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Congratulations and jubilations

You can't fail to have heard about the upcoming Jubilee celebrations and summer of sport, with London the focus of the world's attention. If you're feeling particularly patriotic - or just want a talking-point in your living room as the big dates approach - track down some great Union jack emblazoned DAB radios to brighten up your pad.

First up, get out and about with the Roberts SportsDAB Union Jack. A red, white and blue enhanced version of the pocketable SportsDAB II, the limited edition features a white case with the national flag emblem on the front. At £80, it's not cheap, but the handheld is equipped with both telescopic and headphone aerials (to suck in the strongest possible signal) and a natty built-in speaker. It features a built-in rechargeable lithium battery.

Roberts SportsDAB, specially designed for the Queen's 60th Jubilee year and a summer of sporting action, the handheld measures up at 5.6cm x 10.2cm x 2.3cm - great for putting in a pocket.

Get the SportsDAB from Amazon or John Lewis.

Royal Philips' (that's Royal as in the Netherlands!) AE2012/05 portable model works here and overseas thanks to its DAB and DAB+ compatibility. You can take it to Australia, where DAB+ broadcasts are common, for a wealth of digi radio stations at your fingertips (groan. Ed). For around £50, it's not a bad price to pay for something a little different.

Philips AE2012 runs on 6 "AA"-size batteries, weights just under 900 grams with batteries, is 20cm wide x 10.4cm high and 4.5cm deep and has a telescopic aerial to pull in DAB stations. It features a headphone socket, too.

Find the Philips at Amazon or pick it up from Argos (item 909/3805).

If you'd prefer something from Pure, track down the Evoke Mio. At £120, the visually-enhanced special of the original Mio is the best of British design in Pure's tenth anniversary year as a DAB radio manufacturer.

Pure Evoke Mio Union Jack edition features a full-range 3 inch speaker, accepts a ChargePAK E1 rechargeable battery pack and is 18.1cm high x 21cm wide x 12.5cm deep. It uses under a watt of power in standby mode and you can plug in your headphones, hook up an MP3 player and send the sound to your bigger hi-fi system, too, via its audio sockets.

Have the Evoke Mio delivered from Go Electrical or track it down at John Lewis.

For something at the budget end of the market, the cheaper Bush Union Jack radio costs forty notes and sports a leather effect case. Pop in 4 AA batteries for full portability, or hook up to the mains in the kitchen if you prefer.

This Bush special edition measures 12.5cm high by 20cm wide by 8cm deep and packs 1.5 Watts of power, but the dealbreaker may be the lack of a headphone socket. Well, it is the fifties again, no?

Find the Bush for a pretty price at Amazon or get it much cheaper from Argos (item 903/4273).

Finally, you could really push the boat out and get the Roberts Revival RD60 with the familiar triangles and stripes of the British flag wrapping the front of the fifties-styled design. Jump straight to your most-listened station with a favourite station button, warm up from the glow of the retro orange-coloured backlight and marvel at 120 hours' use on the beach or in the shed from just 4 "D"-size batteries.


The top-of-the-range Revival weighs a sturdy 1.5kg and measures in at 25cm wide x 15.5cm high x 10cm deep. There are rotary tuning and volume controls as well as headphone and audio out sockets.

Track down the Roberts Revival John Lewis or Amazon.

Whichever model you choose, thankfully none of the above use cheap 'n' nasty components, so you'll be able to pick up a decent signal from your favourite DAB stations. They all score highly on user reviews, too.

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