Does Anyone Else Remember The Days Before Televisions Became Common In Homes

I don't know if I'm treading on any forum rules, but:


will bring back many happy memories to those of us who are a certain age!
 
For anyone that wants to see all of those BBC Interludes or those that still excist. Hear you are!
 
Who can remember a very early BBC TV policy like myself from the early 1950’s called The Toddlers Truce. If not hear is a link about that policy.
 
Wasn't really that common but as a kid in the early to mid 80s, for several years my family didn't have a TV. Remember reading and playing board games a lot more as well as playing outside in the garden or over the park more. In many ways it was quite enriching.
 
You've forgotten Lord Charles, Lenny the Lion and the one that lasted years, Blue Peter, I did think of some others this afternoon but have forgotten them :blush:

The Lone Ranger was the western to watch.
 
I think our first TV was a Ferguson 850 (?), a VHF set with a turret tuner. We were lucky to get 4 channels as we were in a 'fringe' area, BBC 1 West (5), TWW (10), Teledu Cymru (7) and BBC Wales (13) all in 405 lines from a single dipole. On a good day we could also receive Westward on ch 8. In later years we rented a Philips 230 which also had a UHF tuner for BBC2, usually without sound as these sets had a troublesome 'system switch'. Our first colour TV arrived in 1976, a Philips G8 chassis. Little did I know my later life would involve not only repair but design of TV electronics.
 
I think our first TV was a Ferguson 850 (?), a VHF set with a turret tuner. We were lucky to get 4 channels as we were in a 'fringe' area, BBC 1 West (5), TWW (10), Teledu Cymru (7) and BBC Wales (13) all in 405 lines from a single dipole. On a good day we could also receive Westward on ch 8. In later years we rented a Philips 230 which also had a UHF tuner for BBC2, usually without sound as these sets had a troublesome 'system switch'. Our first colour TV arrived in 1976, a Philips G8 chassis. Little did I know my later life would involve not only repair but design of TV electronics.
Westward would have had Gus Hunnybun, and yes, I did have to look up the name as I had bugs bunny in my mind.

Didn't most tvs have turret tuners or push button. I can remember having to hit the top or side or top of the tv to try to settle the picture down and the time it took to warm up from cold certainly not instant.
 
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I remember first getting a VHS video with a remote control so you could change the channels but you still had to get up to change the sound, that was annoying :D
 
Being born in the late 60s thankfully to young to remember "the time before TV" but I do remember when we got a new colour TV in the early 70's. An Autovox which had a standby function and when turning on from cold took what felt like minutes before you could get a picture!
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More pictures here 1973 Autovox 2682: Continental
 
Wasn't really that common but as a kid in the early to mid 80s, for several years my family didn't have a TV. Remember reading and playing board games a lot more as well as playing outside in the garden or over the park more. In many ways it was quite enriching.

That very much is the pastimes I recall as a child prior to my parents obtaining a television.

Virtually no one had a television on our housing estate before 1953 so playing outside in the street with neighbours kids was very much engaged in. Games such as Hopscotch, Talyo, Queenyball and knock out ginger were always going on, with it all being very safe playing in the road as very few had cars at that time.

On dark wet winter evenings board games with our parents would be a common pastime, but listening to the radio while sat around the coal fire I always remember as very relaxing especially as a tired kid.

Then of course there was the Toast made by placing the bread on the end of a long fork and holding it in front of the fire was super before we went to bed. Strange how that toast always tasted just wonderful done in front of that fire.

Great memories.
 
Who can remember a very early BBC TV policy like myself from the early 1950’s called The Toddlers Truce. If not hear is a link about that policy.

Yes, certainly remember that. I think that close down lasted from 6pm until 7:30pm in the 1950s but I could be wrong in that.

It was while the close down took place that all us kids got our daily wash always just hands neck and face. The once a week bath was reserved for a Friday night to make sure you were clean for weekend.

Showers....unheard of in those times.
 
i am sure we had a television when I was a small child but I do not remember it. However, I do remember getting our first colour television and the first programme we watched was Rupert the Bear. I can still picture the bright colours.
 
