Unusual Sockets found on rewire

[philturner]

Hi, i have been doing a bungalow rewire with a colleague, and came across these installed in lounge and bedrooms.
has anyone seen these MEM sockets before ? approx age ?

 

[freddo]

Also does anyone know what is this symbol is?

 

[pirate]

Simon Templar call button?

 

[Lucien Nunes]

I was asking you about this about five years ago!......let us all know when we'll be invited down for the opening day

Well, this is part of the challenge. Everybody wants to be invited to the opening, but no-one wants to move / restore / install the exhibits, buy us a nice old mill or factory building as our permanent home, or pay for the ongoing storage in the meantime. That's fine, but you have to wait while we save up!

 

[MFS Electrical]

Also does anyone know what is this symbol is?
View attachment 46334

Helipad lights?

 

[MFS Electrical]

Well, this is part of the challenge. Everybody wants to be invited to the opening, but no-one wants to move / restore / install the exhibits, buy us a nice old mill or factory building as our permanent home, or pay for the ongoing storage in the meantime. That's fine, but you have to wait while we save up!

Surely just about every electrician in the country would want to visit it I certainly would. Can you not apply for a loan or some charitable funding to get it open and then charge admission to start to cover the cost?

 

[Lucien Nunes]

Surely just about every electrician in the country would want to visit

Unfortunately not. I've had reactions ranging from serious interest, through disinterest, to one spark I met on site who laughed his head off and described the venture as a load of old b******s. In any case, once they've all visited, what next?

Can you not apply for a loan or some charitable funding

Funding is available for projects that meet the criteria of the grant-making body or donor. This has to be proven as a business case, which involves a lot of paperwork and input from people qualified to assess the value to the public. You can't readily get a grant 'to open a museum' but once you are open, you can campaign to raise £15k to have a feasibility study done by consultants to say whether you should be eligible for a grant to build an extension that will cost £250k, and then spend a year on actually making the application.

The past form for electrical museums does not look great. Only one of substance has endured in the UK, compared to dozens of steam / railway / motor / other semi-technical setups. We have a compelling new take on the subject that will make us interesting and educational for everyone, but it's a hard sell in these cash-strapped times.

I might start a thread about some of these ideas. In the meantime I am still on site at some ridiculous hour of Sunday morning finishing a job, which I had better get back to...

 

[Megawatt]

They were known as 'fireside' sockets at the time, and as above, late 50's to early 60's I think. That particular one looks in great condition, what was feeding it? Rubber or PVC?

9648 you are telling your age

 

[DPG]

9648 you are telling your age

Being as he has been deleted some time ago I don't think anyone will know who he is anyway

 

[freddo]

Do we win a prize if we can remember who that was?

 

[philturner]

9648 you are telling your age

Hi Megawatt,

there were several of these sockets in a bungalow, and all were fed from grey stranded pvc.

 

[Deleted member 105166]

Another dormant thread brought back to life
Great when someone has used the search function to find old electrical discussion and ask on-topic questions relating to their own current situation at a job or within study... but becoming rather boring when the new post is simply a joke or congratulates someone on passing their 17th AMD3 (for example).