DESIROUS WOMEN AND TAPE DECKS BY FERROGRAPH, BRENELL & OTHERS DURING THE LATE 50'S!

In the late 1950's, tape recording was quite the thing.  From contemporary adverts, we see that chaps were very daring and interested as we can see from the 1957 advert shown below:-

But, it wasn't just chaps that showed an interest in this technology but women were desirous too and Sally invited them all to partake :-

For those not in the know, as we draw back the mists of time, in the days of yore  before e-mail and smart phones, many tape recording club members also belonged to ‘Tape-Sponding’ circles or triangles. The term ‘Tape-Sponding’ means, quite literally, correspondence by tape.  Special 3″ reels were produced with designs that featured slogans like ‘Links Absent Friends’ or ‘Voice Letter’.

These "mini tapes"  included space for an address and a stamp on the box like a postcard. It was an excellent way for families and friends separated by great distances to keep in touch. These ‘letters on tape’ were sent all over the world.  For a time there were also ‘tape-sponding’ clubs – people who had never met would record messages to each other sending them around the country like pen-pals. Sometimes these tapes would be sent around a circle, each person adding their message as the tape was passed along.

So as you can see, Tape - Sponding was the Face - Twit - Insta - Crap craze  of its day with enterprising manufacturer's of other electrical appliances muscling in on this new targeted advertising niche as evidenced by the following charming advert targeted at the tape-desirous modern lady from 1959 :-

 How emancipating it must have been for 50's women to have an electric geyser to deliver boiling hot water so they could have more time available to tape little Gary, Wally, Nancy and Cynthia's gurgles and belches for posterity.

Alternatively, they could even tape sultry messages to their paramours in a kind of "medieval sexting" whilst wearing a leopard skin bikini, rrrrrrrrrrrrrrr, I must get Mrs Mullard Magic one of those@#$!

With my interest piqued, I asked my Mother - in - Law, the Honourable Dowager Duchess June if she ever got the tape recorder out to tape the angelic younger Mrs Mullard Magic - in - waiting.  She retorted that even if they had been rich enough to afford a tape recorder, she would not have had time to tape the little darling as she was such a ........... challenge!  No change there then@@@!