Westward would have had Gus Hunnybun, and yes, I did have to look up the name as I had bugs bunny in my mind.
That's right. TWW (later HTV)'s equivalent was Tinker and Taylor, Alan Taylor later presenting 'Mr & Mrs'. He, or, Fred Wedlock seemed to appear on almost every HTV West show. Back then however, the local ITV stations seemed more personal and felt like they represented your area. Now it's just same same, even some news broadcasts are shared with what were other regions.
 
That's right. TWW (later HTV)'s equivalent was Tinker and Taylor, Alan Taylor later presenting 'Mr & Mrs'. He, or, Fred Wedlock seemed to appear on almost every HTV West show. Back then however, the local ITV stations seemed more personal and felt like they represented your area. Now it's just same same, even some news broadcasts are shared with what were other regions.
Yes, the news tv was less political and friendlier back then, with the bonus of being more local. I'm not sure if the puppets helped but they were great for the kids.

Friday through Monday, we don't watch much news as it's full of sport which neither of us have any interest
 
I certainly remember having a TV which was black and white and you had to put 50p in the back now and then. I also remember it was a massive cabinet which had rolling shutters and had to be closed every night.

I remember getting our first colour TV which was rented from DER so no more 50ps in the back.

I also remember our first VCR which was top loading and the remote was a 5m wire (no tripping hazard there).

I also remember that needing to get them fixed was a regular thing and the repair guy had a big case with some amazing tools including a soldering iron and it would normally be fixed on the same day.

3 channels, nothing on in the morning, news and watch with mother around lunchtime then nothing until evening. Programs stopped around 11.30pm with (in Scotland) a 5 minute program with a minister telling a wee story with a religious or moral meaning, then God Save the Queen then off with the wee white dot disappearing into the middle of the screen.

Simpler times.
 
Occasionly of course BBC TV would stay open beyond midnight once every 4-5 years covering the General Election with Richard Dimbleby, Robin Day, Robert McKenzie and David Butler. My Mother and Father allowed me to stay up to watch my first ever General Election results programme around 1960. And BBC TV broadcasting that late was the exception to the rule and only rarely this would happen and mainly only for General Elections!
I certainly remember having a TV which was black and white and you had to put 50p in the back now and then. I also remember it was a massive cabinet which had rolling shutters and had to be closed every night.

I remember getting our first colour TV which was rented from DER so no more 50ps in the back.

I also remember our first VCR which was top loading and the remote was a 5m wire (no tripping hazard there).

I also remember that needing to get them fixed was a regular thing and the repair guy had a big case with some amazing tools including a soldering iron and it would normally be fixed on the same day.

3 channels, nothing on in the morning, news and watch with mother around lunchtime then nothing until evening. Programs stopped around 11.30pm with (in Scotland) a 5 minute program with a minister telling a wee story with a religious or moral meaning, then God Save the Queen then off with the wee white dot disappearing into the middle of the screen.

Simpler times.
 
One thing I remember from the days before TV was everywhere was the radio programme "In Town Tonight", with its loud cry at the beginning of "STOP - Once more we stop the mighty roar of London's traffic" and at the end "Carry on London".
 
There are lots of TV programmes during the 1950’s/1960’s that can be found doing a search along well known TV series you can watch, Also you can find some TV series that definitely wouldn’t be made or broadcast on UK TV today for obvious reasons. You can probably guess which TV series I mean!
 
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The 1959 General Election; BBC TV. One of only a few occasions that BBC TV would broadcast late into the evening and beyond into the early hours during the 1950’s/1960’s.
 
One thing I remember from the days before TV was everywhere was the radio programme "In Town Tonight", with its loud cry at the beginning of "STOP - Once more we stop the mighty roar of London's traffic" and at the end "Carry on London".

I always remember two Sunday lunchtime radio programs from the early 1950s. The first was " Two Way Family Favourites" which came on at twelve noon and could be a real tear jurker with so many still doing their national service in the armed forces. Cliff Michalmore and his wife Gean Metcalf we're the two compares, one being in Colone Germany and the other in London.

That was the followed the "Billy Cotton Band Show" at 2pm with it's opening shout by Billy of "WAKEY WAAAAKEY", just as we were finishing Sunday lunch and as kids would be off to church for Sunday school, dressed in our Sunday best.
 
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