A 20min tour of The Radio Museum, Watchet - as visited by The British Broadcasting Century

The Radio Museum at Watchet on the Somerset coast is such a marvellous place if, like me, you love a bit of radio history. Neil Wilson was a generous host and gave us a tour around his fabulous collection.

This museum was based in Washford from 1993, then moved a few years ago to its new home a few miles north, in the former Anchor Inn.

Like so many attractions, it’s suffered a lack of footfall since the pandemic, so if you enjoy this video tour, plan to go and visit yourself (it’s free! But donations in the tin…) and tell them we sent you.

In this video, Paul Kerensa of The British Broadcasting Century Podcast chats to Neil and sees everything from early BBC microphones to vintage TVs, via transmitters and radio sets from every decade of the last 100 years. The first Radio Times rubs shoulders with WW2-era mobile recording devices. Plus literature, early BBC gramophone records, and the archive of announcer Stuart Hibberd.

If you’re not interested in broadcasting history, there are other areas of the internet for you. But if you are… enjoy.

Some audio from this video will appear on a future episode of The British Broadcasting Century podcast: podfollow.com/bbcentury

Visit the museum: Details at www.radiomuseum.uk - open Wed-Sat, 10:30am-5pm - but check before travelling. Tip generously. It’s fab. Thanks Neil for the tour!