MG Magnette

Flat cap supplied as standard; Lilliput magazine, March 1957

The end of LZ37

A dramatic illustration of the German Zeppelin LZ37, destroyed above Belgium by Reginald Warneford on 7 June 1915. He crashed his Morane fighter behind enemy lines but managed to effect repairs to the fuel line and took off to return home. Warneford was subsequently awarded the Victoria Cross, but was killed later in June 1915 flying an american journalist over the battlefield.

This water-colour was by Raymond Sheppard, part of an article that appeared in Lilliput magazine, March 1957.

Hoffnung Interlude

I was very surprised to read that Gerald Hofnung, well known musician and humorist, was only 34 when he died in 1959. These cartoons appeared in Lilliput magazine, issue dated August/September 1953.

More Lemon Hart Rum

With the cricket season now upon us (with congratulations to England on yesterday's devastating win over New Zealand), this advert from Lilliput magazine, May 1954, seems appropriate.

Model girl makes a start

This little photo-feature appeared in Lilliput magazine, issue dated May 1954.

Good Vibrations.........

From Lilliput magazine, December 1955

Reel to reel

Reel to reel tape recorders first appeared in the 1930s and later became popular in domestic use until the smaller compact cassette gradually replaced them from the 1960s. They remained in professional use until digital recording techniques took over in the 1980s/90s. That said, they still see use today; apparently many artists record to digital and then re-record to tape for a fuller, more natural sound.

My father bought a Bush recorder back in the 1960s, I remember going up to London with him for a (presumably successful) demonstration, bringing it back in the car. It was big and quite heavy, more so when also carrying the associated box of tapes. Although it was a feature in our house, we recorded off the TV and radio (with all the attendant background noise for added atmosphere!) and, on one occasion around 1968, gathered some old workers in our front room from the local sand quarry railways, to talk about their life. What ever happened to that recording, I wonder? I can only recall one pre-recorded tape, for the musical Carousel, which my mother bought

Here is an advert for the German-made Grundig, from Lilliput magazine, December 1955. Despite it's size, it is described as "......the instrument you can take to a party that everybody asks you to play". The price tag was hefty too, at 70 guineas less microphone, more expensive that the 14in television promoted by Eamonn Andrews in the same issue

Eamonn Andrews and GEC

The Irish-born TV and radio broadcaster Eamonn Andrews was the face of GEC television sets during the 1950s, his adverts popping up in various magazines during this period. Here are a quartet of scans from the pages of Picture Post, Lilliput and Everybody's Weekly.All feature the 14in size model, the price increasing by 5gn (£5.5s) during the period. The first one looks particularly creepy.....................

Sophia Loren

An eye-catching photograph from the pages of Lilliput magazine, December 1955.