ISCE and industry history

While the Institute has its eyes firmly on an improving future for sound system technology, many members are keen to preserve the history of the Institute and the industry.

ISCE timeline more

ISEC archive papers more

Ken Yaxley's Internet Autobiography more

From Ron Walker MInstSCE

My late father Alex J Walker hosted a meeting on 21 April 1948, with a view to forming a trade association. He at the time was a travalling representative during the week for a firm Birmingham Sound Reproducers Ltd. (later BSR, of record-changer fame), and in the evenings and weekends he ran a Public Address hire business.

The meeting was held in the basement of "Listers" record shop in
Ealing road Wembley, around the corner from Wembley Central railway station. Eight people attended this meeting, none of whom are still with us. Listers sold 78 RPM records in their own brown cardboard sleeves.

Why were they meeting? The PA market was flooded with secondhand equipment being removed from military establishments that were being closed down, making sales of new equipment very difficult. To try and make a living Trader/Installer/Contractors often charged very low prices. A problem that has continue through out the years; customers did
not expect to pay much for their PA System. (Hire or Sales)
As a result of this meeting a founding meeting of a Trade Association was to be held at the Swan Hotel Bedford in June.

Ron Walker - Past Hon Sec & President of APAE.