Brian Hitchcock, 80, bought the Taurus S.A. model Xpelair fan back in 1964 to help keep cool while working on a construction site. He subsequently brought the fan back to his home in Bognor Regis where it went on to serve the family thereafter.

55 years later and the fan stood the test of time, having more recently provided a much needed respite during this summer’s hottest July day on record when temperature peaked to 38.5°C.

Mr Hitchcock relayed: “I originally bought the fan for myself while working on a construction site in Crewe. However, it worked so well I decided to bring it back home with me. We’ve pretty much used it every summer since, and over the decades it has never failed to keep the house cool – even during all the extreme heatwaves we’ve had in recent years.

“It really is unusual to have a product so widely-used last for such a length of time; I’m delighted and it’s clearly a testament to the craftsmanship that goes into Xpelair products.”