Originally printed in Gair Rhydd
Nestled in the corner of Cardiff’s National Museum is a brand-new exhibit that celebrates a century of BBC broadcasting in Wales. It’s completely free and well worth a visit. It explores every aspect since it’s very beginning, particularly as radio and then television.
The exhibit begins with an emphasis on a gradual process to Wales-centric transmissions. The British Broadcasting Company opened its Cardiff station in 1923, visualised through many of the very first radios still in very good shape – of course, television would follow a few decades later. As a separate Welsh Region comes into effect approaching the Second World War, I found it interesting how listeners would hear everything from household tips, children’s stories to the all-important headlines in the Welsh language. The introduction of television in Wales too is fascinating – there’s lots of bulky, original TVs emitting black-and-white Welsh landscapes. The exhibit pays tribute to Welsh broadcasters like Brian Hoey and later, comedians Ryan Davies and Ronnie Williams. A brilliantly garish 1970s living room is recreated with lots of little details to explore - It looks much like Del Boy’s flat from Only Fools and Horses, and suitably you can hanker down on the sofa and get a taste of the Christmas programming.
There is also a very sweet section on children’s programming, including a treasure trove cabinet of vintage merchandise, including a slightly worn Basil Brush puppet, the Wombles, Paddington, and more contemporary artifacts from Blue Peter. I was very moved by the original Bagpuss puppet, still shining pristine in his cuteness. As you turn into the hall it’s hard to miss a TARDIS – the Eleventh Doctor Matt Smith’s version in particular, Who fanatics – and lurking behind, a brilliantly-bronzed Dalek and Jodie Whittaker’s costume, for perhaps the most significant programme to be produced by BBC Wales in recent years is Doctor Who. The exhibit illustrates how very familiar locations in Cardiff and beyond have been utilised in filming, with the series continuing to go strength to strength with new Doctor Ncuti Gatwa shooting in Cardiff Bay’s “Bad Wolf Studios”, a huge aircraft carrier-like building! I found screens of Welsh pioneers of computer-generated effects on TV discussing their work - creating aliens, spaceships and alien worlds for example - very revealing. There’s also great costumes to be examined from Sherlock, His Dark Materials and Keeping Faith. You can have great fun recording your own news bulletin from a BBC Wales newsdesk if you fancy yourself a presenter.
If that doesn’t sound like a lot to look and have a go at, the museum is also running special family events. It just so happened that on the day of my visit they had many opportunities, including getting a fake wound by a leading make-up artist on Casualty, dressing up as a favourite Doctor Who, and listening to violinist students from the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama play a variety of TV themes amidst a gallery of paintings. It’s a fabulous experience for all.
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