From monochrome to multicolour

he technology in our homes is changing all the time – one recent development being the introduction of smart meters to track our use of gas and electricity.

Like many of us, Daily Express reader Peter Morrell has fond memories of these changes, like the first time he saw a colour television set.

“I was in my early twenties and my friends’ parents owned a hotel,” the 72-year-old recalls.

“They were lucky enough to have a colour television and when I caught a glimpse of it, I was amazed! It was like something from the future.”

But, just like upgrading to smart meters, colour TV soon became the new normal.

“It seems funny now, because everyone has a colour TV in their living room.”

Although television is taken for granted nowadays, they were a luxury item when Peter was growing up in the 1950s.

His family were part of a small minority of households who had a television in 1952.

“I can still remember it now,” says Peter, a retired lecturer. “I must have only been about seven years old when my dad brought it home, but it was a big deal in those days. It seemed like a magical invention.

“I think the first programme I watched was a children’s TV programme called Whirligig, which used to be on at five o’clock every other Saturday evening.

“It was a live show and had all these funny characters in it. At the time, I thought it was great, but looking back it seems very dated.” BOXING CLeveR: Peter Morrell recalls early colour television