2LO London Radio Circle - membership badge (1920’s)
2LO London Radio Circle was a Children’s Hour listeners club established in 1923 and run by the British Broadcasting Company (BBC). The first daily Children’s Hour program was transmitted from London on the 23rd December 1922 and proved so popular it continued to be broadcast by the BBC until 1964. The BBC’s Children’s Hour format was quickly adopted by other regional and national radio stations, of whom many had also set up their own listener’s radio clubs and who issued their own distinctive badges. Membership of a Radio Circle club cost one shilling (1/-) to join, for which the newly enrolled member received a personalised certificate, membership badge, handbook and could attend organised events as well as enter competitions. Continued membership thereafter was by an annual subscription of one shilling.
2LO (822 kHz) was the callsign designated to the second radio station which broadcast scheduled programs from Marconi House in London. By May 1922, seeing the commercial potential of radio broadcasting, Marconi's company was in talks with wireless set manufactures and other interested organizations to set up more broadcasting stations around the country under an umbrella organization called the British Broadcasting Company, who began transmitting 2LO from the 14th November 1922. BBC’s 2LO ceased on the 9th March 1930 when it was replaced by the restructured British Broadcasting Corporation’s regional and national radio stations. The new BBC radio stations also continued their Children’s Hour clubs until 1934, issuing very different and less individualised badges.
.
References:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2LO (About the 2LO radio callsign in use from 11th May 1922 until 9th March 1930, when it was superseded by the BBC Regional and National radio transmissions. The original Marconi 2LO radio transmitter is on display at the Science Museum in London.)
www.radiorewind.co.uk/radio2/2lo_page.htm (Short history of BBC Radio 2LO).
www.mds975.co.uk/archive/Content/ukradio.html (Early history of radio in Britain. The first radio transmissions for voice and music was broadcast in 1920 from Guglielmo Marconi’s experimental Radio 2MT station which was located at Writtle in Essex. Radio 2MT began public broadcasting from 14th February 1922. At first, a radio reception could only be picked up using crystal radio sets and it was from the early 1920’s when the development of the domestic electric radio set went hand-in-hand with the growth in radio listeners.)
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Children%27s_Hour (BBC Children’s Hour radio programme, 1923-1964. Each program was broadcast from daily from 5:15pm to 6pm weekdays, 5pm to 5:45pm Saturdays & not broadcast on Sundays.)
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BBC_Regional_Programme (Outline history of the early BBC radio, including lists of the local relay and regional stations. In September 1939 just before the outbreak of WW2, the regional stations were subsumed into one service called the BBC Home Service and regional services resumed after the war ended in 1945.)
www.facebook.com/lostworldLE/ (This Facebook account - The lost world of light entertainment has a few snippets of information about the BBC Radio Circle clubs
Quoted from the BBC Radio Archives, this gives an insight into the club’s intentions.... “From 1923, individual stations formed Radio Circles (also known by names such as the Fairy League and the Radio Sunbeams, depending on the station). The Radio Circles were essentially clubs for 'Children’s Hour' listeners, who paid a membership fee of one shilling (this was later replaced by an annual subscription). Members received a Radio Circle badge and other gifts such as a certificate or calendar and were also invited to events such as picnics and Christmas parties, yet the main function of the Circles (other than encouraging links between children and the BBC) was to motivate children to devote time and energy to good causes in their local areas”.)
www.facebook.com/lostworldLE/photos/a.736597719718569.107... (Each new member to the BBC Radio Circle was welcomed to the club and got their standard membership pack comprising of a colourful certificate, welcoming letter and an enamel badge in its presentation box. A different design of certificate was issued each year. A badge was issued only once on joining the club and membership thereafter was by annual subscription upon payment of the fee. This membership pack was issued in 1931.
The letter reads: My dear "Nephew," I have much pleasure in sending you your Radio Circle badge, which I hope you will wear regularly. You are now a full member of the London and Daventry Radio Circle, which entitles you to have your birthday greetings broadcast and to take part in competitions. We hope you will help us by letting us know at regular intervals exactly what you do or do not like in the Children's Hour programmes, and by taking part in the various activities of the Circle, as you may hear about them either over the microphone or in the "Radio Times". When you write to us, will you always give us your full name and your full address, and put the words "Radio Circle Member" underneath your signature. With very best wishes from us all, Yours sincerely, Alan Howland ("Columbus")
www.fotolibra.com/gallery/934840/membership-certificate-f... (BBC Radio Circle 1929 membership certificate).
.
Enamels: 3 (blue, red & white).
Finish: Gilt.
Material: Brass.
Fixer: Pin.
Size: ¾” diameter (19mm).
Process: Die stamped.
Imprint: No maker’s name or mark. A membership number 11322 is stamped into the reverse side.
