Tuesday 5 December 2023

The Wireless


My people were quite late to adopt Television; not that they couldn't afford one, they simply didn't see the need.

Instead we had a large wooden boxed wireless that sat in a corner of the dining room by the side of the fire.

It might have been made by Ferguson, or even Echo, and was quite a classy machine. I remember two particular qualities that it contained. Firstly the 'Magic Eye', a fine tuning light in the middle at the bottom of where the channels were displayed. Secondly was 'Hilversum', a name that seemed to appear on all radios that claimed they could reach far and wide. I never knew what Hilversum was or even where it was; it simply sounded so exotic.


My mother (of course) listened to The Archers and Mrs Dale's Diary, and on Sundays we would all listen to Archie Andrews, Two way family favourites, and Wilfred and Mabel Pickles handing out money on a quiz show. We also listened to radio plays; often creepy stories or mysteries for which the lights would be dimmed. I loved it.

I listen to the radio at nights through an earpiece wedged into my left ear, but we never listen during daytime. I think a radio in the sitting room would be a good idea, we're missing out on so much. I haven't listened to The Archers since the days of Walter Gabriel.

Maybe I could even tune in to Hilversum to see what they're up to.

 

42 comments:

  1. I remember Mum doing the ironing on Sunday mornings listening to Family Favourites and then, 'Wakey Wakey' as the Billie Cotton Band Show began. I still have my Nan's 1950s radio.

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    1. Back in the 60's I went to the Italian Riviera on holiday and saw huge posters everywhere advertising a Billy Cotton concert. He had been there the week before and the posters were still up. I was amazed.

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  2. My parents had one just like that, and a TV that looked similar. I wish we had them now, instead of this new and 'improved' rubbish that is basically crap.

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    1. I still have great memories of that radio. We all had to imagine our own locations, the weather, and even the faces of the actors. Much more fun.

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  3. We also had a radio just like that. As usual, they mainly heard the news twice a day. I would listen to songs and plays. Television arrived here only in the sixties.

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    1. I quite like some TV, but it's mostly screaming, killing, or just plain stupidity these days.

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    2. Unfortunately, so is the Archers now

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  4. Ah yes, I remember all that too. Home, Light and Third.

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    1. I think ours was glued to the Home Service. I don't remember anyone ever retuning it.

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  5. I still listen to The Archers on a Sunday morning, but as I only " half listen", while doing the puzzles in the paper, I don't seem to know who some of the people are. Where did Harry come from?
    We didn't have a TV until 1959, though I did see programmes at my Grandma's and at my friend's house.
    There is always a radio on in the kitchen, tuned to our local BBC station.

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    1. Yes, I needed to visit friends to watch TV too. I really think I must buy myself another radio, they are perfect for the kitchen.

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    2. Harry on the Archers is a new character, a beau for now single Alice. It seems to be a romance in the making.

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  6. I prefer radio to TV, but these days I get Alexa to play every type of music, it's better that way without the chatter, and she can stream radio when I want her to.

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    1. My 'Alexa' sems to have a mind of her own; I can rarely understand what she says.

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  7. When I was young we had a radiogram. My father used to enjoy building radios as a hobby and wired each room with speakers, so that we could listen wherever we were in the house (except the WC's!). He installed a reel to reel tape recorder at some stage to record all the popular shows of the day - "Round The Horne" being a particular favourite. We would listen at night when we were in bed. It all seems so old-fashioned now and I wonder what my father, who died in 1984, would make of today's computers, phones and Alexa's!

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    1. Round the Horne has always been one of my very favourite comedy shows, with Julian and Sandy as the cherry on top. I suppose it's all too non-PC for today's audiences.

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    2. Julian and Sandy, the lawyers. They had a criminal practice that took up most of their time.

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  8. We often listen to our DAB radios - usually Radio 4 but sometimes Radio 5. I had not thought of the name Hilversum in years. It is a city in the north of The Netherlands and it is still the principal centre for radio and television broadcasting in that country.

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    1. I have a DAB radio for my night-time listening; always Radio 4 Extra.

