[emeritus]

I don't specifically collect torches, but do have some old ones that are still in use.

The Vidoray lives in our kitchen. Its Zinc Carbon battery is dated 10/2010, but still produces a good light, in a broad diffused beam free of hot spots. Some time ago I posted photos showing how the plastic casing of a dead Duracell flat battery could accommodate a 3- or 4- cell AA battery holder. I was intending to do this when this torch's battery ran out, but it still soldiers on! Its Panasonic battery seems to be of similar construction, and so would contain any leakage.

The Black Ever-Ready rubber torch dates from circa 1980, and lives in the larder. It still works, but the rubber has split at the front, and is badly perished at the On and Off buttons. It was my official First Aider's torch when I was working for the Civil Service in Central London. You may recall the "Yes Minister" episode where Jim Hacker had an economy drive and, having asked Humphrey why they did not rent out unused government offices to the private sector, got the reply that, as they did not comply with building regulations, only Civil Servants could legally occupy them. Absolutely spot-on, these torches were the only emergency lighting (other than candles!) our 15 story office block had, and we were only issued with them in response to the contemporary terrorist threat in case we had to deal with casualties in the basement levels.

The Ever-Ready Bullseye torch was probably from the last production. I bought it in Woolworths at the time that the new plastic ones were introduced, and was not impressed by them. I used to go camping at the time. and found it useful to flip up the lens and use just the bare bulb for seeing where I was going when using unlit paths at night: much better than a bright narrow beam for short range use, and didn't spoil your night vision.

The last one is of course the traditional battery tester, inherited from my dad, and probably pre-war. I still use it to check out cells.

I echo the comments about excessive brightness of LEDs. When the children were babies, I specifically used run-down batteries in torches to give a dim light so as not to disturb them when checking at night, and do the same today when we go on holiday so as not to disturb my wife if I have to get up in the night.