Earthing yourself while you sleep

[Nick]

A boy at my boarding school in the '60s  connected a wire to his steel bed frame, to act as an aerial, so he could listen to the short waves on his Sony transistor after 'lights out'' in the dormitory. An illegal act.

It was discovered by Matron and she queried it.  The boy claimed the wire was to earth himself in case of being struck by lightning... and she accepted it!

I'm still in touch with this 'boy' today. He's my oldest friend.

I did exactly that back in the early '70s with my iron-framed bed in a dormitory at my boarding school in SE London... it was for a small radio I had made - bits from HL Smiths in Edgware Road.

Fairly acceptable reception ISTR, though we were VERY close to Crystal Palace etc.