Like many others before me, I found myself immediately drawn to the stylish appearance of these Bush portables that have become so evocative of the late 1950s and early 1960s.

Whether you share my enthusiasm for these sets or not, you will have not failed to notice just how popular they are among vintage radio enthusiasts and the general public alike.

The story of how the moulded plastic case for the first incarnation in the family, the MB60, was the work of the famous designer David Ogle is well known. But how many are as familiar with all of the other models in the series that share this classic case design?

Ogle's iconic design proved so successful that Bush went on to release over a dozen model variants that used it, several of which are scarce and a few quite rare by comparison to the better known sets.

That success was not just down to the eye-catching good looks however but in equal part due to the simple well thought out ergonomics.

The sets have a large tiltable carry handle and an attractive circular tuning dial which is both easy to read and a pleasure to use. The oversized thumbwheel style controls and waveband push buttons make operation very simple.

All definite plus points amongst prospective purchasers especially if you have poor eyesight and/or large fingers, factors which no doubt contributed greatly towards the design's overall popularity and longevity.