In an age of disposable electronics, one man's festive decorations are defying time. A retired school caretaker from Lincolnshire has revealed his astonishing secret: a set of Christmas fairy lights that have illuminated every holiday season for nearly seven decades without a single bulb replacement.
A Festive Legacy from 1956
John King, 79, from Scunthorpe, is the proud keeper of a remarkable piece of festive history. The set of 12 coloured lights was originally purchased by his mother, Elsie, from a local Halfords store in 1956. She paid 18 shillings for them, a sum equivalent to around 90p today but representing a significant outlay when the average weekly wage was just £2.10 shillings.
"I was just 10 years old when we got them," John recalled. "They were for the family tree initially. Looking back, they were expensive, so it was a great treat for me." The lights, manufactured by the electronics giant Philips, adorned the family Christmas tree for many years before John eventually inherited them.
The Secret to Their Longevity
The durability of these vintage lights has left their owner both puzzled and impressed. "I don't know why they still work," John admitted. "They were a Philips product, which says something about the brand's reliability. It surprises me that they still work at all."
He emphasised the most extraordinary fact: the lights have never once required a bulb change. All 12 original bulbs continue to function, a feat that seems almost unbelievable for a product approaching its 70th birthday. The lights are still stored in their original box, a testament to their careful preservation.
While John has now switched to modern LED lights for his main decorations, he keeps this historic set in a state of "retirement," occasionally testing them to confirm their enduring glow. "For something so old to not need replacing is amazing," he said. "It looks as if they're going to last forever at the minute."
A Modern Contrast: Winterbourne Wonderland
John's story of minimalist, enduring decoration presents a striking contrast to contemporary festive displays. Last month, a family in Bristol unveiled a spectacular installation using 150,000 lights.
Ricky and Chrissie Fenning's annual Winterbourne Wonderland is renowned for its scale and innovation. This year's display features multiple themed zones, including animatronic butterflies, a magical forest, a life-sized wishing well, and a snowy scene with polar bears and penguins.
The family's house is covered in vibrant blue and purple lights, with the roof spelling out "Ho Ho Ho." The setup, which involves a meticulous two-month installation, now uses 50,000 more bulbs than the previous year, making it one of the UK's most illuminated private displays. The spectacle last year attracted over 10,000 visitors, with Ricky Fenning noting, "Last Christmas Eve was crazy – we gridlocked Winterbourne."
These two stories bookend the evolution of Christmas lighting in Britain: from a single, cherished set built to last a lifetime, to vast, computer-controlled symphonies of light designed to wow the crowds. Both, in their own way, continue to spread festive cheer.
