Brenell – True to life performance
2nd edition

This book fully records the history of Brenell and Soundcraft Magnetics and their influence on the development of the British domestic-user tape-recorder, home studio and studio industries. Written with the help of former Brenell directors, engineers and archive material, it presents more than just a glimpse of the company and the people. All known models and many prototypes, are discussed in detail.

“Anyone involved in the industry will be delighted with this book” – Alex Nicholas: former MD, Brenell
“Brilliant! The detail uncovered is awesome. I learnt more about Brenell in a few pages than ever I did when I worked there!” – M.A

“It is a truly remarkable piece of research… I would recommend this to any reel-to-reel enthusiast or ‘child’ of the 60s” – R (Mk.5 owner)

200+ black and white illustrations. 140+ pages A4 soft-back.
2nd edition: £17 plus £3 UK p&p

Brenell specifications and circuit diagrams

The following specifications and circuit diagrams are given in good faith and come from Brenell’s literature or other reliable sources (some of which contradict). The legibility of some original documents is vague and in many of these, there are inconsistencies in presentation and accuracy, for example:

47kOhm may be shown as: 47K, 47,000ohm, 47kOhm or 47KOhm

Circuit diagrams cover up to the Mini-8 while Engineers’ instructions cover up to the Mk.5 Srs 2 and STB-1.

No guarantee whatsoever is given to the accuracy or appropriateness herein to a particular machine as many will have been modified to some degree in use and servicing. No responsibility is accepted for any damage howsoever caused – IF IN DOUBT, consult a qualified audio electrician.

PLEASE report any errors to the author for correction and update.

92pp, A4 p/b (c) 2011, 2013, 2020

£20.00 plus £3 UK p&p

A Truvox product 4th edition

Truvox was a major competitor to Brenell and Ferrograph in the domestic-user market. This well researched book reveals the fascinating history of how Daniel Dan Prenn developed his Truvox Engineering business, buying Celestion loudspeakers and then BCC, Airmec, Vectron and Thermionic Products, later merging with Racal Electronics. Each was a specialist in their own field: Truvox with loudspeakers, tape decks and language laboratories; Thermionic Products with the British-made Recordon and Soundmirror, and their pioneering airport recorders; Racal for their military electronics. Racal-Thermionic were world leaders in analogue and digital recording including voice logging and instrumentation recording with such machines as the Store 4, Storehorse and V-Store. Racal also bought the Zonal magnetic-tape company, whose history is also recorded.

Truvox had long made floor cleaners (they also made the ‘Wembley’ camera) and those sides of the family-run business are also recorded. But this book is more than an industrial history, it also records the engineering talents of many European engineers who escaped Nazi and Soviet tyranny. It also covers the history of the Brush Development Company of the USA who pioneered the use of quartz crystals, and records the history of Thermionic Products’ Ship Yard site, Hythe with its association with British Power Boat Company, Lawrence of Arabia and Imperial Airways.

“(the) book is amazing – a great thrill to read” (DE former Truvox Director)
“a superb job – most impressive” (PW ex Racal-Thermionic)
“The greatest story never told” (AB ex Racal-Thermionic)

200+ black and white illustrations. 160+ pages A4 soft-back.
4th edition: £17 plus £3 UK p&p

A guide to British tape recorders – 5th edition

This is a major on-going work, presenting a comprehensive history of magnetic recording from the pioneering work by Valdemar Poulsen, through pre-war wire recorders and the development of plastic tape by BASF in the 1930s. It then concentrates on the British tape-recorder industry, the development of the many British models and the potted histories of 120+ domestic, studio and scientific tape-deck manufacturers, head and tape makers – many of which few will have heard of! As with the Brenell and Truvox histories, this is based on interviews with those who formed, worked in and intimately knew the industry, and from contemporary records and company archives.

This 5th Edition is still in two parts.

Part 1: The development of the industry, heads, tapes, major components (with related histories of Branch and Appleby, Marriotts, Phi-Magnetronics, llford-Zonal)

Part 2: company histories from A-Z, plus Index:

Foreword to first edition by Terry Martini (BVWS):
“a useful and practical guide that no serious collector of British audio tape-recorders or historian can really do without. The history of the British tape-recorder in all its glory”.

