This transistor radio is similar in style to the one that you and I had a great many years ago. And what a world was opened up for us by this small wonder.
I first came across one hen I found my elder brother had bought one in a kit form, and was struggling to put this device together. It worked. Later I had one of my own, with an earpiece, which I would take with me to the football. How wonderful to hear the results from all other grounds when the game was heading to its finale! The lies told by those carrying a radio were common. At Tynecastle Park, a call would be heard, "Hibs got beat," and the cheers would resound. Usually of course it was a lie, they had no radio, and had no scores.
The most common use for such a device, if you had got a battery for it, was to listen for music, and that meant Radio Luxembourg. In the early 60s the UK had no private radio stations, the toffs in London did not allow this. The BBC 'Home' Service provided the news and weighty material, the BBC 'Light Programme,' offered comedy and less serious stuff including music. The 'Third programme' covered classical music. However, the music desired by those under 25 was not found on such stations. At best 'pop' music meant ballads, often smarmy, sweet, and sentimental dross to the young. While occasionally a decent song would be heard the Rock & Roll we all wanted was not tolerated. So we listened to 'Luck, Lucky Luxembourg.' Here in the evenings we heard the music we wished to hear. John Jackson was one of my favourite disc jockeys, his music choice and the clips from many comedy shows were well advanced in comparison with the BBC. The whole world was listening to the rise and fall of the Luxembourg sounds as the medium wave signal rose and fell over the vast distance. Yet we did not complain, it was great music for the young.
Soon, pirate radio stations arrived, again playing proper music. The radios were getting bigger, the batteries lasting longer and getting more expensive, and the music also was well worthwhile. The BBC was forced in 1967 to amend everything and introduce a channel that covered only pop music. Here the top 40 was played over and over again, annoying to those of us who wished to hear the better music only John Peel would play. But this silenced the pirate stations and reduced the desire for Radio Luxembourg. Soon the pirates were off-air or sunk by storm, Luxembourg ended, but the radios continued.
The radios grew and developed so by the eighties a choice of wavebands was available. I spent much time listening to the BBC World Service on shortwave, and then to the many Eastern Europe radio stations informing me of their nations successes. All disappeared after 1989 when Communism ended in the Soviet Union. This was a shame as I enjoyed the many often humorous programmes and their take on the world. The World Service continues but at a much reduced and compromised outlay. The short wave has of course disappeared altogether with the internet.
Those small transistor radios brought a new life to us in the 60s. Of course, they developed and grew in size. Of course, there was always someone with a large radio booming out bad music whenever the sun shone, of course there were always others to indicate their contempt. Today this same attitude is covered by the ignorant refusing to wear an earpiece while on the mobile phone.