2LO London Radio Circle - membership badge (1920’s)
2LO London Radio Circle was a Children’s Hour listeners club established in 1923 and run by the British Broadcasting Company (BBC). The first daily Children’s Hour program was transmitted from London on the 23rd December 1922 and proved so popular it continued to be broadcast by the BBC until 1964. The BBC’s Children’s Hour format was quickly adopted by other regional and national radio stations, of whom many had also set up their own listener’s radio clubs and who issued their own distinctive badges. Membership of a Radio Circle club cost one shilling (1/-) to join, for which the newly enrolled member received a personalised certificate, membership badge, handbook and could attend organised events as well as enter competitions. Continued membership thereafter was by an annual subscription of one shilling.
2LO (822 kHz) was the callsign designated to the second radio station which broadcast scheduled programs from Marconi House in London. By May 1922, seeing the commercial potential of radio broadcasting, Marconi's company was in talks with wireless set manufactures and other interested organizations to set up more broadcasting stations around the country under an umbrella organization called the British Broadcasting Company, who began transmitting 2LO from the 14th November 1922. BBC’s 2LO ceased on the 9th March 1930 when it was replaced by the restructured British Broadcasting Corporation’s regional and national radio stations. The new BBC radio stations also continued their Children’s Hour clubs until 1934, issuing very different and less individualised badges.
.
References:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2LO (About the 2LO radio callsign in use from 11th May 1922 until 9th March 1930, when it was superseded by the BBC Regional and National radio transmissions. The original Marconi 2LO radio transmitter is on display at the Science Museum in London.)
www.radiorewind.co.uk/radio2/2lo_page.htm (Short history of BBC Radio 2LO).
www.mds975.co.uk/archive/Content/ukradio.html (Early history of radio in Britain. The first radio transmissions for voice and music was broadcast in 1920 from Guglielmo Marconi’s experimental Radio 2MT station which was located at Writtle in Essex. Radio 2MT began public broadcasting from 14th February 1922. At first, a radio reception could only be picked up using crystal radio sets and it was from the early 1920’s when the development of the domestic electric radio set went hand-in-hand with the growth in radio listeners.)
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Children%27s_Hour (BBC Children’s Hour radio programme, 1923-1964. Each program was broadcast from daily from 5:15pm to 6pm weekdays, 5pm to 5:45pm Saturdays & not broadcast on Sundays.)
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BBC_Regional_Programme (Outline history of the early BBC radio, including lists of the local relay and regional stations. In September 1939 just before the outbreak of WW2, the regional stations were subsumed into one service called the BBC Home Service and regional services resumed after the war ended in 1945.)
www.facebook.com/lostworldLE/ (This Facebook account - The lost world of light entertainment has a few snippets of information about the BBC Radio Circle clubs
Quoted from the BBC Radio Archives, this gives an insight into the club’s intentions.... “From 1923, individual stations formed Radio Circles (also known by names such as the Fairy League and the Radio Sunbeams, depending on the station). The Radio Circles were essentially clubs for 'Children’s Hour' listeners, who paid a membership fee of one shilling (this was later replaced by an annual subscription). Members received a Radio Circle badge and other gifts such as a certificate or calendar and were also invited to events such as picnics and Christmas parties, yet the main function of the Circles (other than encouraging links between children and the BBC) was to motivate children to devote time and energy to good causes in their local areas”.)
www.facebook.com/lostworldLE/photos/a.736597719718569.107... (Each new member to the BBC Radio Circle was welcomed to the club and got their standard membership pack comprising of a colourful certificate, welcoming letter and an enamel badge in its presentation box. A different design of certificate was issued each year. A badge was issued only once on joining the club and membership thereafter was by annual subscription upon payment of the fee. This membership pack was issued in 1931.
The letter reads: My dear "Nephew," I have much pleasure in sending you your Radio Circle badge, which I hope you will wear regularly. You are now a full member of the London and Daventry Radio Circle, which entitles you to have your birthday greetings broadcast and to take part in competitions. We hope you will help us by letting us know at regular intervals exactly what you do or do not like in the Children's Hour programmes, and by taking part in the various activities of the Circle, as you may hear about them either over the microphone or in the "Radio Times". When you write to us, will you always give us your full name and your full address, and put the words "Radio Circle Member" underneath your signature. With very best wishes from us all, Yours sincerely, Alan Howland ("Columbus")
www.fotolibra.com/gallery/934840/membership-certificate-f... (BBC Radio Circle 1929 membership certificate).
.
Enamels: 3 (blue, red & white).
Finish: Gilt.
Material: Brass.
Fixer: Pin.
Size: ¾” diameter (19mm).
Process: Die stamped.
Imprint: No maker’s name or mark. A membership number 11322 is stamped into the reverse side.