Came across some cable I haven't seen before

[mattg4321]

I came across some cable today I haven't seen before.

It has some sort of tough, inflexible pvc type sheathing (definitely not rubber). It's quite a light silvery grey and more oval shaped than modern flat T&E.

Rubber insulation.

No CPC.

Probably tinned copper conductors, but maybe even aluminium?

A picture paints a thousand words so here we go. Perhaps this is common in other parts of the country, but it's new to me.

 

[Lucien Nunes]

Fantastic, grab what you can and I'll PM you with postage info.

IIRC Ashathene was a trademark of Aerialite cables, a portmanteau of Ashton (the brand name of their electrical installation cables) and Polythene, the common name for PE. I am not sure whether Ashathene was actually a PE/ natural rubber blend, or whether that came later. I have some genuine Ashathene and other PE-insulated T+E removed a few years ago that one of my late mentors installed himself as a young man. It's all still good for service although the sheath of some of it has become noticeably stiffer, possibly on the PE-insulated, PVC-sheathed type.