preferred site initially, but the proximity of Wembley to central London
became a deciding factor.
68 The design of the new building was ‘fluid’,
Patterson asking for three extensions even before the buildings existed, but by
April 1920 the plans had stabilized, a site at East lane Wembley was decided
upon and competitive tenders opened. The contract was placed by May at a
total building cost of £120,000 and construction began in October 1920.
Staff took possession of the building at the beginning of 1922 but the official
opening by Sir J. J. Thompson and Lord Robert Cecil wasn’t until 27
February 1923.
The original design was to have a type of building that could expand in as
many directions as possible because no-one could anticipate developments.
This indeed proved a wise decision and extensions to the original building
continued for many years, the basic structure however was one of long corridors off which opened workshops and laboratories. This architecture also
served one of the most enduring and enjoyable social events of the
Laboratories, viz, the annual children’s party, the first of which was held on
10 January 1923.
69 The laboratories and workshops were cleared on Friday
evenings and Saturday mornings to provide large open spaces for the children.
By Saturday afternoon decorations were up together with elaborate sideshows
—often with a technical or scientific basis. Over the years, children (and
parents!) reveled in model railways, radio-controlled cars, pony rides, a circus,
a ‘cockshy’
70 at (‘spent’) lamps out of the Life Test Labs, shadow plays and
silhouettes and the magic of the ‘Wizard of OSram’! Children from local
orphanages or children’s homes were also invited; it was time of innocence
and so refreshing after the travails of the Great War. Robert’s children, Peter
and John were just 9 and 11 years old at the time and probably joined in all
the fun for many years to come.
Although these social events were a credit to the GEC its ‘reason d’être’ of
course was research, and whereas the Hammersmith factory was originally
largely concerned with lamp technology, all this changed in October 1919
when Osram combined with the Marconi Company to set up the jointly
owned Marconi-Osram Valve (M-OV) works.
71 Valve research had been
conducted at Hammersmith during the war, but it wasn’t a major effort of the
company until the creation of M-OV. A gradual division of forces therefore
began at GEC as valve production took place at Hammersmith, but considerable research was undertaken at Wembley. At Wembley therefore, one
group continued towards lamp technology, but as radio communication was
becoming a new and exciting field another group, whose founding members
included Robert Le Rossignol and A. C. Bartlett, developed the ‘valve
team’,
72 charged with improving both the manufacture and performance of
15 The Post-war Years 1919–1930
349
became a deciding factor.
68 The design of the new building was ‘fluid’,
Patterson asking for three extensions even before the buildings existed, but by
April 1920 the plans had stabilized, a site at East lane Wembley was decided
upon and competitive tenders opened. The contract was placed by May at a
total building cost of £120,000 and construction began in October 1920.
Staff took possession of the building at the beginning of 1922 but the official
opening by Sir J. J. Thompson and Lord Robert Cecil wasn’t until 27
February 1923.
The original design was to have a type of building that could expand in as
many directions as possible because no-one could anticipate developments.
This indeed proved a wise decision and extensions to the original building
continued for many years, the basic structure however was one of long corridors off which opened workshops and laboratories. This architecture also
served one of the most enduring and enjoyable social events of the
Laboratories, viz, the annual children’s party, the first of which was held on
10 January 1923.
69 The laboratories and workshops were cleared on Friday
evenings and Saturday mornings to provide large open spaces for the children.
By Saturday afternoon decorations were up together with elaborate sideshows
—often with a technical or scientific basis. Over the years, children (and
parents!) reveled in model railways, radio-controlled cars, pony rides, a circus,
a ‘cockshy’
70 at (‘spent’) lamps out of the Life Test Labs, shadow plays and
silhouettes and the magic of the ‘Wizard of OSram’! Children from local
orphanages or children’s homes were also invited; it was time of innocence
and so refreshing after the travails of the Great War. Robert’s children, Peter
and John were just 9 and 11 years old at the time and probably joined in all
the fun for many years to come.
Although these social events were a credit to the GEC its ‘reason d’être’ of
course was research, and whereas the Hammersmith factory was originally
largely concerned with lamp technology, all this changed in October 1919
when Osram combined with the Marconi Company to set up the jointly
owned Marconi-Osram Valve (M-OV) works.
71 Valve research had been
conducted at Hammersmith during the war, but it wasn’t a major effort of the
company until the creation of M-OV. A gradual division of forces therefore
began at GEC as valve production took place at Hammersmith, but considerable research was undertaken at Wembley. At Wembley therefore, one
group continued towards lamp technology, but as radio communication was
becoming a new and exciting field another group, whose founding members
included Robert Le Rossignol and A. C. Bartlett, developed the ‘valve
team’,
72 charged with improving both the manufacture and performance of
15 The Post-war Years 1919–1930
349