that was a year 1950 Esquire, Dan Dare and Sainsbury’s

THE TOWN OF CROYDON HOSTS the first purpose-built Sainsbury’s supermarket; the Minister of Town and Country Planning is asked to approve the Peak District as the first National Park; work is begun on the Sloy-Awe Hydro-Electric Power Scheme in Scotland; Kenwood produces the Kenwood Chef, their first food mixer; the Daily Express begins The Gambols comic strip; and The Eagle comic appears featuring Dan Dare and Captain Pugwash. GRETSCH GEARS UP FOR FULL-SCALE production of the Synchromatic 6030 (Sunburst) and the 6031 (Natural) archtop acoustics scheduled for next year. The prototypes offer a good looking singlecut jumbo with bound f-holes, a three-piece maple/ rosewood neck, block inlays and a most distinguished rosewood stairstep bridge. The tailpiece is gold plated and features the stylised G cut-out. A couple of years later the Synchromatic name will be dropped in favour of Constellation. THE UKULELE CRAZE is well under way with sales in the millions and so becomes officially recognised by the Musician’s Union in New York; Fender introduces the Esquire solidbody guitar; BBC Radio’s Light Programme debuts Listen With Mother, The Archers and Educating Archie. WITH ITS ELECTRIC GUITAR business booming Gibson releases the GA-20 amplifier, the first to feature a top mounted, rear facing, control panel. It’s a twin-channel design with individual volume controls and offers three instrument jack inputs on one and a separate microphone input on the other. There is only one tone control but the amplifier has a 12-inch Jensen speaker and delivers a cool 14 watts of output. THE NORTHAMPTONSHIRE VILLAGE of Corby is designated to become the first New Town in central England; a tornado crosses from Bucks to Norfolk making it the longest tracking distance recorded; Horizon Holidays produces the first package holiday air charter flights; Harwell physicist Klaus Fuchs is convicted of supplying atomic bomb secrets to the Soviet Union; and after 36 years in service the RMS Aquitania is scrapped. THE BBC ADOPTS A NEW TV aspect ratio of 4:3 and opens its new studios in Lime Grove. The first live TV programme from Calais is broadcast, marking the centenary of the first message sent across the channel via the submarine telegraph cable. Andy Pandy is seen for the first time on British TV and the general election results are televised with Clement Attlee of the Labour Party becoming Prime Minister. GIBSON UNVEILS THE ES-140 three-quarter archtop with Florentine cutaway andf-holes. The body sports a raised tortoiseshell guard, adjustable rosewood bridge and a trapeze tailpiece. Mahogany neck, rosewood board pearl dots, plus a P-90 with volume and tone controls complete the picture.