My first experience with computers occurred the previous year, when a BBC Micro stood in the corner of the classroom at junior school. I well remember playing games on it. In those days, computers consisted of large monitor screens and keyboards. quite primitive!

[@bobrew461]

This was the year of the ZX81. The very computer I used.

[@angelacooper2661]

@@bobrew461 My brother who is older than me, was into computers, and bought a Sinclair ZX Spectrum that he used to play games on at home!

[@brucedanton3669]

@@angelacooper2661 Yes I think I had a Spectrum computer at the time in around 1983 or 1984, I am not too sure but I think it was around that time no doubt. Thank you!

[@iTomAnks]

Anyone know the artist behind the 'Micros In The Classroom' music?