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KurtVerbose

Member Since: 08 Aug 2010
Location: Les Arses
Posts: 5848

2007 Range Rover Vogue TDV8 Stornoway Grey

I must show you my light bulb collection

This is my former neighbour Ray. When I say former - I moved house, and unfortunately Ray died, well over ten years ago now.

The lights are antique hand painted bulbs and he had about 3000 of them. He could only put up so many, and it took ages. They ran off DC batteries he had in the shed. It attracted a lot of attention and he was even in the local news.

He'd exhausted all the sources of these lights but when he discovered ebay he regularly came round (he had no internet or computer) and we got to be good friends.

He also collected other bulbs. When I first moved in he invited me round and said 'I must show you my light bulb collection'. I thought this would be a long evening. But actually it was interesting. He had a big collection of carbon filament vacuum bulbs - most well over 100 years old. Everyone who had the tour was interested, even women.

My favorite was this bulb from a light house. It had a triple fillament so if one blew two others would still burn.

Click image to enlarge

Here it is turned on, but low. Full power you could get a sun tan off it.

Click image to enlarge

He showed me his shed - which was at the end of the garden. I asked him what the whirring sound was and he said it was the fan for downstairs. 'Downstairs' I said - incredulously, after all this was a shed at the end of his garden. He took me over to a corner of the shed and pressed a button on the wall. We went down and there was a workshop below his shed. He'd dug it out in the 60's as his mother wouldn't let him extend the shed. He used a lift (which he made) to save on digging as it took up less space than stairs.

He moved into that house when he was one year old. He lived with his parents until they died. He never ran a car, although he built one in his shed. He retired at 48 when he realised he had enough money to lead the life of his choice.

A very eccentric Englishman.

Admin note: this post has had its images recovered from a money grabbing photo hosting site and reinstated

4th Oct 2014 8:19pm

stan
Site Moderator

Member Since: 13 Jul 2010
Location: a moderate moderated moderator moderating moderately in moderation
Posts: 35281

a delightful story ... - .- -.

Y. O. L. O.
.

4th Oct 2014 8:46pm

PaulTyrer

Member Since: 22 Jul 2013
Location: Devizes, Wiltshire
Posts: 1247

2006 Range Rover Supercharged 4.2 SC V8 Cairns Blue

Brilliant story! Such a shame that we all now have to have these 'Eco' bulbs that take 3 hours to get any light from them!

4th Oct 2014 9:13pm

Cam-Tech-Craig

Member Since: 03 Aug 2011
Location: Gloucestershire
Posts: 16284

2015 Range Rover SVAutobiography SDV8 Loire Blue

A dying breed David (no pun intended) eccentric interesting people i mean

4th Oct 2014 10:12pm

Bellini

Member Since: 11 Jan 2012
Location: Berkshire
Posts: 2261

2007 Range Rover Supercharged 4.2 SC V8 Zermatt Silver

A classic British eccentric.

Love the collection. Do you know what happened to it? Si. <This is my name.

I eat rat poison.

A man ain't truly been insulted until he stands buck naked in front of a woman and she didn't even notice. Or care.

5th Oct 2014 6:45am

KurtVerbose

Member Since: 08 Aug 2010
Location: Les Arses
Posts: 5848

I don't know. It wasn't only the light bulbs. He also had a collection of about 4000 78 records, many very rare. I think it disappeared after he died to avoid inheritance tax and was probably sold off some time later on the quiet. I hope it wasn't broken up.

5th Oct 2014 8:04am

KurtVerbose

Member Since: 08 Aug 2010
Location: Les Arses
Posts: 5848

I remember it was through me Ray got in contact with Bob Iwamasa who had written this book.

Well, while Ray identified a few bulbs he didn't have Bob had to also make a few additions to his book.

Here's an example of them on ebay.

Click image to enlarge

I'd imagine the whole collection would be worth £50-£100k now.

Admin note: this post has had its images recovered from a money grabbing photo hosting site and reinstated

5th Oct 2014 8:16am

RR2008HSE

Member Since: 06 Jan 2013
Location: British Columbia
Posts: 2932

Nice story. I never knew light bulbs could be interesting, but now I do.

I love the fact that he stopped working when he had "enough money" and lived life on his terms.

5th Oct 2014 7:09pm

KurtVerbose

Member Since: 08 Aug 2010
Location: Les Arses
Posts: 5848

He was planning to retire at 50, but his firm made him redundant at 48, with a large pay off. He was delighted. 18 months later the firm went bust!

The sad thing is he died at only 68 of cancer. Just imagine if he'd worked till 65?

5th Oct 2014 7:16pm

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