There wouldn't be that many families with a TV back then. They were very expensive and even in to the 1980s lots of people hired TVs from places like Radio Rentals. I remember my Dad getting one to watch the FA Cup Final but don't remember the year. Maybe 1954-56 ish.
Had my first colour telly in 1979, rented from Curry’s. Before that a black and white portable had been quite sufficient!
I remember in the 70's we used to rent from D.E.R - Remember the day I came home from school in the mid 70s to find we had upgraded to a colour 20" TV with a remote control ( all you could do was change the channel up and down or adjust the volume ). I doubt many people on here will remember watching TV in the mid '50s
Think our first 8” black and white came on the mid sixties from Wigfalls. Fella called Alvin used to come neay every week to put a new valve in lol
See my earlier post - My parents got a colour TV a few years earlier - I think it was 1976. I do remember the first time I watched a Colour TV though - my Uncle had one in 1971 as I remember going over there and watching the Arsenal Liverpool cup final and being gutted when Charlie George banged in the winner with a great strike
Now you’ve brought back memories, My dad rented from Wigfalls and Alvin used to come to ours. He was from nearby Stairfoot, and think he became an Independant Councillor, or at least a candidate.
My nan had a tv from Radio Rentals until the very late 80s. You had to put 50ps in the slot at the back and they would always run out just at the crucial bit of whatever you were watching.
My dad rented from Radio Rentals at the time of the Miners strike, he told them to come and take the Telly back as he couldn’t afford to pay the rent, they told him to forget about it and start paying as soon as he went back to work
There weren't many with a phone either never mind a tv. I reckon everyone with a tv must have had a phone and it wouldn't have taken much to block the switchboard back in the day.
Or running hot water or a bathroom untill abart 1975ish, colour bloody telly wi dint even have coloured wallpaper, carpets, dunt talk t me abart carpets, if yer wanted t walk on summat soft it wo socks n shoes off n get thi sen off t village green, ow double bloody glazing, arz abart no bloody glazing. Yer dunt know yer born.
Bought my first colour TV in 1972, an IT&T model. It was a massive improvement on the rented B&W which we rented in so far as it never failed. The rented TVs broke down so often, I think they were seconds. I changed that television (which never failed) for one with a zapper in 1986.
Alvin was my mothers cousin.I think he died earlier this year.He also came to ours for the tv money.He was a very gentle soft spoken bloke.
I'd do that now with the modern equivalent. A far superior product by all accounts, but didn't catch on.
Interesting read, that was - cheers. Brings to mind "The Prestige" by Christopher Priest - the novel, not the film version - a book I really enjoyed, set in the world of 19th century stage magicians, where two magicians have a long, bitter feud.
Mainly due, I believe, to the fact that Betamax machines did not seem to be available for rent. All the rental outlets seemed to deal only in VHS, and as machines were so expensive to buy, the rental market, and VHS, were king. By the time Betamax caught up it was too late. Pity because it was widely reported to be a much better system.