Just wondered if the X246A or B (not the pork pie) was ever sold with a hood made of something which looks like aluminium on brass, as some of the PL53s were. Or are all X246 hoods steel under the brown or black enamel?
That 'aluminium' is actually matt chromium plate, Jean. For some reason, Tilley didn't bother to polish it to the normal shiny chrome finish we're used to seeing. To answer your question, though, around 1972/3, Tilley produced the X246B with a chrome finished hood - again, not highly polished, but to a sort of 'satin' finish this time. The boxes the lanterns came in were stencilled to the effect they contained a chrome finish lantern. I don't know the exact reason why Tilley moved away from enamel for a short while, but I assume it was something to do with the 3-day week and the associated power cuts at the time. BTW, the articles you sent were waiting for me at work when I got back - many thanks..!
I have a slip of paper with the typed message “Due to the present electricity supply emergency in Great Britain our own supply position of some components is seriously affected consequently your lamp is supplied with a plated hood in place of the normal vitreous enamel finish" Ian
That's very interesting Ian. At that time I had only been married a few years and had 2 little boys. My main worries were getting enough coal to heat the living room and paraffin for the stove in the kitchen, I must have had paraffin lamps to use when the power went off but had no Tilley lamps at that time. I have a little slip which came in an X246B box from Dunmurry, Belfast, which states:- Dear Customer, Due to the present conditions in the glass industry we are unable to supply the methylated spirit bottle, part No.158. The reason for the shortage is that the glass manufacturers have been directed to give priority to the food industry, so we are sure you will understand the position and will be able to obtain a suitable substitute, e.g. a screwed-lid type jam jar. (STA.356) Would this have occurred about the same time as the power cuts?
Here are three of mine:- I do have a fourth, complete with box, which, from memory is stencilled 'PLATED HOOD' but that refuses to be found tonight. I've had the one on the left a number of years, whereas I bought the other two as a pair on the way to the Ashover Festival of Light a few weeks ago. They're all dated February 1972 - I recall the power cuts at that time because I was in my final year of college at the time and they prevented me revising for my final exams. No, sorry, I've just made that last bit up...
Hello Jean, The three day week electricity supply has a lot to answer for: No TV , no radio , no lights , so bed early and Lo! what have we got? = Another baby boom . I think it was a great time! Steve.
As I recall, the electricity supply went off for only three hours at a time. Still, in those days, any excuse for a s**g, eh...
At that time, my parents taught me and my brother to play Crib by candlelight. I've still got my father's old crib board.
I think they're worth having, given their rarity due to the limited production time. Having said that, they do seem to come up on eBay quite often - I seem to have managed to accumulate four of them despite not really trying! Perhaps Tilley made a good few of them at the time, anticipating increased sales due to the power cuts, so they're less rare than might be supposed...
