Department No. XI · The Complete Set
From the census of 1801 to decimal day, twelve occasions on which the record shows that things went, very largely, to plan.
Footnote 01
At 8.45 p.m. on Good Friday the BBC's news announcer reported that there was no news, and piano music was played instead. The edition had been judged too dull even for the wireless. Listeners received fifteen minutes of piano and no correction was ever required.
Record. BBC Written Archives; Radio Times listing for 18 April 1930.
Footnote 02
On 5 February 1924 the BBC first broadcast the Greenwich time signal of six pips from the Royal Observatory. The pips have since marked the hour with minimal variation. The sixth pip remains the longest, as arranged.
Record. Royal Observatory Greenwich; BBC engineering logs.
Footnote 03
On 24 July 1936 the General Post Office introduced the speaking clock, dialled as TIM, in the voice of Ethel Cain. Callers were told the time at ten-second intervals. The service was accurate, polite, and entirely unstartled by night or day.
Record. BT Archives; Post Office Engineering Department report, 1936.
Footnote 04
Since 1 January 1924 the BBC has broadcast the shipping forecast for the sea areas around the British Isles, read slowly at 0048 and 0520. Viking, Forties, Dogger, FitzRoy and the others have reported rain, fog, and moderate seas without embellishment. Fishermen took notes; landlubbers fell asleep gratefully.
Record. Met Office archive; BBC Programme Records.
Footnote 05
On 10 March 1801 overseers of the poor returned the first modern census of Great Britain, counting some 10.5 million persons in England, Wales and Scotland. The forms were collected without procession or incident. Parliament noted the total and proceeded to other business.
Record. The National Archives, HO 67; 1801 Census abstracts, House of Commons.
Footnote 06
On 31 October 1951 the first official zebra crossing was installed in Slough, with Belisha beacons and stripes as prescribed. Pedestrians stepped out; motorists stopped. No parade was held, which would have blocked the crossing.
Record. Ministry of Transport file MT 39; Berkshire archives.
Footnote 07
In October 1959 the Post Office began the first postcode trial at Norwich, prefix NOR, to aid mechanical sorting. Residents addressed their letters with the new code as instructed. Sorting improved slightly, and no envelope complained.
Record. The Postal Museum Archive; Post Office report on the Norwich experiment, 1961.
Footnote 08
From 12 September 1960 cars over ten years old required an annual Ministry of Transport test of brakes, lights and steering. Garages applied the prescribed checklist. Many vehicles passed; others were repaired and then passed, without ceremony.
Record. Ministry of Transport circular; MOT test registers.
Footnote 09
At 04.50 on Dagen H Sweden switched from left- to right-hand driving by prior arrangement. All non-essential traffic stopped, waited, and moved across at the signal. The accident rate fell thereafter, to the mild satisfaction of all concerned.
Record. Swedish National Archives; Dagen H Commission report, 1968.
Footnote 10
On Monday 15 February 1971 sterling became decimal at one hundred new pence to the pound, following years of booklets and television explanation. Banks, shut since the previous Thursday, reopened on time. Shoppers divided by 2.4 as taught and carried on.
Record. Decimal Currency Board final report; Bank of England archive.
Footnote 11
At 11 a.m. on 11 November 1919 the nation observed the first two-minute silence for the Armistice, at the King's request. Traffic stopped, telephones went unanswered, and the silence lasted the full two minutes. It has been repeated annually since, with the same absence of remarks.
Record. The National Archives, CAB 24; The Times, 12 November 1919.
Footnote 12
At its Thursday sitting of 7 November 2019 the Institute approved the minutes of its previous Thursday sitting without amendment. The vote was unanimous and the biscuits were plain. This, the Registrar notes, is house lore rather than world history, and is filed accordingly.
Record. Institute Minute Book No. 1, p. 14; attendance register.