The coming of the 'Wireless'

There had been some talk going the rounds for some weeks about a thing called the wireless. My first experience of this 'miracle', for in those days it was almost unbelievable, was at school in about 1922. We had just finished a football match, and the science master invited some of us to have a look at his wireless set. We trooped into the lab, where he unveiled a boxful of impressive‑looking gadgets. He had it tuned in to Radio Paris, and when my turn came to don the headphones I could hardly believe my ears, to hear the music coming over the air.

This really whetted my appetite, but for a time any experiments on my part were definitely out. Firstly, because it was relatively expensive, and secondly the components were not easily obtainable. It so happened that every year a cousin of mine, an electrician who came from Glasgow, visited Norfolk for his holiday. When he arrived this particular year, I brought up the subject of wireless. He explained to me that crystal sets were quite inexpensive, and tried to get the components locally but without success. He was a good old sport, however, and promised to send me all the necessary bits when he got home. He was as good as his word, and everything duly arrived, including instructions.

I'm afraid little homework was done for the next few nights. There was a cardboard cylinder about three inches in diameter by ten inches long. I made two wooden ends, into which the cylinder was recessed. The cylinder then had to be wound with a prescribed number of turns of enamelled wire. A square brass rod with a spring‑loaded slider on it was fixed just above the coil. Then the crystal and cats whisker were fixed and wired up, and the other connections made. The next and biggest job was to erect an aerial. This had to be as high as possible, and I got over this by using a tall beech tree at the bottom of the garden for one end, and a pole fixed to our chimney at the other. A lightning switch was incorporated, and the aerial connected to the set. The last job was to drive a length of copper tube into the ground for an earth.

I never remember more excitement in our house when the great moment arrived. I don't think anyone thought it would work. I know I didn't, for one. I donned the headphones, and put the cats whisker into contact with the crystal. There were various scratching noises as I fiddled about and then, unbelievably, a voice. I moved the slider along to get maximum strength. I could now distinguish the words. Faintly, but understandably, someone was reading from Hall Caines ‑ Dream of Christmas Day. "It's working" I shouted, and one by one the rest of the family 'had a go'. My name was made straight away, and I was the 'wireless expert'. I don't really believe that when the first astronaut stepped on to the moon he felt much more sense of achievement than I did, recalling voices from nowhere with the aid of a few bit and pieces.

We certainly had plenty of company in the evenings for weeks after. Being the only wireless in the village, there was always someone wanting to listen, and asking me to make a set for them. I found out where I could get the components and did quite well financially for a time, which was more than welcome. Then ready‑made sets began to appear on the market. As these were sold, one or two of the local dealers came to me to rig up aerials and install the sets, which meant more pocket money for me. In a few months valve sets were superseding the crystal sets, including loudspeakers. With the extra power it wasn't so important to have a really efficient aerial, and people soon found out they could do all that was necessary themselves. Still, it was good for me while it lasted.

One of the early problems was that no‑one in the village had a battery charger. Lionel, our postman, helped out by having a special carrier fixed to his bike, and came out on his rounds loaded up with charged batteries, going home with the empties. Otherwise it meant a bike ride to Lionel's home. The wretched things seemed to have a habit of conking out just as a special programme was starting, which was most annoying. With a crystal set this problem didn't arise but I decided, especially for Father's sake, that something better was needed. Father looked forward in particular to the ten minute religious service in the mornings. But alas his health, which although he was crippled had been good, now began to fail. He developed bronchitis, and had attacks when he just couldn't get his breath, which made listening very difficult. I can see him now, puffing away, saying to Mother "Take that duzzy kettle off, Agnes, I can't hear". So Mother would remove the offending boiling kettle until the programme was over.

When I was wondering what sort of set to build, there was a real breakthrough, for mains electricity became available. The Electricity Board came up with a splendid scheme. They would do the wiring, and the user could pay for this by means of a levy of so much a unit on the power that was used, all of which was paid through the meter. That solved my problem, and I made my first valve set with a transformer incorporated, complete with loudspeaker. This overcame all the battery problems. Although I made many sets, nothing ever equalled those first words from that first old crystal set.