From the Industrial Revolution to the Digital Revolution

AV Niche (Recording Systems) Limited was established in 1995 by Neil Holmes* to provide specialist audio and audio / video recording equipment and systems to Police Forces and Government Agencies.

Since incorporation, AV Niche has grown in a steady and controlled manner. The solid development of skills, expertees and experience of staff has now seen national recognition, December 2005, in the granting of the prestigious and internationally recognised "Investors in People" status. For many years AV Niche has concentrated, maintained and recognised a strong employee base. The controlled and steady growth of both the company and employees has enabled, in recent years, the development of links with the local ITEC college. Modern day apprenticeship schemes are offered to IT based students. The AV Niche vision "Networking Criminal Justice" provides the Criminal Justice System with the required strength of service for both analogue and digital recording hardware whilst the transition from analogue to digital recording takes place.

In 2004, AV Niche purchased the exclusive design and manufacturing rights to all of the Rolec brands of P.A.C.E. audio cassette interview recorders. These are the type of audio cassette interview recorders that are commonly used in Police interview rooms. The continued manufacture of the Rolec brand of P.A.C.E. audio cassette interview recorders means that AV Niche are able to continue to offer and fully support both audio and audio / video based analogue interview recording systems for Police Forces and Government Agencies. AV Niche expertees and services continue to be used by many Police Forces and Government Agencies in the support of other brands of audio and audio / video based interview recording systems.

AV Niche is also embracing the digital revolution that is taking place with regard to the changes that are occurring from analogue to digital recording within the Criminal Justice System. AV Niche pioneered the development of the recording of interviews onto removable digital storage media such as CD and DVD. In 2004 AV Niche were granted a UK Patent, GB2387956, for "Secure Digital Recording". The UK Patent has key features that are specifically detailed in the Criminal Justice System's published Private British Standard (CJS2004) "Visual recording of evidence within the Criminal Justice System (CJS) - Equipment Specification". AV Niche have Patent Applications pending in Europe, USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and others.

AV Niche with specialist expertees, products and experience continues to develop in a controlled and steady manner whilst also developing and forging relationships with other commercial organisations. AV Niche believes that the continued networking of the digital revolution will, as in the industrial revolution, only be strengthened by the forging and developing of inter-commercial relationships and co-operation.

AV Niche providing for the past, present and future.

* The Holmes forefathers and ascendants will have touched the lives of many. It was John H Holmes, who in 1884, invented the first quick break electric light switch. Other ascendants and "cousins" include William Fallows "Father of theTees", the Pease family whose members include Edward Pease "Father of the Railways", the Backhouse family, the bankers of Darlington who merged with the Barclay family bank, and the Dixon family whose members include Jeremiah Dixon of the "Mason-Dixon" line, Sir Raylton Dixon who was a shipbuilder on the Tees and John Dixon who was responsible for the laying of the first railways in China, locating drinking water on the rock of Gibraltar together with the carriage to and erecting of Cleopatra's Needle on the Thames embankment. A link has been included below to "Reminiscences of the Pease Family" and "Reminiscences of the Dixon Family". Both reminiscence documents were written by Mrs Augusta A. Richardson (nee Dixon), sister of both Sir Raylton and John Dixon and great great grand mother of Neil Holmes. The documents provide a fascinating insight into the days that have gone before with specific reference to first hand accounts which go to the heart of the industrial revolution / 1700s.