Sgroliwch i lawr i weld y fersiwn Gymraeg Bethan Williams is the Head of Centre, north Wales and writes about an important milestone for the studios in Bangor. What do a camel, a piano stool and chrysanthemums have in common? It’s an odd combination, I know, but they all have an important part to play in the celebrations this November to mark 80 years since the BBC opened its studios in Bangor. In November 1935 the BBC moved into Bryn Meirion, and there started 80 years of broadcasting from north Wales. Eight decades later our centre in Bangor is still a hive of activity, employing around 80 members of staff and producing around 50 hours a week of radio broadcasts for Radio Cymru, with additional output on Radio Wales and television news and for online services in both languages.

Staff at BBC Bangor

In March this year we launched an appeal asking members of the public to contact us with their memories of BBC Bangor over the years. It was a chance for me, too, to wipe off the dust of the BBC’s archive and learn more about the history. A bust of Sam Jones in reception is a daily reminder to all staff that he was the first boss at BBC Bangor - and he set the tone for the rest of us. He was a pioneer for Welsh and English language radio programmes from north Wales. One newspaper headline referred to him as the “whirlwind of Welsh radio”.

Sam Jones was the first boss at BBC Bangor known as the “whirlwind of Welsh radio”

From our storage appeared good old-fashioned photo albums, full of black and white (and sepia) pictures of major events over the decades. I have spent many an hour looking at pictures of Sam Jones, Triawd y Coleg, Myfanwy Howell, Gari Williams, Gareth Glyn, I.B. Griffith, Bedwyr Lewis Jones, R Alun Evans, John Roberts Williams and much, much more home-grown talent. But for a period during the Second World War new superstars arrived in Bangor, as the BBC’s variety department moved in to avoid the bombings. People like Tommy Handley, Arthur Askey and Charlie Chester lived and worked in and around Bangor for 30 months, making the popular radio programmes of the day. For me personally, one of the best stories I have read is the way the BBC contacted 432 of its staff to tell them they needed to catch a train to Bangor. In the days before mobile phones, texts and emails, a news story was included in a radio bulletin stating that a camel was ill at London Zoo - this was the code to tell staff they were being evacuated. So that explains the camel connection… What about the piano stool? We have a piano at BBC Bangor - there’s nothing unusual about that. But the piano stool that’s tucked under the keyboard is of great interest. It has the letters “BBC” carved into the frame. We haven’t been able to prove its provenance, but my gut instinct is that it has been in Bangor since the days of the variety department, and was one piece of kit that did not go back to London with the staff.

Henry Lewis visited BBC Bangor recently

And that leads me to chrysanthemums! When we launched our appeal for memories we were contacted by two former members of staff, both now 96 years old. Aelwyn Roberts was a producer and Henry Lewis was the BBC gardener. These two gentlemen came into Bryn Meirion to record their memories and for me, that afternoon, talking to people about the old days, has been the highlight of the celebrations so far. I didn’t know until then that there used to be greenhouses on site. Mr Lewis grew vegetables that were then cooked and eaten in the BBC canteen. But he was also a dab hand at growing chrysanthemums - and these would appear in vases in not only in Bryn Meirion, they were also taken to Cardiff, when staff travelled south, to adorn the reception area there. But they were also Mrs Sam Jones’ favourite flowers - and a regular supply appeared at their home, too. Mr Lewis is still very proud of his chrysanthemums and has great tips for any budding gardeners. Some of the memories gathered will be now used in our output during the first week of November, and artefacts will be displayed in reception at Bryn Meirion for visitors to the building to see.

