The Tilley Lamp

The local ironmonger has a window display of vintage articles.

It is worrying when something you remember very clearly starts appearing in historical collections.    The Tilley Lamp (invented in the 1810's) was part of my childhood.   We always had one ready in the event of power cuts, and when we went on holiday to my father's boss's house out on the point at Rockcliffe, looking across the estuary to Hestan Island, there were several - the only source of light.

You poured in the paraffin, pumped up the pressure, opened the valve, and applied a lighted match to the mantle.   It produced a very gentle form of light....