Introducing the VQ Retro Mk II Emma Bridgewater DAB+ Radio

By now you guys probably know that I’m a big fan of VQ radios. My first experience with VQ was when I reviewed the Bardot radio, which I still really like. I then wrote a whole article about how the products manufactured by VQ are designed primarily with women in mind, which is one of the main reasons why I like them so much. And earlier this year I took part in VQ’s Mother’s Day Campaign, where I wrote about VQ’s collaboration with Emma Bridgewater to introduce some fantastic designer patterns to their range. Well today I wanted to share some more exciting news with you regarding VQ and Emma Bridgewater.

Very soon VQ will be launching the Retro MK II DAB+ Radio in an exciting selection of six Emma Bridgewater patterns. The new designs – Blue Daisy, Pink Hearts, Marmalade, Polka Dot, Rose & Bee and Wallflower –  will launch exclusively on QVC UK, the shopping channel, as a TSV (‘Today’s Special Value’) on Black Friday. Black Friday, for those who don’t know,is the biggest shopping day of the year in the UK and this year falls on 25th November.

The Retro MK II DAB+ Radio is a beautiful vintage inspired radio that is packed full of the usual VQ technology. It features DAB, DAB+ and FM radio reception so you can listen to all of your favourite station’s broadcasts. You can save up to 10 preset stations on either DAB/DAB+ or FM to keep track of your favourites too. You can also play music from your own collection or from streaming services such as Spotify or TuneIn thanks to the Radio’s ability to connect wirelessly via Bluetooth.

Apple users can also access the Lightning Dock on the front of the Retro Mk II, which will also charge your iPhone or iPod as you play, always handy right? Non Apple users can use the 3.5mm aux-in to connect other devices and can charge using the USB charging port.

The Emma Bridgewater patterns are a really nice decorative addition to the range of plain colours on offer from VQ and add a slightly more designer feel to the radio. Emma Bridgewater is renowned for the beautiful pottery that is produced in its factory in Stoke-on-Trent, but in recent years the company has started to use its patterns on a growing range of other products including glass, tins, picnicware, wallpaper and fabrics from Sanderson, and now radios.

I really like the ethos behind Emma Bridgewater and the fact that as a company they want to design and make things that are beautiful to look at but also a pleasure to use and make everyday life a little bit nicer. I’ve also always seen Emma Bridgewater as a company that celebrates family life and I really like that!

That is why I love this collaboration between VQ and Emma Bridgewater. The radios themselves are a pleasure to use, but having them available in these beautiful new patterns makes them even more beautiful to look at and they really do make everyday life that bit more pleasurable.

I have the Retro MK II in Emma Bridgewater’s iconic polka dot pattern (which I was given by VQ), as you can see in these pictures that I took at home in my livingroom. At first, I wasn’t really sure how an Emma Bridgewater pattern would sit in my livingroom as the room has quite an industrial influence. However, the polka dot pattern is a perfect addition and I think it looks really great against the moss green walls. The dark green dots are almost a perfect colour match to the wall colour.

I’ve also found that having such a versatile radio in the house is great for family life. We have this one in the livingroom and a VQ Hepburn MK II in the kitchen. We listen to them every day and one of my daughter’s favourite things to do in the morning is to have a family dance in the kitchen.

She’s actually started to learn some of the jingles on Radio 2, which is great because it’s helping her to learn the days of the week through song. She quite often repeats song lyrics and comes out with things like “Oh wow mama, this song is my favourite”  and it’s usually one she’s never heard before, which makes me laugh.

I love the way that the radio brings us all together in a way that we can enjoy as a family. This is certainly not the case with the TV. If CBeebies is on, she goes into a trance where she will sit in front of the telly not speaking and not taking her eyes off the screen. She doesn’t move and it’s hard to get any interaction with her. Give me the radio over TV any day.

So there you have it guys. As I said, the Retro Mk II Emma Bridgewater DAB+ Radio will launch exclusively on QVC UK on Black Friday. I suggest you check it if you want to bag yourself a cool retro radio in your favourite Emma Bridgewater pattern. Luckily for you I am able to offer readers of The Design Sheppard an exclusive pre-sale link which will allow you to get access to the QVC Black Friday deal on the Retro Mk II from 5pm on Tuesday 22^nd November. Simply click the button below to purchase yours.