Goodbye ATV/Central Studios

The original theme tune used on the TV series isn't avaliable readily, even the composer no longer has a copy of it apparently, I guess that is what all that is about.

well he can always recreate it i guess.

it is very sad, and soon it will just be rumble, its very sad indeed to see all the Central stuff rot away, some of the stuff in there was really really old!

surely interested parties would be allowed to get access to nab the stuff.

I see a TVF outing....

I'm part of a Production Team who were trying to gain access to the place to film for a new documentary about the Centre. ("Give My Regards To Broad Street", produced by the new TVS Televsion - see www.tvstelevision.co.uk and www.atvland.net )

Unfortunately, we've been told that only the demolition people are allowed in there now... so whoever posted these pictures is either part of the demolition team... or perhaps they're in there without permission (?).

<plug>The documentary will eventually be available through the above websites, featuring much archive footage of the centre past and recent, plus interviews with many people who worked there... available Mid-2008 - after demolition's completed</plug>

It's the latter, that group goes into buildings derelict or in use to have a unofficial tour.. (eg: some of them went into the Big Brother 8 house)

Yes - there are groups of people who enter derelict buildings to document them prior to demolition.

HOWEVER - they don't have permission, are trespassing, and are putting themselves at considerable risk in doing so. (And as a consequence, potentially putting emergency service workers at risk as well)

I would VERY SERIOUSLY advise anyone on this forum against repeating what the posters of the photos have done. It is potentially very dangerous, as well as almost certainly being illegal.

They could have worn boots , Hi-Viz jackets and Helmets and ask the staff and land owners! Are you a health and safety co-ordinator at your work? :

No - but equally, there are some members of this forum who might not be old or experienced enough to realise the dangers inherent in investigating an active demolition site.

If the original posters were suitably equipped and had permission - then all well and good. If they weren't and didn't - then they were at personal and legal risk.

I may not be an HSE co-ordinator, but I've done enough HSE training in risk assessment, CDM etc. to respect risks and do my best to minimise them.

Looking through that site i found a picture with a HP Sauce Diary on the wall at the aston plant and the april month says "END OF THE ROAD"

I'd like to point out two possible problems with a break-in to collect the Blockbusters music.

1. Who knows that it definitely is the music, and isn't a tape of the programme?
   
2. You'd need a reel-to-reel tape machine to play the music - which would involve nicking one of those, and then (possibly) repairing it.

Also all the obvious stuff that stealing something is a criminal offence (although I don't think ITV would be very bothered about pressing charges) and that the building is probably structurally unsound and that someone, somewhere probably has a copy of it lying around in their loft.

edit: The cables in the image at this address look suspiciously like det-cord (explosive cables) or detonation trigger cables. Does anyone know how the building's actually coming down? Is it being ripped down or blown up?

ITV don't own the building, and well yes it is most likely a copy - but as its been pointed out before sometimes it may be the only copy.

Which seemingly proved to be the case with the Crossroads music - a lot of which doesn't exist in the programmes as it was incidental music. Had they not been removed after closure by a visitor, then they'd be lost for good I imagine as the masters are seemingly missing.