Over 40 members attended the ‘Come and Meet Mr Therm’ meeting. John Lang, a former employee of British Gas showed some very nostalgic footage of the ‘Mr Therm’ advertising campaign. Surprisingly it started in the 1930s, Mr Therm went through various incarnati
ons in green, red and white. The film showed the changes as gas appliances became part of the home. Having hot water on tap was a major improvement for the 1950s house wife. Examples of a gas iron, a gas television and a gas hair dryer were shown.
With the advent of gas from the North Sea, British Gas undertook to convert all appliances in every household – what an undertaking! And some real horror stories were revealed – like a teapot affixed to the end of outlet pipe of a gas fire with a tube attached to the spout which vented out of window. John then took us through the subsequent privatisation of British Gas. Lastly he explained how gas was made at our own Fairford Gas Works. FHS, with the help of research by the U3A Industrial Heritage Group, have issued a publication about the Gas Works.