How good were 1950's/1960's Band 1 TV receivers?

I've just bought (from Oxfam!) a copy of a BBC TV 25th anniversary
publication from 1961. Absolutely fascinating - it gives a good
technical history from pre-war years to early 625 line and colour test
transmissions.

But what impressed me the most was the coverage areas of those early
VHF transmitters - especially Holme Moss. It covered almost the whole
of northern England (coast-to-coast) and even north Wales (including
Anglesey).

Now I appreciate that the range of a VHF ground wave is proportional
to the wavelength, and that the wavelength here is about twice that of
present-day FM, but all early VHF (valve/transistor) FM radios I have
used have been hopelessly insensitive by modern standards and I find
it amazing that a VHF TV transmitter could have covered an area with a
100 mile radius!

So, does anyone know how easy/hard it would have been to receive Holme
Moss in Lancaster or Liverpool or Lincoln around 1960? Did they have
to put up 10 element aerials with pre-amps?

Regards

Paul

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