Every year, the third...
Every year, the third Thursday of November is a very special day for the inhabitants of the little French town of Beaujeu, just north of Lyon. At one minute past midnight, the Nouveau Beaujolais wine is released and the locals can start celebrating their year of labour by drinking the results of their endeavours. It’s a very French thing, but for the last 35 years it’s also been a very British thing. Not, I hasten to add, because we tend to have a rather average appreciation of what is or isn’t a good wine, but simply because back in 1972 Sunday Times journalist Alan Hall decided that it would make a good story to find out who could get a bottle of said plonk into his office the quickest.
As its name suggests...
As its name suggests, the Flo Control enables you to adjust the rate at which the fuel comes out – so you can have quick refilling without the stuttering delivery of a standard can, or a slow, controlled dribble if you’re replenishing a small fuel tank.
It’s immediately clear this is no normal can. It’s weighty and the components have a quality feel. There’s a conventional filler on the side – what’s different about the Flo Control is how it’s emptied.
You need to release the filler nozzle, remove the dust cap and uncover the control button at the rear. Tip the can into the tank and nothing happens. But press the control button fully, and there’s a rapid flow of fuel. The maker claims five litres are dispensed in 15 seconds, although ours took 24 seconds.
Press the control button lightly, and you get a slow trickle of fuel. Just remember that the flow doesn’t stop as soon as the valve is closed. The can will leak if held spout-up with the release button cover off. It costs three times more than a normal container, too. But it works well, and we like the way the detachable parts are held on by tethers. It even passed our one-metre drop test when full, with no fuel spills, cracks in the casing or damage to the components.