Hi Tina,
My grandfather used to work for G Bocock from the 1950s to the 1970s, retiring just a few years before the company closed. You might remember him? He was the travelling salesman, Jack Rooney from Liverpool. He worked as the sole salesman for years until Martin Bocock started helping.
The company was a victim of Britain joining the EEC in 1973. Until then, the UK Board of Trade, who regulated shipping, insisted ships' lamps must be made of copper and brass. After 1973 we were forced to accept EEC regulations that allowed other materials to be used. Philips lamps (from the Netherlands) were made of plastic and considerably undercut the prices of lamps made from copper and brass, which not only lasted many years but were works of art to look at.
Tony