Xmas Light Entertainment

With christmas on the way, I was reminded of something I bought a few years ago, which is especially pertinent this time of year. As a kid, part of christmas mornings fun was the stocking at the end of the bed, which was always filled with the usual traditional items; a tangerine, some nuts, a silver coin, sweets and a load of little toys. One toy which always appeared was a pocket torch, usually a Pifco or Ever Ready one.

A few years ago I was amazed to see an online auction for a counter box of such torches, but even better, it had the Ever Ready Rocket torch from the mid sixties. Some of the torches had been lost or sold, but at least half the box was full of these wonderully nostalgic toys.

Each one had a plastic sleeve from an original Ever Ready battery and an instruction sheet tucked inside.

 The mechanism is a simple press button arrangement to bring the battery in contact with the bulb, giving a clear bright light.

I can clearly recall these being sold on the counter of a Bike and Toy shop on Mill Street, Dingle in Liverpool around 1968, what a shame I can't revisit those great times!

originally published December 2016