My Woolworths Christmas fairy lights are 55 years old and the bulbs have finally blown

Video (click to play above) shows Ross-Farr-Semmems, 45, with his faithful fairy lights, which had NEVER blown a bulb in 54 years - until now. The music teacher inherited the tree lights from his mum six years ago, but says it’s the first Christmas when the £3 Woolworths lights will not shine in his house.

Lights are carefully wrapped up

Ross, from Plymouth, Devon, 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, so they are carefully wrapped up in a box.

He said: ""It is very very sad they are not up this year and it is the first year they haven't been on display. It just felt they would be going on forever and it feels like the end of an era.

Fairy lights stopped working

"Towards the end of last Christmas one bulb went out. A few years ago a lovely lady in St Austell had seen the story and sent me a few old bulbs she thought may well match them. I found one that I thought might match the original and put it in. But when I put it in it shone a lot brighter than the others. I thought 'this is not good' and before I knew it another six had gone out.

"It must have put more stress on the rest of the circuit so I turned them off and left them. I daren't do anything with them anymore. They are now in a box and I have bought myself new bulbs that match the originals.”

Bought from Woolies for £3

Ross said he had now safely stored the lights in a nice box to have a go next Christmas and if he can repair them he said he'd love to make it to 60th anniversary.

He added: "I will definitely keep them - my mum is no longer with us and she did buy them in 1969. I am not into hoarding but like to keep a few little things - and they will definitely go in my box of little things to remind me of mum.

"It is not just all those Christmases - it is also the exciting journey we have had. Finding out everyone was interested in our old little lights and being in the papers every year. Three generations of us have now enjoyed those lights and they are definitely staying in the box - to remind us of all of that.”

‘Quality from a different age’

Ross, who has two children with his wife Ruth, aged two and three, said they like to "grab and break everything" so was already reconsidering how they displayed decorations this year.

Ross said although he is a fan of all Christmas decorations - he said it would be almost impossible to replace those lights. I don't think we'll ever reproduce those quality of lights. They were just a different quality from a different age."