We have a couple of other Optimus stoves in the collection but this one is a bit special as it was in a very bad state of repair and destined for the skip but we decided to restore it and here it is, albeit in not quite the original colour; a blue hammerite – all original otherwise.

It seems there are several variations of the Optimus 111 with a 111B, 111C, 111T and a couple more, the main difference seeming to be the type of fuel they run on and the burner head. We’ve been told by our pal Johan over in Sweden that the ‘B’ stands for Bensin which is Swedish for petrol, other versions run on paraffin or naptha, which is a refined fuel – commonly known as Coleman fuel in the USA & UK.