Dathlu 80 mlynedd o ddarlledu o Fangor

Bethan Williams yw Pennaeth y BBC yng ngogledd Cymru ac mae’n ysgrifennu am garreg filltir bwysig i’r stiwdios ym Mangor. Beth sydd gan gamel, stôl biano a chrysanthemums yn gyffredin? Mae’n gyfuniad rhyfedd, mi wn, ond mae ganddynt ran bwysig i’w chwarae yn y dathliadau fis Tachwedd i nodi 80 mlynedd ers i’r BBC agor ei stiwdio ym Mangor. Ym mis Tachwedd 1935 symudodd y BBC i mewn i Fryn Meirion, a dyna pryd ddechreuodd 80 mlynedd o ddarlledu o ogledd Cymru. Wyth degawd yn ddiweddarach mae ein canolfan ym Mangor yn dal i fod yn ferw o brysurdeb, yn cyflogi tua 80 o staff a chynhyrchu tua 50 awr yr wythnos o ddarllediadau radio ar gyfer Radio Cymru, gydag allbwn ychwanegol ar Radio Wales a newyddion teledu, ac ar gyfer gwasanaethau ar-lein yn y ddwy iaith.

Staff BBC Bangor

Ym mis Mawrth eleni, lansiwyd apêl yn gofyn i aelodau’r cyhoedd gysylltu â ni gyda’u hatgofion am BBC Bangor dros y blynyddoedd. Roedd yn gyfle i mi, hefyd, chwythu’r llwch oddi ar archif y BBC a dysgu mwy am yr hanes. Mae penddelw o Sam Jones yn y dderbynfa yn atgoffa’r holl staff yn ddyddiol mai ef oedd y bos cyntaf yn BBC Bangor - a fo a osododd y naws ar gyfer y gweddill ohonom. Roedd yn arloeswr ar gyfer rhaglenni radio yn Gymraeg ac yn Saesneg o ogledd Cymru. Mewn un pennawd papur newydd fe gyfeirir ato fel “corwynt radio Cymreig”.

Sam Jones, rheolwr cyntaf y BBC ym Mangor

O’n storfa ymddangosodd albwm lluniau hen ffasiwn, yn llawn lluniau du a gwyn (a sepia) o ddigwyddiadau mawr dros y degawdau. Rwyf wedi treulio ambell i awr yn edrych ar luniau o Sam Jones, Triawd y Coleg, Myfanwy Howell, Gari Williams, Gareth Glyn, IB Griffith, Bedwyr Lewis Jones, R Alun Evans, John Roberts Williams a llawer, llawer mwy o dalentau BBC Bangor. Ond am gyfnod yn ystod yr Ail Ryfel Byd daeth sêr newydd i Fangor, wrth i adran adloniant y BBC symud yma i osgoi’r bomiau. Roedd pobl fel Tommy Handley, Arthur Askey a Charlie Chester yn byw ac yn gweithio ym Mangor a’r ardal am 30 mis, gan weithio ar raglenni radio poblogaidd y dydd. I mi yn bersonol, un o’r straeon gorau rwyf wedi’i ddarllen yw’r ffordd y cysylltodd y BBC â 432 o’i staff i ddweud wrthynt eu bod angen dal y trên i Fangor. Yn y dyddiau cyn ffonau symudol, negeseuon testun ac e-bost, cafodd stori newyddion ei gynnwys mewn bwletin radio yn datgan bod camel yn sâl yn Sŵ Llundain - a hwn oedd y côd i ddweud wrth y staff eu bod yn cael eu symud. Felly dyna esbonio’r cysylltiad hefo’r camel...



Beth am y stôl biano? Mae gennym biano yn BBC Bangor - does dim byd yn anarferol am hynny. Ond mae’r stôl piano sy’n llechu o dan yr eifori o ddiddordeb mawr. Mae’r llythrennau “BBC” wedi’u cerfio i mewn i’r ffrâm. Nid ydym wedi gallu profi dim, ond fy ngreddf ydi fod y stôl ym Mangor ers dyddiau’r adran adloniant, ac roedd yn un darn o offer na ddychwelodd i Lundain gyda’r staff.

Ymwelodd Henry Lewis â BBC Bangor yn ddiweddar