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  9. My and his 4 workmates won some money on the pools. They had £200 each. He bought a beautiful radiogramme.It had a record deck too,( just for 78's. )Sunday dinner time was the B.F.P.O. for the husbands and wives to send each other messages and songs, a lot from those posted in Germany. I remember the programmes mentioned. Grandma had a radio like that, an Echo. We listened to Sing Something Simple on a Sunday night, while the adults played dominoes. I loved Radio Luxembourg best.I listened on my transistor radio at night, in bed.

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    1. Yours sounds very similar to my own experience of radio. Those Sunday lunchtime programmes were so evocative. Archie Andrews was another I loved.

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  10. We haven't had a tele for 15years, since there is nothing decent on. Although I sometimes watch a film on iPlayer.

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    1. I don't blame you. About the only programme I now watch is The Repair Shop.

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    2. Cro, I have a very strong hunch that you would thoroughly enjoy 'Salvage Hunters' on Quest HD Channel with antique and junk enthusiast and Antique shop owner Drew Pritchard. It's on most evenings. I think you're missing out on it.

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    3. I do watch it occasionally. As an ex-antique dealer myself I'm often amazed by his prices.

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  11. The instant I saw this but before reading I was going to comment "Hilversum". These receivers named lots of other stations too, but I would have to think for a time to remember them now. But not Hilversum.
    Wasn't Wilfred Pickles a bit too northern and common for you? Have a go, Joe, come on and have a go, You can’t lose owt, it costs you nowt, To make yourself some dough. So hurry up and join us, don’t be shy and don't be slow. Come on Joe, have a go!

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    1. And Mabel at the table. Of course we needed subtitles.

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  12. The CD changer in my car jamned, and I have been listening to radio for the first time in 11 years, I miss it. When I retire I am going to put a radio on my desk at home.

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    1. We seem to have forgotten how wonderful radio was. It's time we reacquainted ourselves with it.

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  13. BBC Radio Four Extra is my O/N station but...I wish they would not repeat stuff thats 5 am to 7.30 am again at 12midnight to 3am so that I get it twice. I can not get on with BBC Sounds even Alexa can't help!

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    1. I know exactly what you mean. I start to listen at 10 pm, and continue until 5 am. After that it's all repeats, although I expect the ones I hear are the actual repeats!

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  14. Oh Gosh .... I know others have said this but, we had a massive radiogram with radio and record player ...... I remember turning the tuning knob trying to find Radio Luxembourg and always associate the radiogram with Horice Batchelor inviting listeners to write for details of his method for the treble chance and calling out the address with his slow and deliberate spelling :
    K-E-Y-N-S-H-A-M and kept repeating it !!! XXXX

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    1. At least a certain age-group will never get the spelling of Keynsham wrong! It's etched into my brain.

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  15. In the corner of my livingroom stands a cherry Zenith radio circa late 40s. It still works, which never fails to amaze me, what with all those glass tubes. It sounds ridiculous but I cannot stand to hear modern music pouring out of it. I enjoy a quiet winter Sunday afternoon listening to NPR though.

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    1. Oh how I would love to hear our old radio again; especially if it still played Archie Andrews etc.

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  16. There were no radios in my family. I am not sure why. Currently, I have a radio in my kitchen just to listen to NPR when eating breakfast. When it starts to repeat, I turn it off. Lately, reading my Economist magazine is the best for world events/news and analysis.

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    1. If you can receive it, try BBC radio 4 Extra. Lots of old comedy shows, plays, etc. It's not all good, but there are gems amongst the dregs.

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  17. Yes, we were radio listeners as well. Wish I could remember the programmes. All English. Only the Archers comes to mind. My father loved the accents.

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    1. I really must start listening again, it would probably take a year to understand what's going on, but it would be worth it.

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  18. Are The Archers even still on the radio after all these years? We had a radio that sat on the floor and was almost as tall as I was, the tuning dials were on the top half and the bottom half was speakers. This was back in the days when a licence was required for radio and television, paid by the month I believe, though a good many people didn't pay. I still don't understand whay a licence was necessary. We used to listen to Greenbottle daily and Dad & Dave on Sundays and Blue Hills was an afternoon program directed at housewives. A forerunner to the "soapies" that followed on afternoon television once television became popular.

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    1. I believe The Archers are still going strong, although I don't expect I'd recognise any of it these days.

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