Wireless in Wales Museum, Denbigh

On July 17 Rotarian Tim Webb organised a visit to the Wireless in Wales Museum in  the Canolfan Iaith           (Welsh Language Centre) in Lenten Pool, Denbigh.  To guide us through the complexities of broadcasting was David Crawford, who until his retirement, was the senior broadcasting engineer with the BBC.

We were given an overview about the beginning of radio broadcasting in Wales.  The first transmission  was in 1923 when 5WA opened in Cardiff and in 1937 the BBC Welsh Region commenced broadcasting. In 1945 the Welsh Home Service was on air.  Welsh language broadcasting began early on and at times was broadcast throughout  the UK.

David described the technical advances from the valve radios and crystal sets (Cat's Whiskers) of the 1920's to the developments in the 1930's with mains electricity and easier tuning capability to the transistor radios of the 1960's (It is much more complicated than I have made out here!) 

The photographs in the slide show will give  some idea of the radios in the exhibition.

The museum was set up  by David Jones, a former mayor of Denbigh and himself a broadcasting engineer, from  a large collection of radios and broadcasting items assembled over many years. David sadly died a few weeks before the museum was opened.