RTS London Centre has produced an online event to celebrate this milestone, and this article contains links to other sites and sources we think will interest you.

A good starting place is the BBC’s own history site, with a huge range of archive footage and oral history interviews with some key figures, including Biddy Baxter MBE, Editor of Blue Peter for 23 years.

Here is the opening sequence of the “First Night” variety programme created for the launch on 29th June 1960 - here is that evening’s schedule. 

The BBC created a handbook for staff working at TVC in the 60’s, which you can find here.

There are also some programmes looking back at more recent TVC experiences, such as this one from BBC Four: Tales of Television Centre - Getting Lost in Television Centre.

As well as the BBC websites, there are several excellent sites created and managed by ex-employees, often engineers or operational staff, who are passionate about preserving the knowledge and memories of this iconic building.

• This is The Tech Ops History site, curated by former cameraman Bernard Newnham
• This is the BBC VT site, curated by former videotape editor Chris Booth. It hosts a spectacular video showing the building of TVC in five stages
• This site is curated by lighting director Martin Kempton
• This celebratory video is by Ed Stradling
• Television Centre on Google streetview - just wander round
• Finally, here’s a link to a members-only Facebook group for current and ex-staff, sharing memories of working at TVC.

Graham Dawbarn, TVC Architect