“I congratulate you on a terrific job”.
Peter Lindsley, Director Bias/Leevers-Rich

“I have been a tape-recorder enthusiast for 50 years, but I was amazed at what I learnt from these books. Still impressed with the amount of research you have done; these must be the best of their kind anywhere”.
George West (Ferrograph expert)

300+ black and white illustrations. 400+ pages A4 soft-back. 5th edtion is in two parts, but bound as one book.

£35 plus £5 UK p&p

Modern Instrumentation tape-recording

3rd edition (1986)

Written by a Thorn-EMI senior engineer, John Howard, this engineering handbook covers non-audio instrumentation and data recorders with a bias to EMI-SE Labs models. Highly recommended.

New old stock. 130pp, A5 soft-back

£5 plus £3 UK p&p

S Smith & Sons Ltd – The Golden Years

in 2 parts

Smiths began as jewellers in South London in the mid 19th century selling clocks and watches but with the arrival of the motorcar, they produced one of the first speedometers and with that came a host of motorcar accessories. The Great War saw expansion into aeroplane instruments. So important now were these that Smiths sold the jewellry side… but soon after bought ailing British clock-makers and launched a series of synchronous electric clocks.

Having pioneered aeroplane auto-pilots in the 1930s Smiths proved crucial to the war effort, becoming a leading light, postwar, with their Kelvin & Hughes subsidiary in avionics. They also expanded into wrist-watches for the RAF at war’s end later launching their famous ‘Astral’ range, as well as medical and ‘interconnects’ products. Smiths’ history is truly fascinating and this major work looks at all their many businesses in the various timepiece, motor, aviation, marine, medical and industrial spheres.

“… the attention to detail is particularly remarkable…” CJ

“Great book, as a watch collector it answers so many questions, many thanks!”… TJ

“Excellent read: full of good facts…” PD

“A must for Smiths collectors…” BR

By popular request this enlarged and fully revised edition is now in 2-parts: (Part One NEW 5th edition 2023; Part Two 3rd edition 2020)

Part One – Clocks and watches (wrist-, stop-, pocket-watches, clocks and industrial timepieces including such rarities as the Quasar quartz: 150pp 200+ b&w illust A4 p/b £20 plus £4 UK p&p

Part Two – Motoring, aviation, marine, industrial, medical… Kelvin & Hughes etc 180pp, 200+ b&w illust £18 plus £3 UK p&p

BOTH PARTS: Discounted price £35 plus £4 UK p&p

From KW to Pentacon – the Praktica camera story

2nd edition

Praktica was a world-famous East German camera maker based in Dresden, the heart of the German camera industry. They began as KW, who produced the famous Patent Etui folding pocket camera before expanding into single- and twin-lens reflex cameras. Their most famous was the 35mm Praktiflex of 1938 which survived the war to become the Praktica. Under the Soviet regime, the several Dresden camera makers merged with KW to become Pentacon. Among their innovative models were the Praktina and Pentacon Super. They also marketed the Exa, Exakta, Werra, Belta, Altix, Belmira, Belplasca Ercona, Taxona, Weltaflex, AK8 and other cine-cameras … far too many to name, but most are included as they were marketed by KW-Pentacon and have been used by the author. It covers the full Praktica/Pentacon model range up to their early digital models, along with a brief history of ORWO.

This is the first comprehesive history of Praktica in the English language – it is not a translation of the German language histories!

“An outstanding history.. an open window on the German photo industry… “ TL

“Worth every penny for such meticulous research” PJ

200 b&w illustrations, 170+ pages, A4 softback

£17 plus £3 UK p&p)

The Village Bus Remembered – John Dengate & Son Ltd

NEW 7th edition with ticket plates in colour

This book recalls the hay-day of village life and reliance on the local village bus services to market towns. John Dengate began as a baker, expanding into a taxi service and local bus-cum-carrier in 1919 and then alongside a village garage business before concentrating on bus services to Rye and Hastings facing stiff competiton from the M&D until 1974 when they finally lost the battle. A fascinating trip down memory lane. Contains a brief history of Beckley, photographs of every bus, most timetables, tickets… fleet list – indeed this book has long been regarded as one of the most comprehensive bus histories written… so far!

