Britain's oldest Christmas lights have failed to shine for the first time in more than FIFTY years - after the bulbs finally blew.
The tree fairy lights - bought for just £3 from Woolworths by Vina Shaddick in 1969 - had been lit for 54 consecutive years without a single bulb ever being replaced.
But her son Ross-Farr-Semmems, 45, who inherited the lights after his mum died six years ago, says they have finally given up and won't be on display for the first time.
Ross said the first bulb went at the end of last Christmas and he replaced it - but now fears he 'disrupted' the circuit and another six have now blown.
The tree fairy lights - bought for just £3 from Woolworths by Vina Shaddick in 1969 - had been lit for 54 consecutive years without a single bulb ever being replaced.
But her son Ross-Farr-Semmems, 45, who inherited the lights after his mum died six years ago, says they have finally given up and won't be on display for the first time.
Ross said the first bulb went at the end of last Christmas and he replaced it - but now fears he 'disrupted' the circuit and another six have now blown.
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NewsTranscript
00:00My name is Ross Varsamund and I'm very happy to be sitting here with my Christmas lights.
00:0550 years on since my mum bought them in 1969 and they're still going strong. So,
00:13you know, there was a little bit of a worry earlier on when I was taking them out of their
00:17box and then they wouldn't go on at first but I went through them and found the culprit bulb
00:23and here they are and they're going to be illuminating on top of the piano
00:29and making for a very happy Christmas. My mum bought them in 1969 when she was working for H
00:36Samuel and word got round that there were some new lights in at Wellworth's and all the girls,
00:45they went out, I'm sure there were a few boys as well, they went out and they just had to have their
00:50new Christmas lights and they seem to have made them very strong because they're still going on
00:5650 years later and I'm very happy to be celebrating the half century with them.