[dave walsh]

I had use of the boxroom in our brand new modern semi [1958] but it had no sockets in there at all, so I used a 30's adaptor from the light socket to feed my bench a two amp supply very successfully until I fitted four ring main sockets at the age of 14.

Even the front room had a fixed point electric fire but no sockets. I was very popular when I tapped in a double socket but it was all self interest as I could be on my own with the record player, basking in the heat! I think the bayonet adaptors served an obvious purpose in the early days of house wiring and were quite clever. I don't think there was a high level of fire or injury as people treated things with respect. Now, despite all the H+S etc spin dryers and other white goods are igniting all the time [Grenfell]. The current figures for London, from the Fire Brigade, are shocking [no pun intended].

Dave W