WEB PAGE NO. 2820 25th September 2021 1ST PICTURE: A Bar of Sunlight soap

2nd PICTURE; WW1 Sunlight poster

3RD PICTURE; Sunlight Washing Up Liquid

4TH PICTURE; Port Sunlight

Sunlight Soap We must all remember Sunlight household soap, every home, when we were kids used it. It was introduced by the British company Lever Brothers in 1884 and it was the world's first packaged, branded laundry soap. Designed for washing clothes and for general household use, the success of the product led to the name for the company's village for its workers, Port Sunlight. The soap formula was invented by a Bolton chemist named William Hough Watson, who also became an early business partner. Watson's process created a new soap, using glycerin and vegetable oils such as palm oil rather than tallow which were animal fats. William Lever and his brother James Darcy Lever invested in Watson's soap invention and its initial success came from offering bars of cut, wrapped, and branded soap in his father's grocery shop. This was an early labour-saving device for the housewife as prior to this, commercially made soap was bought in long bars. Sunlight soap was eventually supplanted by modern products made from synthetically produced detergents rather than naturally derived soaps. In 1971, the company rebranded Sunlight as a washing-up liquid in the UK. The new packaging for Sunlight Lemon Liquid had a large picture of a lemon, and only featured the words "washing up liquid" in small letters. There were complaints that children might mistake the product for lemon squash and drink it. The matter was discussed in the House of Lords. The company responded by changing its packaging. In several markets (e.g., Belgium and the Netherlands) Sunlight soap has survived as a personal wash product rather than a laundry detergent. Sunlight is still used in some markets as a brand by Unilever (the successor of Lever Brothers). In Sri Lanka, Sunlight laundry soap has a market share of more than 75%, and won the “brand of the year” award in 2004. In South Africa, the brand is used for bath soap, dishwashing liquid, washing powder and fabric conditioner. The brand was also used in the Philippines during the 1990s as detergents. It was discontinued until it was revived in 2015 as a liquid dish-washing detergent traded alongside the Surf line. However, production for Ireland and the UK ceased in 2009 due to low demand; it is available only as an import. In Norway it was taken over by Lilleborg in 1930. In 2003, exclusive licensing rights to the Sunlight brand for dishwashing detergents in the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico were sold along with several Unilever brands to Lehman Brothers Merchant Banking Group, which established Phoenix Brands LLC for the purpose. In 2008, the North American trademark rights to Unilever laundry brands including Sunlight were acquired by Sun Products Corporation. In early 2010, Sun Products acquired the American and Canadian business rights to the Sunlight brand. Sun Products was itself acquired by Henkel North American Consumer Goods in 2016. The Sunlight brand was used by Johnson Diversey Professional Products in Canada and the USA in 2011. In Turkey in the summer of 2010, washing-up liquids produced under the brand Cif began marketing with the new compound brand Sunlight Cif. As well as the regular liquid, a concentrated washing-up liquid was introduced in three varieties (lime, lemon and orange); when it comes into contact with water, it turns into a gel which remains in the sponge longer than regular washing-up liquid. However I am sure that we all remember the alternative version of the carol Whilst Shepherds watched their flocks by night ie….. While Shepherds washed their socks by night, All seated round the tub, A bar of Sunlight soap came down, And they began to scrub. And when their socks were squeaky clean, And sparkling like a gem, The Sheppard's put them on again, And walked to Bethlehem. And when they got to Bethlehem, All looking nice and neat, The Christ child said you've got nice socks, But next time wash your feet. You Write: This is a longshot request: Does anyone reading Peter's MC webpage remember Ken Ashbee? I believe he lived in the Drayton / Farlington / Cosham area. If you do please let me know. Ken was married to a local girl called Marilyn I believe. Also Roger ??? who wrote on the webpages last week and will be reading this, was Robert (Bob) Heyhoe a name you remember from your time at Northern Grammar School? Cheers Everyone Melvyn (Griff) Griffiths Stay in touch Peter gsseditor@gmail.com