SOLENT University students have been rolling back the cameras to help recreate what was in the sixties groundbreaking broadcasting.

And Eastleigh’s Concorde Club has also had a major role in helping to replay scenes from the BBC’s golden age of broadcasting.

Using state of the art technology BBC TV's iconic outside broadcasting units brought state ceremonies and major sporting fixtures live into the corner of the nation's front rooms.

MCR21 - its serial number – was one of the first custom built outside broadcast vehicles originally designed for black and white television.

From 1963 it relayed to mass TV audiences many prestigious events ranging from Winston Churchill's funeral to England's World Cup victory.

It was later converted to colour before being scrapped by the BBC in 1979 and this proud chapter of broadcasting history was nearly lost to the nation until radio amateur enthusiast Brian Summers stepped in and bought the vehicle which was in danger of rusting away.

Broadcasting technology historian Nick Gilbey said: “I always believed that the outside broadcasting units delivered to the BBC in the 1960s had either gone for scrap or been sent abroad. I had no idea MCR21 was kept on Brian’s drive.

“The vehicle had not moved for about 20 years. After a quick discussion we decided that MCR21 should be restored to its former 1960s glory and we set about finding the support and funds needed to achieve this.”

Now with the help of National Lottery cash the mobile control room is set to spring back to life in an action replay of its broadcasting years.

Nick says: “For me while television studios have their own magic it is the ability of television to bring you live pictures from as many locations as the producers have imagination which has pushed the technology to the limit and made some truly magnificent programmes.

“Pioneering programmes like BBC's Saturday Night Out which managed to transmit pictures from a submarine and an aircraft.”

Playing a major role in telling the MCR21 story are media students from Solent University who joined forces with former BBC technicians on an outside broadcast at Eastleigh's Concorde Club.

They recorded a jazz gig starring the Ben Holder Quartet to re-create an outside broadcast of BBC Tv’s legendary Jazz 625 programme.

The recordings will be replayed in black and white in the production nerve centre of the restored MCR21 to reproduce what it would have been like being in the control room when a programme was being transmitted.

The pictures from each camera will be played back on the four monitors and visitors to the MCR21 will see the pictures and hear the music plus the director calling the shots as each camera is cut up to the programme monitor.

Working alongside the Solent students at The Concorde recording was Harry Coventry who was the senior cameraman in the MCR21 unit, recording soccer history when England won the 1966 World Cup.

He recalled: “I was operating the close up camera on the main rostrum as the game was ending.

“I had my close up shot on Geoff Hurst but the director decided to stick with the wide shot camera as the ball was kicked up the field for Geoff Hurst to run onto and score.

“I did get my shot used but sadly not until afterwards. I managed to get a DVD from the BBC of my own shot of the goal though.”

Nick said: “When I contacted Solent University, which has its own outside broadcast unit, they were very enthusiastic about helping with the project. I am overseeing some of the editing which students are working on for the project.

“It will be an ongoing relationship between the university and the MCR21 Project. We are planning for the restoration to be completed by the end of next year.”

After a launch celebration MCR21 will be on display at the Amberley Museum, West Sussex for the 2020 season.

It really is a case of action, lights, and camera as broadcasting history is beamed back to screens.