I introduced my three nieces (all early 20's) to a cheese fondue evening by gas light over the recent Christmas period. A couple of Bialaddin's 315’s inside my chalet and 305’s outside, lighting the way, plus gas heating via my 1970’s caravan butane gas heater. Q: Why are you playing White noise out of the speakers? Had to think about that one, what we take for granted as the reassuring background hiss of lamps, was of course new to them. I guess if you have not heard a gas light before, you don’t know that light can make a noise. Q. Is it not dangerous? I highlighted that my house was built before electricity was available in the village, so this was normal for everyone at the time. That myself, my brother, and parents all used gas lighting for camping and other jobs while growing up, and that I still use these in my tent. Q. You use this in a tent!!! I then filled a couple of meths burners for the fondue and gave them a box of matches. Q. You want me to light that!!! Some people can have extremely long arms when holding a match. Did they enjoy the experience, of course they did, it was an excellent lamp evening and plenty of Instagram, snapchat and WhatsApp moments, which young people appear to require, and a CPL post for me. ... If their arms are long enough, may see if I can get them to light one next time.
That takes me back over 70 years when we lived in a little wooden house with no electricity and no running water. Can’t say I feel romantic about it and we definitely never had a spread like that at Christmas or any other time! Bet your nieces had a great time but are glad they didn’t live in ‘the old days’.
