Newsletter 2000

Chelmsford Industrial Museum

Every July, the Museums Service of Chelmsford Borough Council, hold an Open Day at the Museum which is situated at the old Sandford Mill Waterworks.  It is worth paying a visit to view the many artefacts of Chelmsford’s industrial past.  Good representations of Chelmsford’s Industrial pioneers are there with items from Marconi, Crompton, Hoffman, Christy, Clarksons and many more.

The Marconi portion includes the original hut from Writtle where the world’s first wireless broadcast was made in the 1920’s. Subsequently the equipment was moved to New Street for the Dame Nellie Melba broadcast and then more updated equipment went to Marconi House in the Strand for regular broadcasts to the nation. It was from the small beginnings in Writtle that ultimately the Marconi equipment in The Strand was taken over by the British Broadcasting Company later to be known as the British Broadcasting Corporation (The BBC). This is a true fact and one which is never mentioned by the BBC that their organisation was formed from the original Marconi Wireless and Telegraph Company.

Also in the Industrial Museum are the complete range of Television Cameras designed and made in Chelmsford. From the Mark 1 Image Orthicon through to the Mark 9 Leddicon.