Ferguson radio, model 383A, 1956 (LMILC.2018.395, donated 2018)
This radio was manufactured in 1956 by the Ferguson Radio Corporation Ltd. The model 383A was also known as the ‘fleur-de-lis’ and had three reception wavebands – long, medium, and VHF or FM. An interesting feature, which was common on old radios, is the variety of stations from other regions and countries that may have been available depending on wave refraction, atmospheric conditions, and the time of day.
Originally an American-Canadian company started in the 1930s, Ferguson’s was taken over by the British-owned Thorn Electrical Industries Ltd. by the time this radio was made. Thorn would later acquire Radio Rentals, which had a store on Bow Street, Lisburn.