Z is for Zippo...but not!

My Great Aunt (actually Great, Great once removed...I think?!) Betty, who passed away a few years ago, was what Miss Moneypenny would probably refer to as "something in the Foreign Office, James". As part of her 'clerical' duties she managed to end up in the officers mess in MAAG (Military Advisory and Assistance Command) some time in the mid-60's (it was renamed MAC-V by the height of the war), where she was given (or bought - but she wasn't a smoker!) this lighter, obviously a Zip...er...the famous Wellington 'Windproof' from Japan (wot? not Hong Kong?!).



When she was packing to return to her native Australia, she gave me this, and while I know it's value to collectors, I feel it was made to be used, and so I've used it to the point were it's not as mint as it was. Compared to a lot of Zippo rip-offs, this is engineered to a similar standard and is holding up well to the abuse it gets in the garden.

I will have to get it re-enamelled one day as apart from the missing chip at the far end of the motto banner, that dark patch in the main cloud is blown enamel which will crumble when I'm shifting stone or something and it bangs against my pocket...I'm a Philistine sometimes!

Speaking of G.Aunt Betty, she also gave us (my brother and I) a copy of The Magic Pudding, a brilliant book which makes The Hungry Caterpillar look tame! If you've got kids, search out a copy, they'll love it.