Chatting away to a friend of mine I mentioned the little bottle and lo and behold he had the base to it somewhere in his shed and I was welcome to it and it turns out it was from a match striker from back in the day where smoking wasnt frowned upon and pubs up and down the country were kept afloat by the thick dense smog of tobacco smoke while punters puffed away and supped their beers .
After and exchange of gifts the base was mine and the little ginger beer bottle fitted perfectly and with some extra strong araldite they married up rather well , a neat fit and job done .
Caleys was founded by a chemist Albert Jarmen Caley in 1863 producing soda water and such was its popularity he eventually moved to larger premises opening up a factory otherwise known locally as the Fleur - De -Lys Works .However soda water was a seasonal produce and to supplement the winter months and to keep his workers employed he came up with the idea of producing a sweet hot beverage and in 1883 full production in drinking cocoa again proved popular and by 1886 the factory began making chocolate slabs .
By 1904 such was the demand for Caleys chocolate , it was supplied worldwide and was also sent to troops in wartime under the guise of "Caleys Marching Chocolate" .
After the building suffered heavy bomb damage during the war [ perhaps the Hun didnt like Rolos
] it was rebuilt and finished in 1952 and went on to supply many household name brands such as Munchies and Caramac 
Again the company was purchased by the famous Rowntree in 1969 and then nestle stepped in when it was sold to them in 1989 until kits final closure in 2004 .
All that from the humble beginnings of a ginger beer .
