UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Discussion Forum - View Single Post

Lancs Lad · 24th Oct 2018, 10:00 pm

New member here, although I've been reading this forum with huge enjoyment for ages! So, hello everyone, here goes my first post.

All this talk of the MK Safety Plug reminded me of my seventh birthday in 1976. I was always fascinated by electrical things as a child, but especially plugs and sockets. I fitted my first plug at age five. Anyway, I happened to see a glossy, full-page colour advert for this wonderful new plug, in the Reader's Digest, and knew I just had to have one! I was truly obsessed.

Unfortunately, Dad said they too expensive and we didn't need a new plug for anything anyway! So I had to content myself with just a picture.

Imagine my pure delight, three months later on my birthday, when I unwrapped my coveted Safety Plug, complete with extra 3 and 5 amp fuses to suit any appliance! Best birthday ever!

For the following couple of weeks I attached that plug to every electrical item in the house. I would swap it every day, and leave it on for exactly 24 hours. Just to see what it looked like on the flex and in the socket. It was finally attached to my prized Sharp cassette recorder's mains lead, where it remained for years (fused at 3 amps, of course)

Just as an aside, I remember one day at primary school in 1979 when an electrician came in and replaced every single plug in the entire place! He was there all day, just taking off (perfectly good) plugs and fitting new ones. I remember thinking what a great job to have! The new plugs he fitted were all the Legrand slimline plug. Which, incidentally, I was coveting having seen a SWEB branded one in Cornwall on holiday the year before. So I went to talk to him at dinnertime (he was having a pie in his van - this is Lancashire after all!) and he very kindly let me have one! I remember he had boxes full of them. All with the fibre cord-grip and unsleeved pins. Happy days!

Sorry if I've rambled on, but great to be able to reminisce about stuff like this.

Best Regards

Peter.

24th Oct 2018, 10:00 pm	#64
Lancs Lad Heptode Join Date: Oct 2018 Location: Blackburn, Lancashire, UK. Posts: 729	Re: Modern MK Safety Plug. Not impressed New member here, although I've been reading this forum with huge enjoyment for ages! So, hello everyone, here goes my first post. All this talk of the MK Safety Plug reminded me of my seventh birthday in 1976. I was always fascinated by electrical things as a child, but especially plugs and sockets. I fitted my first plug at age five. Anyway, I happened to see a glossy, full-page colour advert for this wonderful new plug, in the Reader's Digest, and knew I just had to have one! I was truly obsessed. Unfortunately, Dad said they too expensive and we didn't need a new plug for anything anyway! So I had to content myself with just a picture. Imagine my pure delight, three months later on my birthday, when I unwrapped my coveted Safety Plug, complete with extra 3 and 5 amp fuses to suit any appliance! Best birthday ever! For the following couple of weeks I attached that plug to every electrical item in the house. I would swap it every day, and leave it on for exactly 24 hours. Just to see what it looked like on the flex and in the socket. It was finally attached to my prized Sharp cassette recorder's mains lead, where it remained for years (fused at 3 amps, of course) Just as an aside, I remember one day at primary school in 1979 when an electrician came in and replaced every single plug in the entire place! He was there all day, just taking off (perfectly good) plugs and fitting new ones. I remember thinking what a great job to have! The new plugs he fitted were all the Legrand slimline plug. Which, incidentally, I was coveting having seen a SWEB branded one in Cornwall on holiday the year before. So I went to talk to him at dinnertime (he was having a pie in his van - this is Lancashire after all!) and he very kindly let me have one! I remember he had boxes full of them. All with the fibre cord-grip and unsleeved pins. Happy days! Sorry if I've rambled on, but great to be able to reminisce about stuff like this. Best Regards Peter.