BBC Archive

Official account of the @BBC Archive. Unless otherwise stated, images and videos are ©BBC.

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#OnThisDay 1992: Chris Evans and Gaby Roslin were fronting one of the most talked-about new shows on television. Sarah Greene visited the presenters of The Big Breakfast, Channel 4’s bold new morning programme, which was produced from three lock-keeper’s cottages.

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Stonemason Cecil ‘Skylark’ Dunston was filmed discussing his work on the Isle of Portland in Dorset, where he and other craftsmen painstakingly carved local Portland limestone.

Watch the whole documentary on the BBC Archive YouTube Channel: https://t.co/AoEs96p0YW

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#OnThisDay 1968: Three men explain why they spend $100 a day in pursuit of women. They were regulars at the Concord Hotel in New York State, a venue renowned for one speciality - dating.

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#OnThisDay 1976: British Rail launched its new ‘HST’ high-speed train service – the fastest diesel trains in the world. Reporter Lucy Mathen jumped on board for a preview, enjoying a cuppa on the way, and arriving four minutes early into Cardiff.

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#OnThisDay 1981: From Victorian labels to modern brands, historian Robert Opie was preserving the story of Britain's shopping habits. Showing Harriet Crawley highlights from his vast collection of grocery packaging, Opie revealed how product design has evolved since the 1840s.

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#OnThisDay 1978: Staff at Fry’s chocolate factory in Bristol, spoke about how mechanisation had changed their jobs, and modernised the way confectionery is made.

Watch the whole film on the BBC Archive YouTube channel: https://t.co/szqNAXVRqT

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#OnThisDay 1960: The London Borough of Westminster introduced 40 new traffic wardens onto the streets, helping to ease congestion and make sure drivers were obeying the rules.

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Go behind the scenes at legendary Pinewood Studios, including the huge tank commissioned by Bond producer Albert R. Broccoli. Keep an eye out for a young Jan Pinkava, years before his Oscar-winning success at Pixar with Geri's Game and Ratatouille.

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#OnThisDay 1966: Star Trek boldly premiered in US, two days after it had been first shown in Canada. In 1991, star of the show William Shatner reminisced about his time aboard the Enterprise, and he even taught Clive James some Klingon.

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#OnThisDay 1994: Why do so many comics wear suits on stage? Beginning with Vic Reeves and visiting the likes of Alexei Sayle, Lee Evans, Felix Dexter, Greg Proops, and Jack Dee, comedian Tony Hawks sought the answer.

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#OnThisDay 1962: Computer expert Dr B.V. Bowden discussed with Raymond Baxter how far we are away from truly intelligent machines.

Watch more from this programme on the BBC Archive YouTube channel: https://t.co/R9ef8CuKAT

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#OnThisDay 1982: Motorcycle trails rider Kiyoteru Hattori probably wanted to push Kick Start’s course designer into a skip, after he was trailing behind in the grand final. Could he make a come back?

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#OnThisDay 1975: Sand sculptor Fred Darrington was entertaining holidaymakers on Weymouth beach with his incredible temporary artworks.

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It’s World Photography Day. Back in 1983, celebrated fashion photographer David Bailey spoke about his admiration for fellow photographers Bill Brandt and Man Ray. He also share his view that models should feel wonderful about their hair and makeup before they face his camera.

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#OnThisDay 1957: A stunning film by future Oscar-winning director John Schlesinger was broadcast. Shot in Blackburn, the short feature showed the town during Wakes Week – the annual holiday for Lancashire cotton towns.

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Today a partial solar eclipse will be visible to people in the UK and Ireland. Back in 1961, a BBC cameraman donned some special goggles and joined a RAF Signals Command aircraft on a dawn patrol to film the solar eclipse.

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#OnThisDay 2001: Wimbledon FC angered its fans with a controversial proposal to move to another ground - in Milton Keynes.

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#OnThisDay 1986: Heathrow Airport defended its on-site catering after food critic Egon Ronay didn’t hold back and branded it ‘disgusting’. Reporter Richard Bath took a little trip to the airport to ask passengers what they thought.

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#OnThisDay 1977: A businessman with a fleet of cars thought he had found a smart way to avoid being liable for any penalties - by listing his dog as the registered keeper. Sadly, with no details of what types of cars the dog owned, we can’t be sure whether it included a Rover.

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#OnThisDay 1974: Cumberland local Emily Redmund introduced Bernard Falk to fell-talk, a traditional dialect in the Lake District.

Clip taken from Nationwide, originally broadcast on BBC One, 23 July 1974.