Vintage TV that cost the same as a house

A television set bought to watch the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth in 1953 is causing a stir in a hi-tech Shropshire electrical store.

The 58-year-old wooden set stands alongside all the latest in audio and visual equipment on show at BF Interactive in Shrewsbury.

It would have been a familiar sight in some of the more affluent households in the 1950s as its price tag would have put it way beyond the average family.

"The set was bought back then for 110 guineas which would also, amazingly, have bought you a two-bedroomed house at the time," said BF Interactive owner Steve Mitchell.

Mr Mitchell, whose business is at the end of the Welsh Bridge in Frankwell, was given the set by an elderly woman from Chester.

It came after she bought a new 42-inch plasma television set from him.

"The new set was certainly a far cry from the black and white one she had bought in 1953 which was specifically to watch the coronation," said Mr Mitchell.

"She had around 40 people packed into the house to watch it on that special occasion because as you can imagine, not many people could afford to buy a television set in those days.

"Working out the equivalent value these days, it would be like having to spend about £150,000 on a television.

"It's great to have the old set in the shop to give customers an insight into how audio and visual equipment has moved on since those days."

He said he was delighted to give the "antique" television set some floor space.

BF Interactive specialises in the supply of up-to-the-minute audio and visual equipment, including cinema systems, wireless audio systems, speakers, furniture, headphones and accessories, supplied by brands such as Panasonic, Samsung, Bose and Sonos.

The antique television has turned heads at BF Interactive because customers who visit the company are usually used to looking at the latest gadgets at the Frankwell store.

The company offers a vast range of state-of-the-art televisions - but rarely do customers get the chance to see vintage TV sets designed to blend in with the rest of the furniture in the family lounge.