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Bruce Moffat (1956 Leaver) – An Engineering Research Career in Broadcasting

Bruce Moffat (1956 Leaver)

An Engineering Research Career in Broadcasting

 Bruce Moffat

I started in Merchants’ aged 9 in 1947, already sketching TV cameras on dollies, and when I was 11 I was offered a part in a play at the Liverpool Playhouse; I’d been seen by Gerald Cross, the producer there, in Dear Octopus with the Blundellsands ADS. Six weeks off school was needed but there was legally insufficient tutoring available for me and so, much to my relief, I didn’t do it. Instead the boy’s part was played by a girl, Beryl Bainbridge (later Dame Beryl Bainbridge) who was 16 and had left our Girls’ School and become a member of the repertory company. An exciting spin-off was my tiny ‘extra’ part in the film Waterfront, set in Liverpool – see it free on YouTube; the engineering and technology in the making of the film fascinated me.

 

Techniques involved in theatre, film, television, radio, recording and, above all, music in all of those media greatly stimulated me. I saw myself backstage rather than trembling before a live audience. I sang in the school choir and I stage-directed several school plays and made numerous recordings and films using borrowed state of the art equipment. Through this and experience in CCF Signals I learned about electronics, enough to make me realize that I wanted to become an electronics engineer. With a State Scholarship I went to Keble College Oxford to read Engineering Science. All of this prepared me well to apply successfully for an engineering job in the BBC in 1959 in the pioneering days when engineers had a big say in running broadcasting, but I didn’t take up the job. Instead I stayed at Oxford to pursue a doctorate in microwave electronics, specifically to study the design and testing of dielectric-loaded linear electron accelerator structures; ‘linacs’ have many applications in nuclear physics and medicine. I must admit I stayed partly because my girlfriend Anne Phillips, now my wife for 52 years, was a nurse at the Radcliffe Infirmary in Oxford.

 

In 1962 the hairs on the back of my neck stood up when I saw in New Scientist a job advert for a musical engineer in BBC Research Department at Kingswood Warren in Surrey; I just knew I was right for the job and to my delight the BBC appointed me. Their decision was partly because I gave the ‘right’ answer about the acoustics of Liverpool Philharmonic Hall – they’re good! But there was a snag: I didn’t complete my DPhil until 1964 and so it was studio acoustics by day and microwave electronics by night! My wife and the BBC were enormously helpful in the production of my thesis.

 

One of my first tasks at Kingswood Warren was to make a stereo sound recording of the opera Turandot from a ‘clean feed’ of the left and right signals from the desk in Covent Garden for use in assessing the acoustics of the newly refurbished Royal Opera House. One of my last tasks in the BBC in 1990 was to help to make a digital TV recording in high-definition with surround sound of the ballet The Prince of the Pagodas at Covent Garden, starring Darcey Bussell. In between those tasks lay the better part of 30 years in engineering research in broadcasting. After studio acoustics I worked on video tape recording and then spent 1968-70 as R&D Manager of Ilford Zonal, developing magnetic tape, disc and film products. Returning to BBC Research in 1970 I worked on digital audio and video signal transmission including NICAM. I was gradually promoted in the 1970s, heading sections dealing with baseband transmission systems and storage/recording, moving to head Studio Group in the early 1980s focused on all-digital studios and HDTV, and finishing up as Head of Research Department in 1984. The Department covered all areas of broadcast engineering and had about 200 staff, 100 of them professionals in science, technology, engineering and mathematics; today it has bases in London and Salford.

 

In the mid-1980s the BBC came close to launching Direct Broadcasting of TV by Satellite using higher-power Olympus satellites before deciding to hold back for commercial reasons while Rupert Murdoch began his satellite broadcasts using lower-power satellites designed for telecommunications, not broadcasting. Fortunately receiver sensitivity was rapidly improving so comprehensive satellite broadcasting using lower power became practicable. Much of the technology used in these and many other kinds of broadcasting system emanates commercially from BBC R&D.

 

I retired from the BBC in 1991. Looking back I can see that my training as a chartered engineer gave me wonderful experiences, and a very good salary, working in the UK and abroad alongside stimulating people ranging from brilliant ‘back-room boys and girls’ to ‘front of camera’ stars like Peter Gabriel and David Attenborough.

 

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The Old Girls' Association welcomed over 110 guest The Old Girls' Association welcomed over 110 guests of all ages to their Harrison Alumni Dinner on Saturday night. It was wonderful to see the Upper Sixth join the Old Girls' community, and to welcome so many back to school. 

The theme of the evening was 'evolution' and speakers included U6th pupil Emily, recent leaver Rebekah Gelder, teachers Mrs Blunt and Ms Gregson-Burt and Old Girl Margaret Quayle, who left in 1946. 

Thank you to the Old Girls' Association for organising such a wonderful evening.

Full gallery available via our Facebook page.
We had a wonderful time at our Springtime Sunflowe We had a wonderful time at our Springtime Sunflower Planting event yesterday afternoon, thank you to everyone who joined us, it was lovely to meet you!

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We had a fantastic day on Saturday as we welcomed We had a fantastic day on Saturday as we welcomed Old Girls back to school to play hockey and netball against our girls. Mrs Dickinson and Mrs Stenson coached from the side-lines, and the Old Girls won the hockey and narrowly lost the netball after a close match.

There was so much joy in reunions, revisiting school and catching up with former staff. Thank you to all who took part, especially our girls and sports staff who gave up their Saturday to make the day so special.

A full gallery from the day is available via our Facebook page.
Six talented Stanfield pupils put their intelligen Six talented Stanfield pupils put their intelligence to the test in the AJIS Quiz Competition over the weekend. Taking place at Bury Grammar School on Saturday 25 March, the competition saw contestants tackle ten rounds of challenging questions on a variety of topics.

Our team of Year 6 students, consisting of Sean, James, Sam, Jess C, Jess W, and April, excelled in their efforts and came in a very close second place, narrowly losing out to Bury Grammar by just a single point. Well done team!

Read more via the link in our bio ⤴️
It was a pleasure to welcome Dr Matthias Dörrzapf It was a pleasure to welcome Dr Matthias Dörrzapf, the Director of Scholarships and International Programmes at St John’s College, University of Cambridge to school on Thursday.

Dr Dörrzapf gave a to talk to prospective Oxbridge applicants, and Sophos groups lower down the school. 

He also gave a thought-provoking extra talk to those particularly interested in Maths, Physics and Economics.
Congratulations to Stanfield’s Year 5 Boys and Y Congratulations to Stanfield’s Year 5 Boys and Year 6 Girls Cross Country Teams who competed recently in the Sefton Schools’ Cross Country event.

Year 5 Boys were awarded Gold & Year 6 Girls were awarded Silver. Well done to all!
Stanfield Preparatory School is a happy, friendly Stanfield Preparatory School is a happy, friendly school where young minds are encouraged to explore and be inquisitive, unafraid to make and learn from mistakes. 

Our contemporary facilities, excellent teaching staff and smaller class sizes allow us to bring the very best out of every girl and boy.

Discover more by clicking the link our bio ⤴️
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