Belmont transmitter

Here is a statement from the BBC Engineering Department, courtesy of Ceefax Page 698 and edited slightly by me (because they can't put a proper sentence together!):

The mast at Belmont (Lincolnshire) is to have its stays greased from today (26th April). This is to renew their weather protection.

In order to protect the engineers, there will be periods of reduced power and some short shutdowns on all television and radio services.

This work is predicted to end on 23rd May (weather permitting). An allowance has been made for bad weather, but may need to be increased for lengthy periods of bad weather.

Sorry, but the idea of having your stays greased, on a hot sunny morning like this, just gives me this image of the Les Dawson character chatting over the garden wall!

Really? for some reason it makes me think of someone washing their armpits! lol!

(stick yer aerials up, I want to grease under them!)

Err... maybe I should stay off the Pepsi for a while!

I can just see an army of NTL engineers making their way down there now with the packs of Anchor butter and Lard!

I wish to regiser my disgust at the unneccessary use of the word "Belmont".

It is, without hyperbole, the dullest conversation piece in the world, and despite it serving only a (relative) handful of people, it is mentioned more than any other transmitter I have ever heard of.

That it all.

Oh, come on! Its a fine piece of engineering. Apparently the height is due to the large number of services designed to be accommodated , rather than a rash desire to lump bits of North Yorkshire in with North Norfolk

You had :-

Channel 13 BBC1 North TV
Band II BBC network VHF-FM radio
Channel 7 Anglia TV
Combined network UHF TV (proposed)
Meteorological radar (later)

Without the ITA's foresight and planning where would we be today?

+ Bluebell Hill type twin pylon at Caistor Top - (North region/Yorks TV)
+ Old Skegness relay re-used as medium power UHF relay - (EM/Ang)
+ A full mast somewhere north-east of Grantham - (EM/Cen)
+ A full mast (say) at Great Massingham - (E/Ang)
+ Medium power relay somewhere up near Brid (North/Yorks)
+ Relays around Ollerton/Worksop (EM or North/Yorks)

It doesn't bear thinking about, er.. does it?

And without it u couldn't watch TV (except via Satellite

It's better than the David H days of discussion about the Bilsdale transmitter, surely?

I'm happy to discuss any of them except Tacloneston!

In all seriousness isn't the stay greasing in relation to preventing another Emley Moor MkII incident as Belmont (and Winter Hill) are the same design?

Just basic maintenance, I doubt the design faults that caused the collapse would still be present on the other 2 masts

And you can't beat an evening's conversation about good old Huntshaw Cross! I could go on for ages about that!

Whereas North Hessary Tor has real class.