Still glowing strong: Britain's oldest light bulb keeps on shining after an incredible 130 years



While most modern light bulbs barely last a year, this example is still shining on after an incredible 130 years.

The bulb, dating from 1883, was clearly built to last with six internal filaments which have all stood the test of time.

It first belonged to the late Florence Crook who once took it to school to dazzle her classmates. It then passed down to her son Kenneth, in Morecambe, Lancs and is still in use by his widow Beth, 79, at their home.

Scroll down for video



Glowing tribute: Beth Crook and her incredible 130-year-old light bulb that is still shining after 130 years

She told the Daily Express: 'It's a real talking point. There is no substitute for craftsmanship. The new eco bulbs take all week to warm up and hardly give off any light.'

The bulb was one of the earliest products of the Ediswan factory which began started production way back in 1881.

Ediswan was a collaboration between the British Physicist Sir Joseph Swan and American Thomas Edison, both of whom are independently credited with the invention of the light bulb.

Swan's break through was to use a vacuum which meant there was very little oxygen inside the bulb so the filament to glow white-hot without catching fire.

History: The bulb was one of the earliest products of the Ediswan company - a collaboration between the British Physicist Sir Jospeh Swan and American Thomas Edison

It rolled of the production line as Queen Victoria was beginning her 64th year on the throne and William Gladstone was Prime Minister.

It continued to give good service throughout two world wars and continued to glow well into the new millennium.

According to the Guinness Book of Records the world's oldest light bulb in continuous use has been burning for 109 years and holds pride of place in Fire Station 6, in Livermore, northern California.



AND THE LIGHT SHINES ON: HISTORY OF THE LIGHT BULB

1809: An English chemist, Humphrey Davy, used a high power battery to induce current between two charcoal strips, producing a bright light.

1879: Thomas A. Edison developed the first practical filament light bulb design, after many years of testing by the famous inventor and others around Europe and America. It lasted just 13.5 hours.



However, in months Edison had developed one which lasted 1,200 hours, or a little more than the average bulb life today.

1930: Photo flashlight bulbs were first used in photography.

1959: A design for a halogen light bulb is first patented by General Electric.

1962: The LED, or light-emitting diode, is first introduced as a practical component in computers and electronics.

2009: The UK Government announced it was phasing out the traditional filament light bulb in favour of more environmentally friendly halogen and fluorescent models. The U.S. passed a very similar law, as have many other countries around the world.





VIDEO: How a light bulb works