The second electric teawaker on the market in England was the Tecal, invented by George Absolom and manufactured by him until World War 2 in 1939.

The Tecal featured a chrome kettle, but no teapot. This lovely advert appears in the Army and Navy catalogue (a hard backed book) for 1939-1940. The entry describes the Tecal as a 'Robot Servant', and recommends that it can be used for heating shaving water! It is gratifying to see the type of teapot envisaged by the advert designer. Note that Tecal is mis-spelled 'Tegal'!

This body shape appears again in an article in Everybody's Weekly dated September 1945 entitled "The Post War Home".

This version was not manufactured by George Absolom.

The patent for this design, No. 661601, was applied for 1949 by Lawrence George Hawkins and LG Hawkins and Co.

The earliest advert I have seen for this model shape is also dated 1949. At that time the price was £10.18.9.

The advert here is from Punch, and was reproduced in a 1950's edition of Silver Lining, Hawkins pressure cooking magazine. The date of the advert and the model number are unknown.

The second incarnation of the Tecal was the LGH 1200 illustrated here. The lampshade in this example is not original.

In the September 1950 edition of Silver Lining, there is a short article about "The Marvellous Tecal", wikth a picture of an LGH.1200A priced at £10-18-9. The article includes some feedback from users including this letter:

"I was one of the fortunate individuals who heard of and purchased one of your Tecals before the war - in 1937, to be more exact. You may be pleased to learn that it has had almost continual service ever since, and is still absolutely dependable for my morning call and the added luxury of a good and really hot cup of tea." - Lt. Cdr. (L) A E Chiverton, on HMS Cleopatra, Bay of Biscay, March 29, 1950.

The text reads:

Makes life much more pleasant

for it makes your morning tea while you sleep - wakes you when brewed - gives a welcome reading light, correct time, and switches off. All operations are entirely automatic and the "Hawkins Tecal" is so attractive and well made.

This advert from the Hawkins Pressure Cooker Users Club magazine, dated March 1952, lists the current model as LGH 1200c.

The text reads:

The Gift of the Future

"Remember this is the patented Hawkins Tecal - it makes your morning tea or coffee automatically while you are asleep. Wakes you when it is brewed, and, at the same time, switches on the attractive bedside lamp. Always gives the correct time.

Automatically switches OFF the kettle and gives a small quantity of hot toilet or shaving water.

Overnight you merely set the alarm and place your teapot in position (with tea) and Tecal does the rest - automatically without any worry or trouble on your part.

The Hawkins Tecal is a daily service and is the ideal gift for practically all occasions - it is made by craftsmen to give complete and absolute satisfaction."

An advert in a 1954 electrical catalogue lists the current model as the LGH 2000, price £7-15-9 (wholesale). The appearance is still the same, in fact the photograph is identical to the one shown above (1200C).