What Tony and the others have said is correct Nicola. The only concern is that you apparently mistook the two pins at the mains input for the aerial and earth sockets, which are [sometimes] needed to improve the signal. This could have been disastrous/dangerous and suggests you might need to familiarise yourself with the various stages of the circuitry more-especially as you are new to valve radios. You're otherwise methodical, unhurried approach is to be applauded. A recent poster was confused between mains and radio earth and that situation was quite alarming
Perhaps this was just a case of "Christmas Confusion?"
Dave W