His Joke Starts A 'Midget' Industry - A factory visitor noticed a lot of neat plastic globes slightly bigger than cricket balls. "They would make smart little wireless sets", he said jokingly. But the firm took his joke seriously. They abandoned their plan to make table cigarette lighters out of the globes and started experimenting Within three months Mr. Leslie Iles, their chief engineer, had designed a four-valve set which would fit inside one of the globes. The first models have now been produced and work excellently on the medium waves. The firm, at Malmesbury, Wilts, are now ready to produce the sets at a thousand a week. March 16, 1950. (Photo by Daily Mirror).