Having started life in 1927 selling gramophones and radios, Dawsons – now under the ownership of the fourth family generation – is celebrating a major milestone.

The Westbourne retailer is the UK’s oldest Bang & Olufsen dealership, and this year it marks 60 years in partnership with the world-famous audiovisual brand.

Founder George Dawson soon handed the reins to his son Cyril, who ushered in black-and-white TVs and radiograms, before Peter Dawson – father to current owner Kevin – began selling the first Bang & Olufsen products in 1964.

Cyril Dawson, Kevin’s grandfather, in the 1950s

Kevin joined the business in 1980 and focused initially on installations, travelling from client to client in the Ford Escort van his father had bought for him.

At the time, video recorders were in their infancy, as Betamax and VHS battled in the format wars.

Dawsons later ventured into home cinema with the Sony CRT projector and Harman JBL speakers.

And starting in 2006, they found plenty of business installing Bang & Olufsen systems on yachts from Sunseeker, Princess and Fairline.

To this day, the business looks to stay at the forefront of technological advances – and before long the team could be welcoming a fifth generation.

Dawsons in the late 1970s

“At Dawsons, we’re proud of our audiovisual heritage,” said Kevin.

Kevin Dawson

“Myself being a fourth generation Dawson, it gives me so much pleasure to look back at the history that we’ve been a part of and created here in Westbourne.

“It’s such a special milestone – we must be the longest standing family-run audiovisual company that still enjoys giving the absolute best customer experience to every single person that walks through our front door.

“Even in our digital landscape, you cannot beat the personal experience of walking into the shop and being treated like a real human being.”

The next milestone will come in 2027, when Dawsons turns 100.

• dawsonsav.co.uk