Thanks for the response! I am 15, hence in year 10, with GCSE's underway. These tend to take up a lot of time, so I don't always have clear evenings to fiddle with the radio sets, but once they are out the way I plan to get hold of another 'project' to celebrate! I did find yesterday a 1930's battery portable radio set in a 'junk' shop. Built into a black leather suitcase. Its a bit pricey at the moment, so i'll keep an eye on it untill he decides to have a clear out...
Oh, and those wires in the corner of the shot - they're feedlines to various valve sets.