It was just an ordinary day in 1911, but building contractor John Joseph Rawlings was in the British Museum about to make history when he attempted to hang something on a wall and not leave a fine mess to patch up.
This dilemma had been troubling builders for some time. The conventional method was to whack a big hole in the mortar and thump a shard of wood in its place, plastering and muttering repairs as they prepared for their tea break.
People had been coming up with a different method for some time. For a while revolutionary new product became the darling of handymen everywhere.
Asbestolux consisted of a fine white powder that you poured into your hand and then mixed with a good gob of spit. (These are not the actual pack instructions.) As you might expect, this product is no longer available.
John Rawling invented a hemp fibre plug to insert into a small hole he has drilled. The screw gripped in the wall as it tightened and so a familiar DIY product was born.
Rawlplugs became a household name as DIY flourished with the retro fitting of electric lights in homes.
Plastic has replaced the lovable fibre plug, but the company continues to flourish.