“Marvellous job. I’m amazed at the amount of detail gathered” TO

200 plus b&w illustrations, colour ticket plates, 170+ pages, A4 softback

£17 plus £3 UK p&p

Beckley – a Sussex village – 4th edition- (The history of Beckley and its environs)

4th edition, 2020

This, now 490 page, book covers the history of Beckley, East Sussex from its pre-historic iron-workings through the Romans and Saxons to today’s still rural village. It describes the many historic industries, its social structure from the Church to the workhouse, no less! Part two conducts a walk down Memory Lane from one end of the village (Four Oaks) to the other (Clayhill and Beckley Furnace) describing its ancient houses, occupants and businesses.

First released to the Beckley History Society in a limited edition, £6 from each book goes to the Beckley Village Fund towards the maintenance of the Beckley War Memorial.

“A magnificent effort and a very useful record for posterity” BB

490 pages, hundreds of b&w illustrations, A4 softback, in two parts bound as one

£30 plus £5 UK p&p

“THE PANTHER STORY” (1988, 2nd edition 2009)

2nd edition

This is the most complete and authoritative history of Phelon & Moore and their famous Panther motorcycles. What more can one add? OK, Phelon & Moore were early pioneers of British motorcycles introducing in 1900 their famous sloping engine which replaced the front downtube. Their motorcycle was adopted by the Royal Flying Corps in the Great War.

Their side-valve engine was later superceded by a ohv version developed by Granville Bradshaw and re launched as the P&M ‘Panther’. Bradshaw also developed a pioneering V-twin Panthette but P&M faced grave financial difficulties in the recession, saved only by their conventional ‘Red Panther’ 250cc. Post-war, the Panther range comprised upgraded Red Panthers, the legendary Panther 100 (the first choice for side-car riders) the Stroud trials ‘bike and even the Princess scooter, but P&M’s (and most other British motorcycle makers’) days soon came to end when faced with Japanese competition.

“One of the best (motorcycle marque) histories I’ve ever seen” – (Classic Bike Guide).

200+ b&w illustr, 300 pages A4 paperback

£30 plus £4 UK p&p

Biographer to the late Theresa Wallach’s “THE RUGGED ROAD”

(2001, 2nd edition 2010)

The amazing autobiographical account of the first crossing of the Sahara desert, en route to Cape Town from London, in 1935 by two ladies (Theresa Wallach and Florence Blenkiron) on a Panther motorcycle and sidecar. The author knew Theresa through his research on Panthers and encouraged her to publisher own her account of the crossing. In the event, the author had her draft manuscript published posthumously, editing and adding the biographies.

“A treasure – pretty damn close to being perfect” (CGB)

20+ b&w illustr, 170+ pages, softback (6″x9″)

£16 plus £3 UK p&p

“GRANVILLE BRADSHAW- a flawed genius?”

(2008, 2nd edition 2012)

Bradshaw was an pioneering aviator, motorcyclist and one of Britain’s most inventive (and at times controversial – hence the subtitle) aeronautical and motor-engineers. He co-founded the ABC aero-engine company, which built the Dragonfly radial aero-engine and later designed the famous ABC flat twin motorcycle built by Sopwith. He later did much work for Panther motorcycles. After the war he pioneered a revolutionary compact toroidal rotary engine and developed a 3-D television system. A remarkable story drawn largely from his personal archives and family accounts. The enlarged second edition contains much new research on Walter Lawson Adams and the founding years of ABC.

“Full of insight and careful research. Highly recommended” (Real Classics)

150+ b&w illustr, 300 pages, softback (7-1/2″x10″)

£25 plus £3.50 UK p&p

“Building Britain’s commercial vehicles – ERF, Atkinson, Reliant Motors”

– A 1970s factory tour.

The author was a student apprentice with ERF Ltd, the famous Cheshire Heavy Goods Vehicle makers, in the 1970s. This booklet describes how a lorry was constructed from beginning to end. He also visited Atkinsons at Preston to see how they built theirs. That was the heavy end of the market! He also visited Reliant Motors at Tamworth. They were at the tradesman’s end of the market with small three-wheeler vans. Theirs is a fascinating story, including the establishment of car-factories in Israel and Turkey. He ends by describing how he designed and built a small four-wheel sports tourer on a Reliant Rebel chassis. Great fun!

60pp, 50+ B&W photographs, A4, (c)2023

£10 plus £3 UK p&p

ERRATA+ UPDATES

It is inevitable in such works that errors come to light as new information is received. A free update slip is available; please send an A5 SAE.

(c) Barry M Jones May 2003, September 2016, September 2024