As we’re getting relaxed for the holiday season, here’s a quick quiz about a national institution. It’s not politically related but I suspect it’s on a subject dear to many readers’ hearts.
Look at the wooden box on the right. You can see that it’s nondescript, very battered and held together with insulation tape. It’s 35 years old.
It’s used to create the sounds of what could justifiably be called a “national institution”.
The question is: What sound is this box used to produce?
Please answer in the comments below. The title “2016 Sound effect guru of the year” awaits the first person with the most accurate answer.
We’ll give you the answer and announce the winner in a fresh post tomorrow.
* Paul Walter is a Liberal Democrat activist and member of the Liberal Democrat Voice team. He blogs at Liberal Burblings.
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20 Comments
Has it something to do with the BT pips? It,s not Big Ben or BBC pips is it?
It must contain the sacred recording of “Sailing By” as played at R4 closedown each night. Or perhaps it’s the theme tune to “PM”, unheard since the death of Diana, but kept safe until a time of extreme need demands its return to save the nation!
Oh! go on, I’ll have a guess.
It was used to record the sound of the lottery balls being dropped.
How about the seagulls sound effects on the radio 4 Desert Island Discs programme?
How about the speaking clock?
No one is anywhere close I’m afraid.
Clue: The home of the box is in BBC Birmingham.
If its BBC Birmingham, is it something to do with The Archers? Perhaps the box creaking as it opens and closes makes the sound of the door opening at Brookfield, or Grange farm etc?
I’m going for pedantic liberal of the year so…
That tape is gaffer tape not insulation tape lol
Thank you David. I had a debate with myself and plumped for the wrong one!
I’m really ladelling on the clues now: Yes, it is something to do with the Archers but nothing to do with doors.
Wooden boxes belonging to the BBC’s sound laboratory and used to bang together to announce the arrival of the four horsemen of the Apocalypse (all that wear and tear has occurred this year alone).
Is it The Archers‘ rain sound-effect box?
Horses hooves on The Archers?
Is it the bar at the Archers’ pub, The Bull?
Its a soapbox, surely.
Speaker is able to be seen, its function is to lift the person and the sound of their voice can be transmitter more clearly over a broader audience than if stood on terra firma.
haven’t got a clue, passed to the Non Blonds
Well done Catherine! Spot on. You win the title of “2016 Sound effect guru of the year”!
Thank you, Paul 🙂
It makes the sound of cows going into the milking parlour at Brookfield?
35 years old – that means dating from 1981. Margaret Thatcher’s deeper voice (she stuck her head in the box to do it)? Something to do with the radio series “A Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy”? No idea what, because I never heard it – only read the books and saw bits of the TV version. But the wording is “is used”, so presumably it’s still in use. It must be something to do with the SDP. OK, it doesn’t exist any more, but the SDP-Liberal Alliance does, in the shape of the Liberal Democrats. But then, 1981 was when Labour voted for an electoral college with a big union element to choose the party leader. The sound of Labour politicians having a go at one another? OK, the electoral college has gone, but Labour internal rancour hasn’t.