B & R Video Productions News.Affter many years, 43, (and volumes), Ray Jones (The R of B&R Video Productions)) retired at the end of March 2025.HOWEVER... :-) :-D As many customers know, I have known Ray since 1992 and he and his family are good friends of mine. Since then I have mastered the video sleeves (first VHS then DVD) and later the B&R Video Catalogue. Every DVD has a note about WOLVERTON RAIL on the back at the bottom. I have also run his website for many years and that is why it links into the WOLVERTON RAIL website to complete your order.
When Ray decided to retire, it seemed only right and a natural home for B&R to continue as a brand and as a part of WOLVERTON RAIL.And that is what has happened! :-)
Now, following on from my takeover of B&R on 1st.April 2025, I am often asked what is going to happen and whether there will be a volume 249 and any further releases:- Q. Will there be a B & R volume 249?A. Yes. The next B&R volume will be volume 249 and it is a SOUTHERN one. Ray has already created the master and it has a commentary. He just has to finish the soundtrack over the summer months.It will then be released, possibly in September 2025. The video editiing studio is still in Shrewsbury and will remain there for now.
- Q. Will there be any further releases?A. Yes. We still have enough unused archive film for more volumes. And yes if you have any previously unseen cine-film then I am quite happy to accept it under the same terms and conditions as B&R. Although I'm very happy to accept steam era footage, including overseas, I am particularly interested in the diesel and electric era from early times in the 1950s ans 1960s, through the rail blue era of the 1970s and 1980s and into the early privatisation years. For instance, does *anyone* have footage of AM10s out of Euston in the early 1960s with diesels (Class 40s) on the expresses? Or my electric loco, Class 81 E3003. Or Class 91s (one of my favourite electrics) being tested with HST sets in 1988? I watched those being tested on the ECML while I was working in an office block in Stevenage,. But did I video them? No, and now I wish I had!
- Q. Are you going to change the B&R yellow sleeves in any way? I have a lot of B&R DVDs in my collection and don't want different colours etc.A. No, the yellow sleeves will remain. The only difference will be "B & R Video Productions" branding will change to "B & R Video Productions by Wolverton Rail". The contact details will change to those of Wolverton Rail. And the picture on the front will now be part of the sleeve rather than a separate stuck on photo. The sleeves are now printed on a high quality printer so the sleeve will lookvery similar. But I inherited a lot of stock from B&R that has the old branding. I am not going to change these and will continue to send them out with the old branding with a Wolverton Rail sticker on thje back until we run out. Then we will switch over to the new branding. This has already happened for some sleeves.
- Q. What about the DVD labels? Are you going to change those as well?A. Yes, eventually. The DVD label will change to one containing the photo from the front of the sleeve as a background along with the change of contact details. Again I inherited a lot of stock from B&R with the old branding and that will remain until we run out. We will then switch over to DVD labels with the new branding. This has already happened for some volumes.
- Q. Are you going to change the actual existiing DVD content? Such as the "B&R" opening banner? And the opening music? A. No as there a no plans to do so for now but Yes at some lstage in the future to digitally remaster them. If I do remaster the existing volumes then they will be remastered with DVD chapters etc. Of course in the future DVDs that we produce will be digitally mastered anyway and so the opening banner will change and I may replace the opening music.
- Q. Are any more volumes going to be available by "digital downloads" (i.e. mp4 files) from your website? A. Yes. and all of them apart from some of the specials such as "Building a Grange". Please keep a watch on our website. I intend to make as many available as I can.
- Q. Can I still ring the old B&R phone number, 01743-709680? A. Yes, you can as it now rings in the Wolverton Rail office in Olney. It has it's own dedicated handset and answerphone. It hasn't been disconnected or put on divert though. It's still a proper normal "digital voice" phone number. It just happens to have been moved 120 miles away from Shrewsbury!! If I ring you back though, it will show up as Wolverton Rail's 01234 711615 or 07760 71 41 71 numbers on your caller ID display.
- Q.What about the B&R email address? Can I still contact you using that? A. Yes, but only for a short period, and if you know it and have used it before. It is being closed by the end of June 2025. Please use the shop@wolvertonrail.com email address instead. B&R rarely used their btconnect email address to contact customers or suppliers preferring to use telephone or post. However shop@bandrvideos.co.uk will continue to work as it lives on my mail servers and it is forwarded to shop@wolvertonrail.com.
!That's all for now folks!! :-) :-DBest Regards..Ian
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