ID: WW01_078 / Winifred Hone

TitleVictory Hotel January 1924 - Winifred Hone memoirs
AbstractThe political world was in a great ferment of uncertainty; we decided to install a wireless, then almost in its infancy, so we converted a ladies toilet, one of two, at great expense into a different sort of receiving room for the introduction of this magic voice from outer space. A lot of people gathered for this eve of election party to be entertained by the music of the 'Savoy Orpheans', a famous band at the time, interrupted at times by a voice coming out of the loud speaker, a trumpet affair that looked like an over cultivated gramphone horn, saying 2LO calling, another result coming through. The information never arrived, the contraption did nothing but oscillate and make whistle sounds as if whatever was coming through was perishing in excrutiating agony, a few ships sirens blowing off at the Sunk much to our frustration, an unforgettable mental picture. We got the information quite soon enough, Labour returned Mr MacDonald to be the next Prime Minister.

The new invention was a wonderful thing, but by having to wait for the news in the morning papers in some cases gave us more time before knowing the worse.

AuthorWinifred Hone
Publishedc1969
SourceMersea Museum / Wendy Brady
IDWW01_078