THE GREAT MULLARD MAGIC BLOG

You know, this could be me, in my Rosebank school uniform, peaked cap, short trousers, sturdy satchel and a pair of Clarks shoes with a compass in the heel - happy days.... but it isn't. The little lad you see in this 1953 picture is the 5 year old  Norman Skentlebury at the Earl's Court Radio Show of that year.  He appears clutching a typical CRT of the era whilst being dwarfed by the giant model television tube on Mullard's stand because chaps, as we know, size is everything.

Just in case you thought Sebastian and his co-workers had to heft these long and wieldy tubes to remove the supernate, actually, no, they were placed on a rotating carrel that was tilted at such a rate as not to disturb the accreted phosophor film that sat on the inner face of the tube.  Here you see a laboratory coating system, however, the full size plant used a similar principle  - such fun!

Well, after a busy year, I have eventually got around to hanging up my Mullard neon sign.  This came from my friend Zhang who lives in Wuyishan in China way back in June 2018 - some 6 months ago. I really need my customers to purchase more radio collectibles so that I can afford to go visit Zhang where he has promised to treat me to the best Chinese cuisine available and a long hike in the Wuyi mountains.  For now,  I shall just sit and fondly think of him as I bask in the light from my sign and marvel...

Here we have a nice photograph taken at Mullards in 1952 of Sebastian Firkle who is laying the luminescent screen in a Mullard picture tube.  The screen phosphor was suspended in a liquid carrier and introduced into the envelope. After settling, the supernatant liquid was carefully decanted off leaving an even distribution of phosphor which was then dried under a gentle stream of cold air.

Here's to a happy 2019 which will be our 7th year of trying to help our lovely customers with their projects and parts needs!