I Decided to go and have as nose at a local boot fair near Eastbourne today - One of the largest around but out of all the stalls I found only two lamps on offer - a very rusty X246b with no glasss and a bulging bottom for £12 ("I'll let it go for £10 but it is an antique") Then saw an X246b box at another stall and as I bent down to have a look was told "That's brand new,going for £15 and that is a bargain" Had a look in the box, Red tank specimen dated 1989. No funnel, pre-heater or jar, and the pump handle top was missing from the pump assembly. Pointed out to the seller that some bits were missing: "No mate you're wrong, it's all there, straight off the shelf" What "shelf" it came from I'm not sure, probably la-La land. No point in arguing with an "expert" so carried on wandering and picked up a Burmos blowlamp in need of TLC for £2 instead....
Hi Bill. Is that the one north of Polegate near the big roundabout? That one is just too big. It seems to attract the 'professional' sellers, mostly selling baby clothes, toys and dodgy perfume, though I did get an unfired Svea 123R stove there in the spring for £1 and an Alladin-Petromax lamp for £2. But most times you trudge round for an hour or more, slowly losing the will to live, and come away with a box of screws. Rainbow Farm/Nash Street at Lower Dicker (alternates each weekend) further up the A22 are much smaller but tend to attract the more genuine sellers. Still rarely any lamps or stoves though. There's a Saturday one somewhere near Pevensy but I've never tried it. Terry
There was a [url=http://0flo.com/index.php?threads/3871 at the one I went to today, but the guy wanted £25 so I passed.
Hi Terry, Yes it was the one by Polegate. I did get a Bialaddin 315 and an Anchor there some while back, but as you say it tends to be "professional" sellers (and professional prices). Had a look at the Lewes one without much success (same crowd every weekend asking silly prices for old tat) May try further afield. I appreciate I'm unlikely to find some real booty but it's nice to occasionaly pick up Tilleys at sensible prices to equip the scouts as we do get the odd casualty from time to time (lamps not scouts!) I know some of the more experienced forumites on here look down on X246bs as common, but they are ideal for scouting activities. (don't chuck them away -we'll give them a good home!)
I did find 5 or 6 drab-green Vapalux M320, new in boxes at Rainbow Farm. Good value at £7 each too - so I bought the lot. But it was 12 years back.
Nowt wrong with the X264B lamps - had 6 running at a recent 3 night County camp and a pair running over the weekend with our Explorers. No 1 Son quite adept at lighting them after John showed him the proper way. Now fettling a few ready for the next Leader's gathering.
Hello Juan Unfortunately it does not run to Sheffield. It runs from 'East Grinstead' to 'Sheffield Park' which is about 18 km.
As Trevor says just 18km or 11 miles. http://www.bluebell-railway.co.uk/ Some folk have been known to visit Leeds in West Yorkshire to see Leeds Castle, and been very disappointed to find the Castle is in Kent, which is 230 miles distant!
This was exactly why I didn't mention Sheffield Park in my PT to Juan! - I thought it less confusing to say the Bluebell Railway ran "to and from East Grinstead". Quite close to here are Toronto, New York and Philadelphia but you'd be very disappointed if you visited any of them. Mind you, I once drove to Skipton with a friend to visit Mother Shipton's Cave...
There's a place called Twatt in the Orkneys. I didn't visit it but the guide on the excursion coach made a bit of a joke about the road-sign as we passed...
There are Twatts in both Orkney and Shetland. There are also place-names in both, I pass them many times per year.... Alec ps, must get a photo beside that sign with a Tilley which came from nearby...
Yes, I know, but I didn't go anywhere near the Shetland one so I didn't think it was worth mentioning. I can't remember exactly where I went on Shetland apart from Lerwick but I saw a broch, a castle, some Shetland ponies and a place flogging gold jewellery to the tourists. Had a cup of coffee and a scone - the natives were friendly. No sign of Jeff anywhere...
Polegate and Nash St car boots this morning. Not a single lamp or stove in sight, but... 50 x new in packet Vapalux V42 mantles for a fiver: Plus, a plated heavy brass marine anchor light for the same price. OK, I know it's a wickie, but I was getting lamp withdrawal symptoms. No manufacturers name, but Sherwoods, Birmingham on the burner and CB Ltd 1944 on the lens. Designed to be seen from a distance rather than provide illumination. Perhaps it will help me find my tent at 3am at Newark next year.: Terry
One at each. Also got a Nilfisk pressure washer at Nash St. Not the sort of thing I would normally buy at a car boot sale, but I knew the seller. All complete and works fine for a tenner. Terry
I got a bargain in a local car boot sale, an unused X246B that looked as though it had been run over ! The glass was missing and the tank and carrying frame were beyond hope and have been thrown out. However the burner, pump, vapouriser, and control cock were unused and worth more than the £10 that I paid. The hood was damaged but just about worth keeping.
